Good point. The problem is this, it’s not against the law to ride a bike on the sidewalks of LA so what law would the LAPD be enforcing? Are they free to make things up?

Proving my point, which was tht there is a great deal of misunderstanding of sidewalks, crosswalks and the law, comes STEVEN M, all the way from the East Coast to flog us with his memory of vehicular law as he remembers it from the glory days of elementary school.

California’s Uniformity Code, CVC 21, might be a great place to start any discussion of legal restrictions on cyclists and the use of public highway.

But for STEVEN M, I suggest he read my original post and then begin the name calling. I gladly take credit and responsibility for my words, I just ask that one read them first, then proceed with the squealing.

As for the use of sidewalks by cyclists, I’m not advocating for sidewalk riding but simply believe that when the LAPD referred to the cyclist as “at fault because she failed to dismount at the crosswalk” they erred.

I believe that the specialists from the LAPD’s investigative unit are held to a higher standard than the amateur “blowhards and B/Sers” posting on a blog, even those from Virginia, and that is the point I think we should focus on.

It is not fair to assume that the driver of the truck did not look both ways.

She came out from behind a wall while he was looking left and was too close to the truck for him to see by the time he looked right. The truck was large, she was small and she was going fast. She was not able to stop when she saw the truck. She spun out of control and slid under the truck. You were not there. *Everyone who saw it happen said that driver was not at fault.*

So from all this I Know,
A) The dwp does not know how to look both ways.
b) There is one less cyclist in Lake Balboa
C) The cops do not know the laws anymore then I do
D) DONT RIDE ON THE DAMN SIDEWALK!!!! It’s dangerous…

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but it does, in fact, allow bicycles on sidewalks in the City of L.A. That point is generally agreed on by those who have reviewed the law.
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Including the Los Angeles City Council, who is debating some minor clarification changes to the law at their Wednesday Transportation Committee Meeting.

CVC vs. LAMC: I believe it’s the other way around — you might Google CVC 21100, which states pretty clearly that municipalities can override its provisions with respect to bicycles (and a few other issues).

LAMC 56.15 isn’t perfectly written — I’d rather it say, “Bicycles are permitted on sidewalks, except when operated with a willful or wanton manner …” — but it does, in fact, allow bicycles on sidewalks in the City of L.A. That point is generally agreed on by those who have reviewed the law.

I’d cite the person under the CVC and the LAMC (assuming it is in the city of Los Angeles) and let them argue their defense in court of law.

You don’t have to be an AI to obey the bike rules. Doesn’t elemetary schools teach bike safety anymore? Don’t they still license bicycles in the City of Los Angeles? What the heck happens to the revenue that is generated from these taxes?

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bikinginla Sez-

And I despise people who profess to know the law, yet still get it wrong.

From the LA Bikeway Guide published by LADOT:
Sidewalk Riding (LAMC 56.15) Prohibits the riding of bicycles (or other human powered devices) on sidewalks (bikeways or boardwalks) with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. Disallows the riding of bicycles on Ocean Front Walk in Venice.

I also at some intersections which are difficult to cross because of rights of way, do walk my bike across a cross walk, only to be nearly hit just trying to walk half the time. I carry my bike on the side of my body closest the oncoming traffic as a last defense body shield. And this is in Santa Monica, which is a lot more bike and walking friendly than most parts of LA.

It’s more a right-of-way issue. The road is for cars. Pedestrians, however, have the right-of-way within crosswalks.

The same right-of-way rules apply to sidewalks, which cars regularly cross when entering driveways and the like. The odd (or funny) thing about the law, however, is that it seems to say that cars can drive on the sidewalk (absent any municipal code on the subject):

“21952. The driver of any motor vehicle, prior to driving over or upon any sidewalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian approaching thereon.”

Obviously, these laws are sub-optimal for the complete streets ideal.

I don’t know about you, but I see this all the time.

Have tickets ever been issued for this?

From the LA Bikeway Guide published by LADOT:
Sidewalk Riding (LAMC 56.15) Prohibits the riding of bicycles (or other human powered devices) on sidewalks (bikeways or boardwalks) with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. Disallows the riding of bicycles on Ocean Front Walk in Venice.

Clearly, riding on sidewalks is legal in Los Angeles, as long as it is not done in a manner that endangers others. Inherent in the right to ride on the sidewalk is the ability to access the sidewalk on the next block — which pretty much requires using the crosswalk, unless you want to make the situation exponentially more dangerous by forcing riders to swerve into the street at every intersection.

Sidewalks may be among the most dangerous places a cyclist can ride, but it is fully legal in Los Angeles. And unless someone can cite a specific law forbidding it, it can be assumed that riding in the crosswalk is legal, as well.

Let’s do a “Fact Check” on this blowhard / BS’er and see what falls out. Let’s see what is in the California Vehicle Code (CVC), too!

Since I was in elementary school, in North Hollywood, we were always taught to ride in the street and to the far right as would be safe. Sidewalks and cross walks were reserved for pedestrian traffic. Simply stated, pursuant to CVC 21200(a) since cars are not permitted to be driven along the sidewalk, well I don’t think bicycles are either.

Laws Applicable to Bicycle Use
CVC 21200(a) Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division, including, but not limited to, provisions concerning driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs, and by Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000), Section 27400, Division 16.7 (commencing with Section 39000), Division 17 (commencing with Section 40000.1), and Division 18 (commencing with Section 42000), except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

Operation on Roadway
CVC 21202(a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:

(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

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

(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a “substandard width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

(b) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway of a highway, which highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of that roadway as practicable.

Amended Sec. 4, Ch. 674, Stats. 1996. Effective January 1, 1997.