"Riding Bike on Sidewalk" at Night for Safety Reasons, and Got A Ticket?

Quote, "For those who believe riding in the street is "safer" for x-reason- did you not read the part where we felt unsafe in the street, due to lack of room in the street, and felt we were creating unsafe circumstances for motorists (having to move out of their lane, into on-coming traffic)?"

Passing a cyclist by moving into the oncoming traffic lane is LEGAL - as long as no one is coming. That's EXACTLY what motorists should do. READ the law! I wouldn't ride on the sidewalks where I live if YOU paid me to. Filled with cracks, broken glass & other debris.

You probably won't change your mind - so why should I bother? Don't do the crime if you can't do the time (or pay the fine). Bicycles are "VEHICLES" - the same as any other car, truck, bus or motorcycle. People like you give us real cyclists a B-A-D name. Have a nice day.

It's illegal in many places to ride on the sidewalk. This is not just because it endangers pedestrians. Studies have shown, time and time again, that riding on the sidewalk is more dangerous than riding in the road - especially at night. On the sidewalk, you are less visible to motorists and therefore between 2 and 12 times more likely to be hit at an intersection. Sure, the sidewalk looks safe, but it is not.

Ride in the road, where you can be seen. If you ride in the dark, always wear reflective clothing and use front and rear bike lights that conform to the requirements of the law.

In California, unfortunately state law permits sidewalk cycling. Local laws may vary, and this must be a local law under which you were charged.

You can certainly try to get your tickets reduced or the charge dismissed, but you would have to have some convincing story. If I were the judge, I would never reduce the ticket or dismiss the charges if your only excuse was that the sidewalk seemed safer, because your belief is incorrect - you were behaving recklessly and in a way that endangered you.

What I would do is this: I would say that when I was cycling on the sidewalk, I believed it was safer to do so. I would explain that, since researching it, I now realize what I did was unsafe and I believe I have learned my lesson. In light of this, I would respectfully ask the judge for a lesser fine, and I would ask him to consider my financial situation.

Cycling violations cannot result in points against your driver's license.

Re: Additional Details:

I don't merely 'believe' cycling on the road is safer than riding on the sidewalk - I know it. Feeling unsafe and being unsafe are two different things, and the feeling in this case is wrong. You felt something was safer when in fact it was more dangerous. Safe cycling practices are not based on people's feelings - they are based on what is actually safe.

A 1996 study (see source below) determined the likelihood of a bicycle accident by facility type (including sidewalks). The study found that riding on the road is not only safer—but much safer—than riding on these other types of facilities.

The study found that cyclists are 25 times more likely to experience an accident when riding on a sidewalk than riding on a major street—even one that neither has a designated bike lane nor is designated as a bike route.

As for lights and reflective clothing, you couldn't be cited for not having those while riding on the sidewalk - it's not illegal to use the sidewalk while unlit. As far as the law is concerned, you are allowed to wear a ninja suit while using the sidewalk. It's only when you use the road that lighting is required.

As for your assertion that you're not stupid, you seem incapable of seeing that there's a difference between how safe you feel and how safe you really are. That does not illustrate intelligence, and it is why you got into the situation that is going to cost you so much money in court.

You were indeed putting people's lives at risk - your own! You were not ensuring your safety - you were jeopardizing it. The fact that you 'felt' safer does not mean you were safer. As I explained before, you were less safe.

@Bill D: Not all states leave the question of sidewalk bicycling to local governments. Most states do allow such ordinances, but (as I understand it) some do not. Minnesota and Missouri, for example, require all ordinances to conform with state law and void ordinances that conflict with state law (and sidewalk cycling is specifically regulated by state law in Missouri). Some have more nuanced laws that prevent local laws from being stricter than state laws - Iowa is an example. I think it would be better if traffic law was the same throughout the US so that sidewalk cycling could be banned everywhere (as it is in the UK). Anyway, I don't think I said that all other states disallowed local ordinances. I only said that local laws in California may vary (as California does allow local ordinances)

First, the legal stuff:

You're probably out of luck. Woodland Municipal Code 5.19 says: "No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within the central traffic district." Were you in the central traffic district? Were there signs indicating that sidewalk bicycling is prohibited? Read the full text of the law and see if you can find a loophole.

http://www.cityofwoodland.org/municipal_code//_DAT...

California state law does allow local governments to regulate bicycling on the sidewalk. It's CVC 21100(h)

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21100.htm

Secondly, the safety stuff.

You actually are safer in the road when you know how to ride properly in the road. When the lanes are narrow and there isn't enough room, you have a legal right to use the full lane. Read CVC 21202(a)(3). Motorists will have to change lanes to go around. Since it was evening, you also need lights. See my references.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21202.htm

@Beery: As near as I can tell, all states leave the question of sidewalk bicycling to local governments, the same as California.

@Beery: Minnesota does allow local regulation of sidewalk cycling. See Minnesota Statute 169.222(d). Both Minnesota and Missouri ban bicycles on sidewalks in business districts but allow it otherwise. I haven't found an explicit allowance or prohibition of local regulation of sidewalk bicycling in Missouri yet. Do you have a reference?

@mary kay: What city do you live in? Bicyclists are allowed to ride on the road in all 50 states. Some states allow local regulation of the roads. Most do not. California does not. As far as I know, the only town in the U.S. that bans bicycles on the road is Black Hawk, Colorado. This is particularly odd given that the speed limit on their main road is 20mph.

When you learn how to ride a bicycle the correct way, come back & let us know. Pay the fine. Stay off the sidewalks. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. Streets are for vehicles.

Be honest, be polite, and don't make up excuses. So, don't tell the judge "There should be a handbook saying it's illegal". Actually, there already is a "handbook" for that because it's a law. Apologize and promise to follow the law from now on. Somehow I think that you tried to argue with the police officer because otherwise he would have let you get off with a warning... Don't argue!

Pay the fine(s) and ride in the street like everyone else. That's why they sell head / tail lights for bicycles.

This won't affect your car license.

Go to court with your boyfriend and explain your situation to the judge. I have had tickets reduced before when I was in college. Parking tickets.

Ya you can totally fight this ticket. Definitely take it to a judge and explain how it was dark, heavy traffic, parked cars, no bike lane, and no pedestrians on the sidewalk. Maybe take some pictures of the street to show how narrow it is when theres some cars parked on the side of it. Also emphasize that you were going slow while on the sidewalk.

The guy who gave you a ticket is a moron.

Aww. My heart bleeds for you. NOT!

Wow! Thats insane! In my city its ONLY legal to ride a bike on the sidewalk (unless there is a bike lane on the road). See if you can get it reduced, and good luck.