This is a personal response to the bicyclist who literally hit me on my walk to work today, as well as his friend. It is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk in San Francisco. You asked me to show you the law, here it is:ARTICLE 5: SECTION 96. BICYCLE RIDING RESTRICTED.
It shall be unlawful to ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk area, except at a permanent or temporary driveway or on bikeways heretofore or hereafter established by resolution of the board of Supervisors; provided, however, that juveniles under the age of 13 and riding a sidewalk bicycle, exercising due care and giving the pedestrian the rightof-way, may ride and operate their sidewalk bicycles upon the sidewalk, except such sidewalks as are in front of schools, stores, or buildings used for business purposes.
(Amended by Ord. 394-78, App. 8/29/78)
Because riding your bike legally in the street is safer for everyone, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition urges byciclists to comply with that law:
The SFBC position is clear that sidewalks are for walkers. Bicyclists should respect that.Also, hitting people with your bike is kind of an antisocial thing to do.
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9 comments:
On some sidewalks bicycling is allowed(such as Herb Caen Way and the Golden Gate Bridge) and on some others it's not - that's what the law says.
Right, in other words "bikeways heretofore or hereafter established by resolution of the board of Supervisors."
However Brannan Street is not on that list.
All right then.
"It is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk in San Francisco" should be, "It is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk on Brannan."
Now we agree.
No. There are tiny number of sidewalks that the Board has designated as bikeways.
On Every. Other. Sidewalk. in San Francisco it is illegal to ride your bike. The law is very clear.
All right. Instead of:
"It is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk in San Francisco"
we now have:
"Except for a tiny number of sidewalks that the Board has designated as bikeways, it is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk in San Francisco"
Now we have a rule that's fully operational.
In some towns in CA, you can ride your bike on any and all sidewalks, but S.F. isn't like that. Check.
Now we have it :-)
Riding on the sidewalk is crazy dangerous in addition to being rude, cars can't see you suddenly pop out into the intersection (because they don't expect anything that fast-moving to be on the sidewalk, so they will just look at the corners of the sidewalk).
As a bicycle advocate in SF, I feel utterly betrayed when I get buzzed or nearly hit by a cyclist while I'm walking in a pedestrian right of way. Those moments are the closest I ever come to feeling like giving up the fight.
The patience we cyclists wish cars would give us is the very same patience we need to be *generously* bestowing on pedestrians. While I'm on my bike, more than just trying not to *hit* peds, I also try not to scare them or make them feel like they're in danger of being hit or even obstructed. If that objective means I have to come to a full stop, I do, without hesitation. Oh how I wish other cyclists had the same attitude. Why can't cyclists see that peds are our natural ally in the cause for better, less car-centric city infrastructure, so long as we don't alienate them in the same way motorists alienate cyclists? Frustrating.
From your fingertips to god's ears, Apricot!
Thank you for your comment, very well put.
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