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A sign at Hollywood & Vine | Photo by discarted
There's a common law that most bicyclists know in Los Angeles: sidewalk riding is legal as long as you do not have "a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property." LAMC 56.15 also "disallows the riding of bicycles on Ocean Front Walk in Venice."
Reading that, you would think that you can ride your bike on all the other sidewalks in Los Angeles. Wrong. There are a few spots in the city where another more unknown law is in effect. LAMC 85.07, which is unlisted on the city's "Bicycle and the Law" page, regulates rollerskating, skateboarding and bicycling:
SEC. 85.07. REGULATION OF ROLLER-SKATING, SKATEBOARDING AND BICYCLING. (Added by Ord. No. 166,526, Eff. 1/27/91.) (a) The Department of Transportation is hereby authorized to install any traffic control devices it determines necessary to regulate roller-skating, skateboarding and bicycling on sidewalks and roadways in order to improve vehicular or pedestrian movement, reduce congestion or diminish accident potential. Such determinations shall be made only on the basis of traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations. When such determinations have been made, the Department is authorized to install signs giving notice as to the nature of the regulation as well as signs that provide such safety warnings as it determines will assist those engaged in the regulated activities.(b) No person shall roller-skate, skateboard, or operate a bicycle in violation of the limitations set forth on regulatory signs posted pursuant to this section.
It began in San Pedro in 1988 with a motion by Councilwoman Flores. "While great majority of these skateboard riders & cyclists are courteous & considerate of pedestrians' rights, a significant number exhibit a callous disregard for safety of those pedestrians," the motion explained. And so it was passed and three other areas were able to take advantage of the law.
Areas Where Sidewalk Riding Prohibited
As provided by the Department of Transportation
- Signs are on Hollywood Bl between La Brea and Gower, located at Highland, Argyle, Vine and La Brea.
- Northwest corner adjacent to the Sherman Oaks Galleria (Sepulveda, Ventura Blvd.)
- Both sides of Riverside Drive west of Nagle Avenue to Fulton Avenue, and on the west side of Fulton Avenue south of Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks
- Around the San Pedro Municipal Building bounded by Beacon St., 6th St., Harbor Blvd., and 7th Street.
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I have no problem with this law. It's a SideWALK. Bikers and skateboarders do not treat pedestrians well. Unless you are walking - you are operating a vehicle and are moving at a greater rate of speed. The pedestrian is going to get the worst of any collision. Most collisions are not the fault of the pedestrian, who was where they should be - on the sideWALK.
*If you are 7 and there are training wheels on your bike, then you can be on the sidewalk.
The San Pedro-area (15th District) councilmember in 1988 you referred to is actually a she; her name is Joan Milke Flores.
LAMC 56.15 also "disallows the riding of bicycles on Ocean Front Walk in Venice."
I'm all for that, but, to be fair, the bike path on the beach clearly says BIKES ONLY every 100 feet or so, yet, I have to dodge hundreds of clueless pedestrians wandering on the bike path.
That's a good point WagonMonster.
thanks Militant! updated.
The H'wood ban on cyclists, skateboarders and rollerbladers came up in last week's Transportation Committee and the Bikeways Coordinator was stumped. (always fun to watch!)
Further adding to the confusion of "who goes where and how?" is the fact that the LARiver "Bike Path" is actually a "Mixed Use Path" and is open to pedestrians, roller bladers, cyclists and other people powered modes of travel.
Funded by transportation dollars, designed and maintained as a recreational facility, paid for with Bikeways money, resulting in a sidewalk.
That's why it would be simplest if people walked on sidewalks, cyclists rode on the streets, and motorists simply left the motor vehicles in the garage.
"That's why it would be simplest if people walked on sidewalks, cyclists rode on the streets, and motorists simply left the motor vehicles in the garage."
Then they wouldn't be "motorists" now would they? This is the kind of "all or nothing" attitude that gives cyclists a bad name in the first place.
And, I was talking about the bike path on venice beach.
One thing that concerns me a little about this is I also commute by inline skates sometimes to mix things up a bit from my usual cycling. Skating is defined by law as a pedestrian activity and does not grant the same vehicular use of the road that bikes do. Hence technically by law I should always be on the sidewalk, however as a former hockey player, I can skate faster then many commuters can bike, which brings up the same problems bikes have on a sidewalk. A bike can roll in the street, and occasionally I do too on skates, but it is officially frowned upon.
