Richmond’s bike culture is above and beyond most cities our size, and we’ve even gotten compliments from international cyclists about local drivers’ ability to share the road, but it sure as hell does
Richmond’s bike culture is above and beyond most cities our size, and we’ve even gotten compliments from international cyclists about local drivers’ ability to share the road, but it sure as hell doesn’t always work out that way.
My own bike commute, from my house in the Carillon to our office on Monument, is usually pretty uneventful, but dodging puddles this AM made me want to stray from the far right lane like I usually do. And as much as I’d liked to have “shared the road” as the painted bike-decals on Blvd suggest I am able to, I was hesitant as mini vans went speeding by, forcing me to end up with a streak of water on my back and bag about half way to work.
Wahoo.
And other riders similarly face issues with motorists on their way to work – take this post from Reddit User VCUBNFO, who described his post-holiday commute as one of the worst he’s ever had.
With the sun down by the time he left his office yesterday, he found the streets near black as the streetlights hadn’t kicked on yet, and then some SUV driver told him to “get the fuck on the sidewalk” near Jahnke Rd. He was neared mowed over by two people unable to wait for an opening to pass as he traveled over Blakemore, and actually got dinged by someone’s rear view mirror at one point.
“… Luckily it just folds in rather than knocking me off my bike,” they wrote. “Forest Hill was fine, minus one guy who swerves in the bike lane in front of me. I think he just wanted to assert his dominance in the road or some shit.”
Well that’s great, but it actually gets worse. He made it over the Leigh bridge and stopped for some food near campus, but once they turned onto Broad st. the ride went from risky to straight up dangerous:
After I turned onto Broad, a car started honking at me and riding [one] foot from my [back] wheel, so I slowed to a stop because I didn’t know what is going on. Apparently he was upset I wasn’t on the sidewalk. Then rather than just passing me in one of the two open left lanes, they start yelling at me. I flick them off and start riding again, but the passenger gets out and starts pursuing me on foot….. Eventually he just stopped.
There’s a common misconception its illegal to ride your bike on sidewalks – it’s actually not – either way, it is state law to share the road and for those of us who used sidewalks or ride bikes, the two do not mix well.
Here’s the VDOT breakdown on where cyclists should be riding:
Bicyclists must ride with the flow of traffic on the right side of the highway.
Bicyclists operating a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place under conditions then existing shall ride as close as safely practicable to the right curb or edge of roadway. Exceptions to this are when bicyclists are overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, preparing for a left turn, avoiding unsafe conditions, avoiding riding in a lane that turns or diverges to the right, riding on a one way street where bicyclists may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of roadway, or when the lane width is too narrow to share with a motor vehicle. Additionally, bicycles are not excluded from riding on the highway shoulder.
Bicyclists must not ride between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction unless one lane is a separate or mandatory turn lane.
Bicyclists cannot ride more than two abreast on highways. When riding two abreast, bicyclists cannot impede the movement of traffic and need to move into a single file when being overtaken from the rear. On a laned roadway, bicyclists shall ride in a single lane.
Bicyclists are not permitted to ride on interstate and certain controlled access highways, unless the operation is limited to bicycle or pedestrian facilities that are barrier separated from the roadway and automobile traffic. The restricted sections of the highways are marked with conspicuous signs.
Bicycles may be ridden on sidewalks unless prohibited by local ordinance or traffic control devices. While on sidewalks and shared use paths, bicyclists must always yield the right of way to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing a pedestrian.
Bicyclists pulling onto a sidewalk or highway from a driveway must yield the right of way to pedestrians or vehicles already on the sidewalk or highway.
