§291C-145  Riding on roadways and bikeways. (a)  Every person operating a bicycle upona roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the samedirection at such time shall ride as near to the right-hand curb, on the edgeof the roadway, or on the shoulder off of the roadway as practicable,exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in thesame direction; except under any of the following situations:

(1)  When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or intoa private road or driveway, except where prohibited by official traffic-controldevices;

(2)  Whenreasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including but not limited to fixed ormoving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, orsubstandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-handcurb, on the edge of the roadway, or on the shoulder off of the roadway.  Forpurposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane thatis too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side-by-side withinthe lane; or

(3)  When aroadway is designated and signpostedto carry traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked trafficlanes, a person operating a bicycle may ride as near to the left-hand curb, onthe edge of the roadway, or on the shoulder off of such roadway as practicable.

(b)  Persons riding bicycles upon a roadwayshall ride in single file; provided that where the flow of traffic isunimpeded, riding two abreast upon bicycle lanes and bicycle paths shall bepermitted when such lane or path is of sufficient width to allow riding twoabreast unless otherwise prohibited by rule or ordinance adopted by thedirector of transportation or by the counties.

(c)  Whenever a usable bicycle lane has beenprovided on a highway, any person operating a bicycle at a speed less than thenormal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time shall ridewithin such bicycle lane, except that such person may move out of the laneunder any of the following situations:

(1)  When overtaking and passing another bicycle,vehicle, or pedestrian within the lane or about to enter the lane if suchovertaking and passing cannot be done safely within the lane;

(2)  When preparing for a left turn at an intersectionor into a private road or driveway; or

(3)  When reasonably necessary to leave the bicyclelane to avoid debris or other hazardous conditions.

(d)  No person operating a bicycle shall leavea bicycle lane until the movement can be made with reasonable safety and thenonly after giving an appropriate signal in the event that any vehicle may beaffected by the movement.

(e)  No person shall operate or ride a bicyclewithin a bicycle lane in any direction except that permitted of vehiculartraffic traveling on the same side of the highway.  Upon all bicycle paths ofsufficient width and providing for two-way movement of bicycle traffic,bicycles proceeding in opposite directions shall pass each other to the right.

(f)  The director of transportation by rule andthe counties by ordinance may with respect to bikeways under their respectivejurisdictions restrict or prohibit the use of such bikeways by mopeds.

(g)  No person shall ride a bicycle equippedwith a motor on any sidewalk.  The counties may, by ordinance, post bicyclelanes and bicycle paths to prevent persons riding a bicycle equipped with amotor from using them. [L 1971, c 150, pt of §1; am L 1974, c 133, §5; am L1976, c 148, §4; am L 1977, c 9, §1; am L 1978, c 30, §2 and c 175, §13; am L1984, c 273, §12; am L 1998, c 29, §1; am L 1999, c 42, §1]

 

Cross References

 

  County regulation of commercial bicycle tours, see §46-16.3.