I realize skate commuters make up an even smaller part of the transit pie then bikes, so I don't really expect much, but I do wonder from time to time the legality of skating as transit. I actually learned to skate long before biking, and used to use inline skates with the occasional bus exclusively for my getting around town and shopping too.
There's more to that than WagonMonster stated. If you are bicyclist on a walkway you can be fined up to $250.00 for riding in a pedestrian area. No such fine exists for pedestrians in bike areas.
And I too get tired of dodging peds on the bike path. Especially those that decide to have a stop and conduct a conference in the middle of that path.
Bike path pedestrians at the beach are prevalent enough I just don't ride there anymore unless I want my commute to take twice as long. It's especially frustrating in Santa Monica where wide pedestrian only walk ways are right next to the bike path. When I visited relatives north of Berkeley recently I went for a ride along the bike path adjacent the BART track. When school let out so many pedestrians were walking down the bike path it became impractical to bike there, and then I noticed most other cyclists were biking on the unused but adjacent pedestrian path. Sigh.
I think what SoapBoxLA meant to say, as a rational, normal human being was:
Ideally, we would have clearly designated roads for cars, bikes, and pedestrians, and everyone would respect each other by sticking to their designated path.
Maybe Stephen Box would benefit from visiting the Benelux region or a scandinavian city, where riding a bike and/or walking in peace doesn't mean being at odds with drivers. It's funny how much better things work when every works together and doesn't shout blind didactic all over the place.
I find myself sadly in agreement with the premise for this city ordinance.
As a public transit user who does not drive (and therefore is a pedestrian a lot of the time) I have been practically knocked down many, many times by inconsiderate cyclists who have the attitude that the sidewalk is for their benefit, not mine. While I know that not all cyclists have that attitude, I can easily see how those that do -- and they seem to be the majority, more's the pity -- would ruin the situation and force such ordinances to be invoked.
I am respectful of marked bike paths, but those seem to be the only places where I can peacefully co-exist with cyclists.
Quite honestly, I wish everyone who rode a bike behaved like the activists, who appear to be the only ones who understand how to co-exist with pedestrians and are therefore the only ones who earn my respect.
I'm relatively certain the CA V code says
( paraphrasing )
In the absence of a designated cycle lane on the roadway, cycling on the sidewalk is permitted.
I've cycled & bladed both in the streets & on the sidewalk & been stopped by 'the man' both places.
Neither (the man "s) knowing the actual law.
Therefore
COMMON SENSE should prevail.
Don't scare the kiddies & old people. Walkers included.
& as always riders run the risk of customers exiting the stores.
This really isn't brainsurgery.
I can sprint better in the road anyway. Its a better work out & a quicker commute.
Paul writes:
"Ideally, we would have clearly designated roads for cars, bikes, and pedestrians, and everyone would respect each other by sticking to their designated path."
LA has 6500 miles of streets and I fully expect cyclists to ride all 6500 miles of those streets. My challenge to our City leadership is to maintain those streets, provide law enforcement support, educate motorists and support cyclists as we ride the streets of LA.
I'm not asking for segregation, I'm not asking for real estate. Simply the equality that is already provided by State law but often ignored at the local level and abused at the personal level.
If pointing out that 40,000 people are gonna die this year in auto crashes is didactic, so be it. If pointing out that our air is poison and vehicles are left idling in our communities while we choke is didactic, so be it.
See you on the Streets!
You know those shoes that have little tiny wheels on the bottom that you can't even see? Are those legally considered rollerskates? Just curious.
"And I too get tired of dodging peds on the bike path. Especially those that decide to have a stop and conduct a conference in the middle of that path."
Do like I do! Wait until you're practically on top of them and then let out a blood-curdling scream, followed by, "Off the bike path!!!" This is especially effective for tourists walking on the path with their back to me. More than once I've made people jump into the sand. I sometimes bike to Venice just to see how many people I can give heart attacks to in this manner.
Fun!
I don't mind having to ride on the street, but I've had one too many close calls with distracted drivers that it's not worth the risk to me anymore. I ride on the sidewalk now, but always give pedestrians the right of way.
I can understand bans in touristy areas with high pedestrian traffic, but hope it doesn't spread all over LA County. Most places I ride I'll encounter maybe one or two pedestrians on the sidewalk every hour at the most.