{"id":284916966,"date":"2014-01-11T15:36:06","date_gmt":"2014-01-11T15:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=284916966"},"modified":"2014-01-11T15:36:06","modified_gmt":"2014-01-11T15:36:06","slug":"watchdog-clarifying-the-road-rules-for-bicyclists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=284916966","title":{"rendered":"Watchdog: Clarifying the road rules for bicyclists"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ALLISON BOURG, Capital Gazette<\/p>\n

Problem: Paul Fields of Crownsville started noticing the signs on county roads over the last few months.
\n\u201cBicyclists may use the full lane,\u201d they say.
\n
…<\/p>\n

Matt Diehl, a spokesman for the Anne Arundel\u2019s Department of Public Works, said the county has installed the signs Fields has noticed on about a dozen roads to remind drivers of what the law is.<\/p>\n

Bicyclists have the right to use the entire lane if the lane is too narrow for a bicycle or motor scooter and another vehicle to travel safely side by side.
\nBuck said the state defines that as 13 feet. So if a road, including travel lane and shoulder, is 13 feet or less, a bicycle can take the full lane.
\n
…<\/p>\n

On other roads, bicyclists traveling more than 10 mph under the posted speed limit are considered slow moving vehicles and should stay as far to the right as possible, Buck [spokesman for the Maryland State Highway Administration] said.<\/p>\n


\nhttps:\/\/www.capitalgazette.com\/news\/local\/watchdog\/watchdog-clarifying-the-road-rules-for-bicyclists\/article_8e010713-e830-50d8-80f0-5947cf654086.html<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n

B’ Spokes: Confused? We can take the lane but we have to ride as far right as possible??? It is if they want this sign instead:
\n
\n<\/a>\"image\"Photo credit: John Brooking<\/small><\/a><\/p>\n

So let’s look at the slow moving vehicle law:<\/p>\n

\n
\u00a7 21-301.(b) Special rule for slow-moving traffic. — On every roadway, except while overtaking and passing another vehicle going in the same direction or when preparing for a lawful left turn, any vehicle going 10 miles an hour or more below the applicable maximum speed limit or, if any existing conditions reasonably require a speed below that of the applicable maximum, at less than the normal speed of traffic under these conditions, shall be driven in the right-hand lane<\/b> then available for traffic…\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I will also note that cyclist road position is governed by SUBTITLE 12. OPERATION OF BICYCLES AND PLAY VEHICLES in the Transportation code.<\/p>\n

\n
\u00a7 21-1202. Traffic laws apply to bicycles and motor scooters
\n
\n Every person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter in a public bicycle area has all the rights granted to and is subject to all the duties required of the driver of a vehicle by this title, including the duties set forth in \u00a7 21-504 of this title, except:
\n
\n (1) As otherwise provided in this subtitle<\/b>; and\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

See \u00a7 21-1205. Riding on roadways or on highway, which Matt Dieh did a good summary of. (That is the bicycle subtitle provides the road position position for cyclists and not the (slow moving) motor vehicle code but they are similar in lane position but not in other things like the slow moving vehicle emblem requirement.)<\/p>\n

It’s pretty obvious that David Buck has gotten the cycling rules wrong, even more damaging when talking about the \u201cBicyclists may use the full lane\u201d sign.<\/p>\n

And it’s not the first time someone at MDOT got the law wrong in total contradiction to the main subject.<\/a><\/p>\n

So respectfully ask that SHA issue a correction and write:<\/p>\n

James Smith <secretary@mdot.state.md.us>
\nDavid Buck <communications@sha.state.md.us>
\nJohn Kuo <jkuo@mdot.state.md.us>
\nMichael E. Jackson <mjackson3@mdot.state.md.us><\/p>\n

And sugjest that it might be a good idea for them to watch this excerpt from the police training video.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By ALLISON BOURG, Capital Gazette Problem: Paul Fields of Crownsville started noticing the signs on county roads over the last few months. \u201cBicyclists may use the full lane,\u201d they say. … Matt Diehl, a spokesman for the Anne Arundel\u2019s Department of Public Works, said the county has installed the signs Fields has noticed on about … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Watchdog: Clarifying the road rules for bicyclists”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-284916966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-biking-in-maryland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284916966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=284916966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284916966\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=284916966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=284916966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=284916966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}