Three Feet
Question Howard asked: A member asked if the 3-foot rule applies to the rider in the bike lane or the edge of the bike lane. Answer There is no location restriction to the statute requiring a minimum of three feet …
Category: Bike Lanes
[caption id="attachment_2064" align="alignright" width="262"]
To meet the statute language “a lane marked for bicycle use,” the lane must have this stencil in it.[/caption]
To meet the statute language “a lane marked for bicycle use,” the lane must have this stencil in it.[/caption]
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
Adding Bike Lanes
Question Lawrence asked: My community main roadway has 2 lanes 20 ft one in each direction divided by a physical center median. We would like to install a 4 ft bike lane in each direction. Is there any permission we need …
Law Enforcement
Question Beau asked: Good morning. For local governments whom are not enforcing bicycle lane laws, to which State of Florida agency, should cyclists report or contact to? FDOT or FLHSMV? As a cyclists myself, my local city government is not …
Pedestrians in Bike Lanes
Question Beau asked: Is there a Florida statute or specific law here in Florida, that explicitly prohibits pedestrians and joggers from using/occupying bicycle lanes? Protected, buffered or marked? I am aware of Section 316.130 (3),F.S. Has such a statute been proposed or drafted? …
Paved Shoulders Bike Lanes
Question Jeff asked: FDOT has started installing “marked shoulders” that look like bicycle lanes, placing the bicycle lane marker on the pavement but without the vertical “bicycle lane” signs. Are rules of the roadway enforceable on these shoulders? I think not. …
Obstruction in Bike Lane
Question Howard asked: I notice that trucks not parked in the bike lane frequently place cones in the bike lane or on the edge of the bike lane adjacent to the main road. This implies that the bike riders must leave …
Direction in Bike Lane
Question Janie asked: Are cyclists in a bike lane required by law to travel in the same direction as the traffic they are next to? Answer Yes. The bike lane is part of the roadway. If the bike lane is properly marked, it …
Riding in the Roadway Required?
Question David asked: When you are riding your bike and there is a designated bike lane are you required by Florida law to ride your bike in that lane and not on the sidewalk? I was riding my bike on …
Authority to Block Bike Lane
Question Ashley asked: Today I was riding my bicycle in the bike lane down a busy, one way street. The street consists of two lanes and one bike lane. Police had blocked off the lane nearest to the bike lane …
Roadway Width for Bike Lanes
Question Robert asked: What is the minimum road width that allows a bike lane? In other words is a 15 foot lane width or a 12 foot lane width enough to allow a 5 foot bike lane to be incorporated …