# Riding a bike on the sidewalk is ILLEGAL and UNSAFE, numbnuts. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 30, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962 "2003-07-30T19:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/41 "2003-07-31T05:13:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blowero \* > **If you think you are supposed to ride your bike on the sidewalk, you are just…plain…wrong.** Oh, I’m well aware it’s wrong. I’m aware that by doing so, I can potentially put pedestrians in peril. At the same time, however, riding on a street without a bike lane puts **me** in peril. And given that I would much, much rather wheel my way around pedestrians while being as apologetic as possible rather than risk an SUV going 50 MPH to my back…yeah, I’m gonna ride on the sidewalk. At least on the road in question, I only ever encounter two pedestrians at most. Isn’t one of the first rules of defensive driving to treat everyone else like they’re dangerous maniacs and act accordingly? It applies to bicycling, too. Of course, I won’t go into the multitude of pedestrians who decide to walk in the bike lane on the rare occasion that there _is_ one…I’m rather glad I won’t be dealing with my bike this semester. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/42 "2003-07-31T06:46:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BayleDomon \* > Oh, I’m well aware it’s wrong. I’m aware that by doing so, I can potentially put pedestrians in peril. At the same time, however, riding on a street without a bike lane puts **me** in peril. And given that I would much, much rather wheel my way around pedestrians while being as apologetic as possible rather than risk an SUV going 50 MPH to my back…yeah, I’m gonna ride on the sidewalk. > > …I’m rather glad I won’t be dealing with my bike this semester. I’m sure the pedestrians are glad, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/43 "2003-07-31T08:00:32Z")
Nah, they won’t notice. They’ll be too busy walking in front of cars and other bikes. I do realize I’m infringing on someone else’s walkspace when I go up on the sidewalk, and I try to be as accomodating as possible, but you won’t see those vacuous airheads acknowledge the fact that they’re standing right in the middle of where bicyclists are _trying_ to ride so they don’t have to go on the sidewalk. But that’s another rant for another time. Hm. Drivers hate bicyclists and pedestrians, bicyclists hate drivers and pedestrians, and pedestrians hate drivers and bicyclists. Whoever one thinks is right depends on which mode of transportation one is using at the moment, I imagine. ---
**Author:** ![DoubleJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DoubleJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoubleJ)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/44 "2003-07-31T17:49:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by catsix \* > According to the Pittsburgh Police, riding on the sidewalk is only illegal in the shopping district of Shadyside, Oakland, Downtown, and the main streets of Squirrel Hill, and it’s very rare that the U Pitt police will cite anyone for riding on sidewalks around the Cathedral or the Student Union. Didn’t know that. A former co-worker of mine who rode the Jail Trail into downtown said he wasn’t allowed on the sidewalks. Had no idea that it mattered what part of town you were in. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/45 "2003-07-31T18:08:08Z")
I used to ride in the street, mostly in the gutter. Then a bus damn near ran me over coming up behind me. I swear he would have run me down if I hadn’t bunnyhopped over the curb onto the sidewalk. I was doing ~15 mph and he was doing 25-30. I saw him coming and figured he’d either swing wide or slow down and he did neither. Saw him coming closer, accelerated a bit, wasn’t an opening to swing into to get out of his way, so I hopped onto the sidewalk and ended up wiping out in someone’s lawn. Bastard would have run me over in another three seconds or so. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/46 "2003-07-31T18:13:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BayleDomon \* > Oh, I’m well aware it’s wrong. I’m aware that by doing so, I can potentially put pedestrians in peril. At the same time, however, riding on a street without a bike lane puts **me** in peril. And given that I would much, much rather wheel my way around pedestrians while being as apologetic as possible rather than risk an SUV going 50 MPH to my back…yeah, I’m gonna ride on the sidewalk. At least on the road in question, I only ever encounter two pedestrians at most. > \*\* Well that’s you. If there’s no one or just a few pedestrians on the sidewalk who cares. It’s these fucking Chinese delivery boy bicyclists weaving in and out of the crowded NYC sidewalks that piss me off. See here’s the problem: Pedestrians don’t follow regular traffic patterns like cars do. They walk every which way, change direction suddenly and basically do whatever. I understand that NY streets are dangerous but I don’t care. Bikes belong on the street. