Understanding and interpreting most laws is much more difficult that just reading one or two particular laws and repeating these back to someone in print or verbally. What is missing from this discussion on when is it permissible for bicyclists to ride two abreast is an understanding of the basic law on operating bicycles on the roadway, 346.80, which itself requires an understand of the safe passing law, 346.075.
346.80 says that when the unsafe condition of a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to be operated side by side in the lane exists, the bicyclist can move further left in the lane to ensure that a following motorist who wants to pass will pass safely by using the adjacent lane on a multi--lane road or the opposing lane on a two lane road. In this case, when a single bicyclist's legal lane position is riding further out in the lane, bicyclists can also ride two abreast. In neither case, with either a single bicyclist riding further out in a narrow lane or two bicyclists riding side by side in a narrow lane, is/are the bicyclist(s) impeding traffic. They are in a legal lane position in the narrow lane and the following motorist has a legal obligation to slow down and follow safely until there is a legal and safe opportunity to pass by using the adjoining/opposing lane to legally pass while giving the bicycist(s) a minimum of three feet of clearance per 346.075. There are other factors that can play into interpreting these laws as well. For example, what is the speed limit and the speed at which the bicyclists are operating? If the bicyclists are operating at the posted or statutory speed limit, they cannot be assumed to be impeding traffic by riding two abreast. Thus the answer to the question "Do bikes have to ride single file?" is more accurately something like "It depends upon the conditions existing at that place and time . . . " Arthur Arthur Ross, Pedestrian-Bicycle Coordinator City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 100 PO Box 2986 Madison, WI 53701-2986 608/266-6225 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Darin Burleigh Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2006 7:51 PM To: George Hesselberg; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Bikies] single file response At 2:48 PM -0500 9/16/06, George Hesselberg wrote: >Here are the relevant paragraphs from the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation >website summary of Wisconsin traffic laws as they relate to riding >single file. (The WBF does a nice job on all its law summaries.) The >laws do not, in fact, mention "single file." They refer to "riding 2 abreast." >However, they are quite simple. Though some believe there is a vast >media conspiracy involved in this, there is not. Whining about >conspiracies does not - and in this case did not - answer the question. GeorgeH, GeorgeP's main concern, which I share, is that neither of the columns clearly answered the answer; and I think you would have to agree. As you point out, the state statutes are very simple. So, if the question is "Do bikes have to ride single file?" The answer is "No. According to state law, bicyclists may ride two abreast, except when doing so would impede traffic." Is that so hard? A few examples might have helped to illustrate the point. But I also share GeorgeP's concern that the 'interpretation' given by Lt. Hansen was not helpful. Mr. Perkins's second point is about the inferred editorial slant to the column. He was not 'whining' about any conspiracies, vast or otherwise. I don't pretend to know what the author(s) intended, but I do have first-hand knowledge of ignorant, hostile motorists who feel entitled to threaten my safety because they think I am breaking the law. My concern is that the sub-text of the question is 'why the hell are those bikers in my way?'. Regardless of what the author(s) were trying to say, or how they quoted a State Patrol officer, the take-home message for these would-be vigilantes is that the columns have confirmed their suspicion that 'bikes are not allowed to get in my way'. A simple 'bicyclists are entitiled to an entire lane' would have been helpful. -darin -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Darin Burleigh [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
