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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Chetco ocean 'bubble' fisheries could be halved ... Knife attack at Lithia dealership sends man to prison ... Klamath River dam-removal opponents vow to be 'vocal' ... Chetco ocean 'bubble' fisheries could be halved ... Knife attack at Lithia dealership sends man to prison ... Klamath River dam-removal opponents vow to be 'vocal' ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Cyclists should bike slowly in crosswalk MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 3, 2016 @ 12:01 am Posted Apr. 3, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> I hope my question isn't too pedestrian for you super brains at SYA. I have a question about bicyclists and pedestrian walkways. I've noticed that some bicyclists ride across the road expecting cars to stop for them in a pedestrian walkway. I've noticed this in Ashland especially, and frequently on East Main Street where the bike path crosses the road. When they are riding a bike, bicyclists should obey the same traffic laws that cars obey, right? I thought a bicyclist needed to get off his or her bike and walk the bike in order to have the right of way. In other words, if they are pedestrians, then they have the right of way over cars; otherwise, not. The bicyclists that worry me the most are the ones that ride into the walkway without even looking. They seem especially prone to doing this when the sun is low on the horizon and the drivers are having a hard time seeing. I don't want to run into one of them! — Anxious for the non-pedestrian bike riders, Ashland Oregon law actually does not require bicyclists to dismount and walk their bikes when crossing a road via a crosswalk, but it does require them to slow down. "In essence, a bicyclist may proceed through a crosswalk on a bicycle," says Sheila Lyons, the Oregon Department of Transportation's pedestrian and bicycle program manager. "But in the presence of pedestrians or vehicles, they are supposed to slow down." Oregon Revised Statutes 814.410(d) says cyclists are committing an offense if they approach or enter a crosswalk at a speed that is greater than ordinary walking when a vehicle is approaching the crosswalk. In other words, cyclists need to slow down to pedestrian speed when using a crosswalk, not dart through at regular biking speed, when cars are around. Cyclists on the Ashland bike path who pedal at normal speed as they approach and cross a road are breaking the law. Lyons said if a person is biking slowly in a crosswalk at pedestrian speed, a driver should yield to the cyclist — just as a driver should yield to a pedestrian. And of course, a driver should also yield to a cyclist walking a bike through a crosswalk. Like drivers, cyclists approaching intersections must yield to pedestrians at crosswalks. A crosswalk exists at any public road intersection, whether it is marked or not, according to ODOT's Oregon Bicyclist Manual. With the exception of some common sense rules about entering traffic too quickly and alerting pedestrians to their approach, bicyclists on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk have the same rights and duties as a pedestrian on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk. That's the state law, which Ashland follows. Medford does as well, but does not allow bicycles on sidewalks in the downtown area. The manual notes there is always a risk of being hit even if a cyclist is obeying the law. Watch out for drivers who may not see you as you approach intersections, and be prepared to stop suddenly or take evasive action. At regular intersections, ODOT advises cyclists to stay in the roadway, saying "Don't ride in the crosswalk and suddenly appear on the road again. A driver, thinking there is no one there, may lose sight of you, turn the corner and hit you." Lyons said drivers are especially prone to turning right without looking for cyclists and pedestrians. ODOT also advises cyclists to wear bright clothing, especially yellow or lime green, and use lights and reflectors at night. Red is not a good color to wear because it looks black in fading light. For safety, always wear a helmet. To read the Oregon Bicyclist Manual in English or Spanish, visit www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEPED/pages/manual_ordering.aspx . To order a paper copy in English or Spanish, call 1-503-986-4175, send an email request via the above website or write to: Oregon Department of Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, 555 N.E. 13th St. Suite 2, Salem, OR 97301-4178. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 3, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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