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What Motorist Advocacy Does For Cycling



 
 
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Old March 9th 11, 02:47 PM posted to rec.bicycles.soc,rec.bicycles.misc,rec.bicycles.tech
Duane Hebert[_4_]
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Default What Motorist Advocacy Does For Cycling

On 3/9/2011 8:11 AM, Peter Cole wrote:
On 3/8/2011 3:25 PM, Jay Beattie wrote:
On Mar 8, 9:06 am, Peter wrote:
On 3/8/2011 10:29 AM, Jay Beattie wrote:


Actualy, there are more states with the law than I expected. I took a
quick look to check the accuracy of the synopsis, and it misses the
Florida law (and maybe others -- checking all 50 states is time
consuming) -- but lo and behold, it also misses a 2010 repeal in
Louisiana. My point, however, is that when facilities are provided,
you are expected to ride in them, law or not. That is also part of my
drone that driver education is far more important than lines painted
on a road surface, unless of course, you are playing bicycle polo. --
Jay Beattie.

I don't know if it "misses" the FL law, things aren't so
simple:http://flbikelaw.org/2010/07/more-hb-971/

The original assertion, and my skeptical response, was that "mandatory
sidepath laws" were on the rise. I contended they were not.

As I stated, where (most) states require riding to the right as far as
"practicable", if there's a lane on the right, that law would be
interpreted usually as requiring you to use it. If that's the definition
of "mandatory sidepath law", then most of us (including my state of MA)
has them, but I think that's pushing the definition. "Sidepaths" usually
don't mean bike lanes. Also, as you must realize given your profession,
"expectation" (social) doesn't mean obligation (legal).- Hide quoted
text -


The repealed laws included bicycle lanes along with sidepaths, so you
can't really separate the two, and Frank was specifically talking
about "bike lanes" -- so we have to consider mandatory bike lane laws
and not just mandatory "sidepath" laws (to the extent there are any
laws dealing only with "sidepaths").


Yes, and my point was that the typical "as far right as practicable"
clause generally (to the extent that most lanes are on the right)
amounts to the same thing as a mandatory bikepath law if you include
lanes, so you might claim that virtually every state has mandatory
bikepath laws.


The Florida law specifically requires riding in the bike lane when one
is provided, and one cannot assume that the bike lane is at the far
right portion of the road -- many are not. In Portland, they can be
practically anywhe http://www.flickr.com/photos/redbat/3439693270/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25286635@N04/3944987692/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/friends...te/5369064008/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loewenherz/3332654262/


Yes, I'm aware that bike lanes are not always marked on the right. MA,
unlike FL, doesn't specifically insist that cyclists use a bike lane, so
in those few cases where bike lanes are not on the right it might be
legally defensible to ride on the right anyway, but it's not a right
that I would have any interest in exercising.


It's one that I exercise most days that I commute though.
http://tinyurl.com/4f4yv9k

Of course at rush hour this is mostly bumper to bumper for several
blocks. On the other hand, on the return trip, the lane is useful to
avoid all of the congestion.

Complaints have been filed regarding the east bound bike lane so we'll
see what comes of it.



So, the bike lane requirement is not merely a subset of riding as far
right as is "practicable." That is my major gripe -- many bike lanes
put you in places where you would not ordinarily be, like riding in a
chute or against traffic


Personally, I think it's much ado about nothing. The examples I have
seen seem sensible. If I didn't like those particular routes I'd simply
avoid them.


Here we're required to use a bike lane but we're also required to ride
to the right as far as practicable. I choose to interpret this to allow
me to avoid the lane that's going to drop me in front of oncoming
traffic. Not sure if it's ever been tested here.



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