Most of us have seen the yellow Share the Road signs on some Treasure Coast roads. The bicycles on the signs provide a clue that they have something to do with people riding bicycles on the road. But what do these signs really mean?
Are the signs telling drivers that they need to do something special to share the road with bicycle riders? Or are the signs telling bicycle riders they need to do something special to share the road with motor vehicles?
Exactly how does one go about sharing the road?
Under Florida law, the general rule is bicycle riders must ride “as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.” However, Florida law also requires motor vehicles give bicycle riders 3 feet of clearance when passing.
The average motor vehicle is about 9 feet wide and the average bicycle and rider is about 2 feet wide. That means that in order for a motor vehicle to pass a bicycle with the required 3-feet clearance, a lane must be at least 14 feet wide (9+3+2).
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In reality, very few roads on the Treasure Coast have 14-foot lanes. Lanes that are less than 14 feet wide are referred to as “substandard-width lanes.” On roads with these narrow lanes, it is dangerous for a bicycle rider to hug the right hand side of the road because doing so encourages drivers to pass the rider too closely in violation of the 3-feet passing law.
Fortunately, Florida law deals with this problem by providing the requirement that bicyclists ride as far to the right as practicable does not apply to roads with substandard-width lanes. As a practical matter this means bicycle riders on roads with lanes less than 14 feet wide can ride in the lane rather than hug the side of the road.
Very few drivers are aware of the passing law or that Florida law permits bicycle riders to ride in the lane on roads with lanes that are less than 14 feet wide. The “Share the Road” signs do little to educate drivers or bicycle riders about these requirements.
Indian River County has just launched a pilot project in an attempt to help make our roads safer for all users. The project has been implemented on Old Dixie Highway in Vero Beach between 16th Street and 20th Street.
The project replaces the ambiguous Share the Road signs with a combination of pavement markings called “sharrows” and signs. The sharrows are placed in the lane to show bicycle riders where they should be riding (and to alert drivers to be aware that bicycle riders might be in the lane). The sharrows are augmented with signs showing a bicycle and stating “May Use Full Lane.” These signs are intended to educate the public that the particular road has narrow lanes and bicycle riders are therefore permitted to ride in the lane (as opposed to being required to hug the right hand side of the road).
In a perfect world with an unlimited road budget, the sharrows and May Use Full Lane signs would not be needed because all roads would be widened to at least 14 feet or have dedicated bike lanes or off-road, multi-use paths.
However, in today’s budgetary environment that simply is not realistic. Having bicycle riders “share the lane” with motor vehicles is not a perfect solution as it could result in some occasional slowdowns in traffic.
However, if an occasional slowdown in traffic saves even one life a year, that is a trade-off we should all be willing to live with.
Hugh Aaron is a retired attorney and the current volunteer president of Bike Walk Indian River County Inc., a nonprofit coalition of community volunteers working to make Indian River County safer and more accessible for bicycle riders and pedestrians.