Is It Okay For Bikes to Ride on the Sidewalk in San Francisco?
In San Francisco, the Transportation Code prohibits riding a bike on the sidewalk by anyone over age 13, and even for kids under 13 in areas where a ban is posted. In Los Angeles, biking on the sidewalk is permitted, but nearby West Hollywood and Santa Monica ban it.
Bikes Can Be Stopped By Police For Riding on Sidewalk
Clearly this is not a black-and-white issue. At a bicycle safety training I attended, I was told that the San Francisco police have a policy of tolerance of biking on the sidewalks on Market Street; yet just recently I saw a cyclist being stopped by police on a Market Street sidewalk.
In 2010, a young bicyclist was killed by in an accident with a San Francisco Muni bus when he crossed a street in the Richmond District, while riding on the sidewalk. Although this cyclist was actually in a crosswalk when he was hit, he had just ridden there from a sidewalk. The Muni bus driver said that this bike accident happened when the cyclist rode directly into his path.
I can see both sides of this divide. As a San Francisco cyclist, I am occasionally tempted to retreat to the sidewalk when I find a tight street with heavy traffic. As a pedestrian, I definitely do not want to contend with bikes coming my way.
Dangers of Bike Accidents in the Crosswalks
There is one aspect of this that I think is crystal-clear: it’s very unsafe to enter a crosswalk on a bike (or on foot) at any significant speed. With most San Francisco corners occupied by building that are fully built out to the sidewalks, drivers have limited ability to see upcoming sidewalk traffic. Drivers expect that a pedestrian could step out, but they often are not able to deal with a bike shooting out into their path along a crosswalk. This same concept applies to someone running across a street.
Questions? Ask a San Francisco Bike Accident Lawyer
The lawyers at Callaway & Wolf have handled many bike accident cases around the Bay Area, including ones in Marin, San Francisco, and Alameda counties. Contact a bike accident lawyer at Callaway & Wolf for a free consultation.
The San Francisco Bicylcle Coalition has a web page discussing bikes on sidewalks.
Boone Callaway is a personal injury & medical malpractice lawyer in San Francisco who has been working with clients in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Mr. Callaway is one of only a few personal injury litigators in San Francisco who is a Super Lawyer, AV Rated and is also a member of ABOTA – American Board of Trial Advocates.
