Timeline for In shared bicycle/pedestrian facilities next to a road, do I obey the pedestrian or the vehicle traffic control devices?
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9 events
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| Oct 19, 2010 at 2:02 | comment | added | Gary.Ray♦ | @Brian, neither the specific law, nor the frequency of jaywalking are unusual. Neither makes crossing against the light legal nor safe. You should also be aware that depending on the contributory/comparative negligence rules in effect, you may not be able to recover damages if you are hit while crossing against a signal. | |
| Oct 18, 2010 at 21:30 | vote | accept | Brian Campbell | ||
| Oct 18, 2010 at 21:24 | comment | added | Brian Campbell | I looked up the exact law, and it says "bicycles may be ridden on sidewalks outside business districts when necessary in the interest of safety, unless otherwise directed by local ordinance." As for what pedestrians would do, jaywalking is incredibly common around here: boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/10/11/… and drivers are notorious for not following the rules of the road either: boston-online.com/bosdrivers.html is only a little tongue-in-cheek. | |
| Oct 15, 2010 at 4:45 | comment | added | Gary.Ray♦ | I mean that legally you may be required to dismount and walk, depending on your particular jurisdiction. I recognize that many pedestrians will cross against the signal, and many cyclists will ride across the crosswalk without fear of arrest or fine because these regulations are infrequently enforced. But it usually is illegal nonetheless. | |
| Oct 14, 2010 at 22:30 | comment | added | Brian Campbell | By "behave like a pedestrian", do you mean dismount and walk across, or do you mean slow down or stop, check for cars, and bike slowly when it's safe? Also, do you mean obey the pedestrian signal, or simply cross when it's safe even if the signal is on "don't walk" as most pedestrians in these parts do? | |
| Oct 14, 2010 at 22:07 | history | edited | Gary.Ray♦ | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
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| Oct 14, 2010 at 20:56 | comment | added | Dan | You could always hop off your bike and walk across, which is probably safer anyway. I used to think this was the law in my state (that nobody follows) but I haven't been able to find anything that validates that so it probably is just a safety tip I learned as a kid. | |
| Oct 14, 2010 at 16:52 | history | edited | Gary.Ray♦ | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
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| Oct 14, 2010 at 16:39 | history | answered | Gary.Ray♦ | CC BY-SA 2.5 |