I Ride My Bike on Sidewalks

Lately, I’ve been hearing this argument, wherein any cyclist riding on a sidewalk is just completely, 100% in the wrong and endangering everyone around them, including themselves.

This sort of absolutist argument is what is wrong.

There is a time, a place, and a context for everything. While I would argue for riding on the road and taking that lane as much as possible, there are situations where that is just…not possible or in your best interest.

Sometimes, believe it or not, as a cyclist, I have to visit things that are out on Whalley Avenue and there’s not real safe way there. Would you have me ride on the road with that often 50mph traffic, because I’m not “supposed to be” on the sidewalk? Would you have me take the lane on Whalley all for the purpose of doing so? Or am I, a cyclist, just not allowed to go places like that?

I saw something on Twitter today that I really felt summed up my feelings:

Now, beyond that, we’re not even getting into the illogical nature of the one ways in this little city of ours (I sure do wish we could follow the alternating one way patterns, at the very least…), but cycling is sometimes a form of mobility assistance.

I broke my foot six weeks ago. That means no driving, just crutching as far as I can go (not very far), taking the bus, or riding my bicycle, ever so slowly while I pedal along with one foot.

Should I take the lane, rolling along at my often top speed of 7mph? Or should I hug the curb, putting myself at risk for someone who thinks they can sneak past me in traffic but will hit me instead?

These days, any news concerning someone getting hurt, it seems the comments come rolling in to place the blame squarely on those scofflaw cyclists and jaywalkers and so very rarely on the ones who have the most ability to kill and injure. People illegally crossing a road doesn’t mean we need to better enforce existing laws, it means we have to make it easier for people to cross a road there. They’re crossing there because the place is not set up properly for people — that’s the baseline we need to focus on.

So, while we can live in a black and white world where anyone on a bike on a sidewalk is in the wrong, maybe we should take circumstance and context into account. Maybe we should see that our roads are setup for only the percentage that CAN drive a car, when in fact it should be set up for EVERYONE. And if the only way someone can safely get around is by riding on a sidewalk, then that’s what they need to do.

Can they do that poorly and endanger others? Most certainly. And they should be reminded and educated to behave otherwise. But simply cycling on a sidewalk is not inherently wrong.

(And yes, I’m fully aware of how cycling on sidewalks is “actually more dangerous” because of driveways and cars not seeing you and all that. Again, everything has a time and a place and a method.)