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/47 "2003-07-31T18:37:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BayleDomon \* > \*\*Oh, I’m well aware it’s wrong. I’m aware that by doing so, I can potentially put pedestrians in peril. At the same time, however, riding on a street without a bike lane puts **me** in peril. And given that I would much, much rather wheel my way around pedestrians while being as apologetic as possible rather than risk an SUV going 50 MPH to my back…yeah, I’m gonna ride on the sidewalk. \*\* So, what you’re saying is you want to be the biggest vehicle when you ride, so you can be the one causing the damage, not getting the damage? :rolleyes: Because, surely you know that studies show that riding on sidewalks is far more likely than riding on a road to end in a crash. From William E. Moritz, "Adult Bicyclists in the U.S.’, Transportation Research Board, 1998 (Link [here](http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/Moritz2.htm)) – The crash rates per million kilometers ridden are: [ul] [li]Major road without bicycle facilities: 41[/li][li]Minor road without bicycle facilities: 59[/li][li]Other (most often Sidewalks): 1026[/li][/ul] You can read more studies [here](http://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/sidepath/sidecrash.htm). Many of these studies demonstrate that the risk of a crash with a _car_ is higher when riding on a sidewalk. And regarding the SUV “to my back”…another respected study (which I can’t find now) found that only 8% of car-bike accidents occurred with vehicles overtaking bicycles. P.S. I don’t hate pedestrians or car drivers. The vast vast majority of them are friendly and respectful of my riding space. Don’t paint all bicyclists with your brush. ---
**Author:** ![Miabella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Miabella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miabella)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/48 "2003-07-31T19:36:09Z")
It’s legal to ride bicycles on the sidewalk in Washington, DC except for in the central business district. [Cite](http://ddot.dc.gov/information/bicycle/bicycle_regulations.shtm) ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/49 "2003-07-31T19:47:08Z")
Okay, I give, **LilyoftheValley**. I shouldn’t have generalized like that. I’m just slightly bitter at the utter lack of respect nearly everyone gives everyone else around my university campus. For what it’s worth, I really do try to be considerate. If the sidewalk’s busy, I don’t ride on it, or I walk my bike. If the cars on the street aren’t making me worried for my life, I ride on the street. It’s just difficult to be all that concerned about where I should and should not be when I constantly have to avoid pedestrians who walk in the bike lanes on campus. I _am_ trying to obey the law then, but they’re _still_ putting themselves (and me as well; I can’t see a collision between a walker and a biker being anywhere near as one-sided as between a biker and a driver) in danger despite that. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/50 "2003-07-31T20:23:57Z")
Damn, damn, damn…I wrote a reply and it got eaten. Remind me to ctrl-c all posts in the future before hitting submit. I’m too bitter to rewrite the whole damn thing now, but suffice it to say that: 1. Sorry if I came across as snippy, **Bayle**. I don’t know what speed you ride, I don’t know if your sidewalk has intersections or driveways, and in retrospect, you said the sidewalks only had 1 or 2 people. 2. I get a fair amount of criticism for teaching my BB/BS Little Brother (age 13) to ride safely on the streets with me rather than riding on the sidewalk in the city where he lives, where there are a whole lot of driveways and intersections. So I’m a touch sensitive with those statistics. 3. I agree with **Miskatonic** and **Bayle** – bike lanes get little respect. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/51 "2003-07-31T20:29:59Z")
Did the hamster eat some posts in this thread? Or was I really sleepy this morning? ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962/52 "2003-07-31T20:45:42Z")
No, one of my posts in this thread got eaten as well. In retrospect, it was posted at about 2 AM and I don’t mind that it got eaten. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-bike-on-the-sidewalk-is-illegal-and-unsafe-numbnuts/191962.md?page=2)