Someone said "now we at least have technically a more correct answer". I beg to differ. It's more confusing to me now than ever. My comments are contained in the margins of the article itself (below).
If this is the way they interprete the law on riding two abreast, then everyone who participates in a critical mass ride (where no one rides single file) is fair game for being arrested. Mike Neuman "All I want is the truth. Just gimme some truth." - John Lennon > > ------- > Sept. 15, 2006 Wis. State Journal > > Safe & Sound: Bicyclists must be single file if slower than traffic > Q: I had always been told that cyclists have to be single file on > roads. Has that changed? > > > A. This question, previously answered in the State Journal's Safe > and Sound feature, was found to be confusing and misleading to many > readers. Here is a revised answer. > > The key to this question is whether the bicyclists are moving at > less than the normal speed of traffic, according to Lt. Patricia > Hansen with the State Patrol. > > If cyclists are impeding traffic by their speed, they must ride > single file, Hansen said. > An exception to this rule does allow > bicyclists to ride two abreast if it doesn't impede the normal and > reasonable movement of traffic, she said. > > Essentially, the law states that bicyclists may not "impede" the > normal flow of traffic by their actions. If they are traveling > slower than the normal speed of traffic, they are required to ride > as close as practicable to the right-hand curb, she said. What if there is not enough space between the vehicles parked along the street and the live flow of traffic to accomodate bicyclists (such as on Midvale Blvd. where cars are parked)? Their only choice is to ride in the live lane of 30 (+) MPH traffic, or ride on the sidewalk. > > There is no provision to ride alongside another bike, only alongside > the curb. That might be where many people get the notion that > bicyclists may only ride single file. If they are not "impeding" > traffic, then they may ride two abreast until such a time that > another vehicle traveling at a faster speed comes up behind them and > cannot pass because of their slower speed, Hansen said. > > If there is more than one lane of traffic, bicycles must ride in the > right-most lane. What if they want to turn left? > They may not each ride in a traffic lane. What if one is turning left and the other is going straight or turning right? > > On a 55 mph highway, two bicyclists may ride abreast until they are > approached from the rear by a (faster) vehicle moving at the normal > and reasonable speed of traffic. What if there is enough room for the bicyclists to ride two abreast without going out into the live lane of traffic? > The only time they can ride more than two abreast is on a bike trail > or special pathway set aside for bicycles or personal mobility > devices, Hansen said. What about if they are riding on a parking lot? > > - Gena Kittner _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
