Can Pedestrians Use Bicycle Lanes?
Question Keith asked: I almost had a head on collision with a runner in the bike lane the other morning, it was 5.45 am totally dark and he or she was invisible. I emailed the Mayor as to the city’s …
A bicycle lane is a part of the roadway intended to provide bicyclists with a more “comfortable” experience. Feeling safe does not equate to being safe. Research into the relative safety of bike lanes and shared lanes is inconclusive. The Federal Highway Administration does not have a crash reduction factor for bicycle lanes. Bicycle lanes are intended as “preferential use” lanes, not mandatory use lanes (although Florida statute 316.2065(5) now makes their use mandatory, with exceptions for unsafe conditions and situations).
In order to meet the statutory language, the paved area in question must be marked with a bicycle symbol and a directional arrow. There are numerous spaces on area roads that do not meet minimum width standards and other characteristics of correct bike lane design. Bicyclists are permitted to use such spaces, but are not required to. The width of the adjacent lane then determines whether or not the bicyclist is required to share that lane.
The minimum standard width for a bicycle lane is five feet from the lane stripe to the curb face, and a minimum of four feet of asphalt beyond the gutter pan. For state roadways with design speeds 50 mph and higher, the minimum width is 6.5 feet.
— Enforcement for Bicyclist Safety, a publication for law enforcement by MetroPlan Orlando. read online | download pdf
Question Keith asked: I almost had a head on collision with a runner in the bike lane the other morning, it was 5.45 am totally dark and he or she was invisible. I emailed the Mayor as to the city’s …
Question KC also asked: Are there any statutes about placing obstacles in the bike lane? Specifically, the garbage collectors keep putting the cans down in the middle of the bike lane. Is there an actual law against blocking the lane …
Question Mike asked: I would appreciate some help with clarifying whether it is legal for cars to use the bike lane for their travel. Is it legal for a car to use the bike lane to pass on the right?
Question Roger asked: But what about when the car is not making a turn (Re: The post on Right Turns)? For example, the road does not have any turns. Is a car allowed to use a bike lane? I thought …
Question Bruce asked: I was under the assumption that when a new road is built or an existing one is repaved, a bike lane has to be added. Is this correct or has the law changed?
Question Are there any circumstances in which a motor vehicle can legally use a bicycle lane?