Archive of questions, answers about Florida bicycle laws and law enforcement
All sides of the intersection are crosswalks — marked or not, regardless of whether the sidewalk is paved or not.[/caption]
316.2065 (9) A person propelling a vehicle by human power upon and along a sidewalk, or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk, has all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances.
316.2065 (10) A person propelling a bicycle upon and along a sidewalk, or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.
Bicycles can be legally operated on all Florida sidewalks and crosswalks unless a local ordinance prohibits it. When on a sidewalk, the operator is operating a vehicle and must use helmets and lights when required, and is subject to the DUI laws. Otherwise, the operator has the rights and duties of a pedestrian, but must yield to all pedestrians.
The rights and duties of pedestrians are explained in more detail at Best Foot Forward, an Orlando-based initiative for pedestrian safety.
CommuteOrlando offers a visual primer on crosswalk challenges.
Question Augie asked: If a bike is traveling on the sidewalk at night, with hardly any reflective showing but yet sees a car on the side walk should the bike yield to car or keep riding thru? If a bicycle …
Motorist Crossing a Sidewalk Entering the Roadway Read more »
Question Liubov asked: On June 11th, 2014, while I was riding my bike I became a victim of crash. I was hit by truck which was turning from parking lot entrance, joining a main road. I was riding my bike …
Question Jeff asked: On a two mile span of Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, FL there are 72 street lamp posts which obstruct the center of the sidewalk. They were installed in 2003. I think they are in violation of …
Question Jacob asked: Are bicyclists required to cross at crosswalks, from the right or can they use turn lanes? Are bicyclists required to walk bikes across the roadway?
Question Liubov asked: If a busy intersection has no bike lines and no even any space for a bike to ride, can bicyclist ride a bike on side walk if the side walk is pedestrians free?
Question Dallas asked: I am a Police Officer in Fort Myers, Yesterday we were conducting ped/bike enforcement along US-41. The biggest thing we observed were bicycles leaving the sidewalk, crossing three lanes of traffic, riding in the center turn lane …
Question Lance asked: I ride most often around downtown Orlando. While I ride on the road or bike paths following the rules as often as practicable, rude/reckless drivers and brick streets create a hazard that necessitates the use of sidewalks …
Question Robin asked: I often see bicycles in my neighborhood that are riding on sidewalks, and when they come to a street, they keep riding across the street without stopping, continuing to the sidewalk on the other side of the …
Question Naomi asked: in Cape Coral FL is it illegal to chain a bicycle to a meter or street stop sign?
Question SpecialFX asked: What would be the most legal way of doing this? Is there a “bad” yet still legal way? Bicycling on a sidewalk and then as I am going across an intersection, I want to move into the …