Where to ride on the road

What the Experts Say

Arizona Dept of Transportation

Arizona Bicycling Street Smarts is a short book based on bicycling traffic expert John Allen’s Bicycling Street Smarts; augmented with references to specific Arizona statutes, and published by the State of Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The full title is Arizona Bicycling Street Smarts: Riding Confidently, Legally and Safely, and is available online in its entirety.

WHERE TO RIDE ON THE ROAD

… In a wide lane, you are safer if you stay 3 to 4 feet to the right of the cars.

RIDING IN A NARROW LANE
On a multilane road with narrow lane, ride in the middle of the right lane.

Understand that the law is on your side. The law gives you the right to use the road, the same as a motorist, and to make other traffic slow down for you sometimes. The driver approaching from the rear is always required to slow and follow if it’s not possible to pass safely.

It may seem dangerous to make a motorist slow for you, but it’s not….

On a road with two or more narrow lanes in your direction – like many city streets – you should ride in the middle of the right lane at all times. You need to send the message to drivers to move to the passing lane to pass you. If you ride all the way to the right, two cars may pass you at the same time, side by side, and squeeze you off the road.

Many cyclists believe they are safer and more comfortable riding further to the right than this booklet recommends. They fear being passed uncomfortably close by a motorist, or feel intimidated by impatient drivers. Riding too far to the right is very dangerous for several reasons…

 – retrieved from azbikeped.org Chapter 2.

Effective Cycling

John Forester initially wrote Effective Cycling decades ago, not much changes over the years in bicycling traffic safety basics — from the latest edition:

Proper positioning in lanes of different widths. Cyclists should ride in the center of narrow lanes and just to the right of cars in wide lanes. — Effective Cycling, 6th Edition, page 294

League of American Bicyclists

The League is America’s pre-eminent nationwide bicyclist’s organization. The basics are taught in LAB Smart Cycling: Traffic skills 101.

Lane Position Rule
Ride just to the right of the motorized traffic when the lane is wide enough to safely share. When lanes are too narrow to safely share, ride in the center of the lane or just to the right of the center in the right hand tire track

Educating Motorists
Be aware that when a road is too narrow for cars and bikes to ride safely side by side, bicyclists should take the travel lane, which means riding in or near the center of the lane…. and
Don’t blast your horn when approaching bicyclists.

– retrieved from bikeed.org Chapter 3, page 4, and Chapter 4 page 7

Law Officer Training:  The Law Officer’s Guide to Bicycle Safety

Developed by MassBike under a grant from NHTSA in 2002. This is a model nationwide traning guide for law enforcement officers:

Use of Lanes … But narrow lanes require a different approach. The bicyclist who rides in the far right of a lane
that is not wide enough to share with motor vehicles invites motorists to pass unsafely. Riding in the center of such a lane indicates clearly to faster drivers that a partial or complete lane change is necessary in order to pass”

– Reference Guide, page 12.

nhtsa.gov: Resource Guide on Laws Related to Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

Separated Sidepaths / Sidewalks

Strictly speaking, this wouldn’t be riding “on the road” but because many propose that cyclists can avoid collision danger by using a path, it’s included here.

The inherent design-flaws in a path which is parallel to, but separated from a roadway are so well known that their use by competent adult cyclists is universally and strongly discouraged. The main problem as it relates to bicyclist-MV collision risk is that every intersection is more dangerous (to the cyclist) compared to using the parallel roadway. Additional serious problems include increased bike-bike, and bike-ped, bike-other (skaters, etc) collision risks on the paths themselves.

Some states actually compel bicyclists to use parallel paths, with what are referred to as “mandatory sidepath” laws. Many states which once had the laws have since repealed them — see bicycledriving.org section called mandatory sidepath use.

Arizona REPEALED its mandatory path law as of 1989 (chapter 269, HB2303 Bicycle Paths; roadways. 39th Legislature 1st Regular session) — this shows clear legislative intent.

Effective Cycling

Nowadays we know that cycling on urban sidepaths is much more dangerous than cycling on urban road… the urban sidepath is the one type of bikeway that the federal government specifically warns against. Because of the extreme dangers of sidepaths, the Effective Cyling Program recommends that you never ride on them, regardless of the laws of your state except where the path parallels a controlled-access freeway or is completely seperated in other ways from the street system, as along a riverfront”

– Effective Cycling p. 262-263

AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities

The Guide points out the troubles with sidepath facilities:

When two-way shared use paths are located immediately adjacent to a roadway, some operational problems are likely to occur… they require one direction of bicycle traffic to ride against motor vehicle traffic, contrary to normal rules of the road…

When the path ends, bicyclists going against traffic will tend to continue to travel on the wrong side of the street. Likewise, bicyclists approaching a shared use path often travel on the wrong side of the street in getting to the path. Wrong-way travel by bicyclists is a major cause of bicycle/automobile crashes and should be discouraged at every opportunity.
At intersections, motorists entering or crossing the roadway often will not notice bicyclists approaching from their right, as they are not expecting contra-flow vehicles. Motorists turning to exit the roadway may likewise fail to notice the bicyclist. Even bicyclists coming from the left often go unnoticed, especially when sight distances are limited”

– AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities,1999 p. 33-34

Arizona Dept of Transportation

ADOT  Traffic Engineering Policies, Guides and Procedures (PGP), emphasis added:

…Moreover, signs and markings placed along shared-use paths are sometimes interpreted as implying that bicyclists are expected to use the path instead of the adjacent roadway. This can lead to harassment of bicyclists who are otherwise safely and legally using the roadway. — retrieved from Section 1031 SIGNING AND MARKING OF SHARED-USE PATHS, ADOT PGP.

From Arizona Bicycling Street Smarts (emphasis added):

SIDEWALK AND PATH RIDING

Many people consider sidewalks a safe place to ride because cars don’t travel on them. Unfortunately, sidewalks aren’t safe. Stay off them, except where you have no choice.

Trees, hedges, parked cars, buildings and doorways create blindspots along a sidewalk, which is too narrow to allow you to swerve out of the way if someone appears. A pedestrian on the sidewalk can sidestep suddenly, or a small child can run out from behind an adult. Never pass a pedestrian until you have his or her attention.

And cars do use sidewalks – at every driveway and cross street. Since there are no clear rules for travel on a sidewalk, your only choice is to ride very slowly and look in all directions before crossing a driveway or street.

A shared use path can sometimes provide a useful shortcut, and it can be pleasant and scenic. Use it with caution. Even if you are supposed to have the right of way, the path may be too narrow for safe maneuvering. Pedestrians are unpredictable, and intersections are often hazardous. A path can get crowded with inline skaters, dog walkers and careless, inexperienced bicyclists. Most shared use paths are no place for a fast ride or high-speed commuting trip.

– retrieved from azbikeped.org Chapter 9.

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