Bike Lane Violations Florence Oregon Parking: Sometimes I wonder

This is 42nd Street and yes, it is a bike lane.

I checked with the City of Florence and they comfirmed that. Now it would be really nice of the City to mark every bike lane in town. Not everybody "knows" that a bike lane is not a place to park cars.

On Saturday, April 25th a firetruck was packed on Kingwood Street in the bike lane, right in front of the crematory. Two things are infinite: the universe and human ignorance; and I'm not sure about the universe.

Bike Lane Stencil Placement

Stencils should be placed after most intersections; this alerts drivers and bicyclists entering the roadway of the exclusive nature of the bike lanes. Stencils should be placed after every intersection where a parking lane is placed between the bike lane and the curb.

Supplementary stencils may also be placed at the end of a block, to warn cyclists not to enter a bike lane on the wrong side of the road.

Additional stencils may be placed on long sections of roadway with no intersections. A rule of thumb for appropriate spacing

is: multiply designated travel speed (in MPH) by 40. For example, in a 35 MPH speed zone, stencils may be placed
approximately every 1400 feet. Metric formula: speed times 7; e.g., appropriate spacing in a 60 km/h zone is approximately 400 m.

Care must be taken to avoid placing stencils in an area where motor vehicles are expected to cross a bike lane - usually
driveways and the area immediately after an intersection.

Bike Lane on Kingwood

City Council Minutes – January 13, 2003

Councilor Osbon asked if staff was taking the bike lane out of Kingwood; she had heard the bike sign was gone and the stripes on the street were being eliminated.

PWD Lanfear said the signs must have been stolen and where there was an 8” shoulder line there was no parking allowed.

Mayor Burns said that council had received an email regarding the bike lane and said that there was a petition given to the council that requested that the bike lanes between 9th and 10th Streets not be taken out; but nothing from 15th Street North.

PWD Lanfear said the council about 5 years ago, directed staff not to keep repainting the bike lane between 9th and 10th Streets because it is residential and people wanted to park in front of their own homes. He said from 10th on, it was still designated as a bike lane and there was no legal parking on the street.

Recommandations for Florence

Bicycle Lane Definition
(Oregon Administrative Rules, OAR 734-20-055)

A bicycle lane as defined by ORS 801.155(6) shall be separated from the adjacent roadway by a single, solid eight-inch wide white stripe.

Stat. Auth.: ORS 810
Stats. Implemented: ORS 810.200
Hist.: 1 OTC 9-1979(Temp), f. & ef. 5-17-79; 1 OTC 19-1979, f. & ef. 9-14-79

Improving the quality of life for citizens and visitors by providing a safe and effective transportation system to residences, employers, services, social, and recreational opportunities.

Creating additional opportunities to enhance the City as a tourist destination.

Adding multi-use paths for non-automotive users (e.g. walkers, runners strollers, wheelchair users, roller skaters and bicyclists)

Striping and signing of existing bike lanes and raising driver awardness towards the problems associated with blocking bike lanes.

Enforcing Bike Lane Violation

OREGON LAW RELATING BICYCLES LANES

Fortunately, the new Oregon Driver Manual (5/98) includes a section on bicycles and it contains three new bulleted sections about bicycle lanes as follows:

................................................................................

Do not drive on a bicycle lane. You may cross a bicycle lane when turning or when entering or leaving an alley, private road or driveway. You may use a bicycle lane as part of an official duty, such as delivering mail. Farm equipment may briefly use a bicycle lane to let other traffic pass. You must yield to bicycles in a bicycle lane or on a sidewalk before you turn across the lane or sidewalk. You may not park any motorized vehicle on a bicycle path or lane.

Chapter 811.550 —
Rules of the Road for Drivers
Source: http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/811.html

................................................................................

§ 811.440¹
When motor vehicles may operate in bicycle lanes

(1)
A person may operate a moped on a bicycle lane that is immediately adjacent to the roadway only while the moped is being exclusively powered by human power.

(2)
A person may operate a motor vehicle upon a bicycle lane when:

(a)
Making a turn;

(b)
Entering or leaving an alley, private road or driveway; or

(c)
Required in the course of official duty.

(3)
An implement of husbandry may momentarily cross into a bicycle lane to permit other vehicles to overtake and pass the implement of husbandry.

(4)
A person may operate a motorized wheelchair on a bicycle lane or path.

(5)
A person may operate a motor assisted scooter on a bicycle lane or path.

(6)
A person may operate an electric personal assistive mobility device on a bicycle lane or path. [1983 c.338 §645; 1991 c.417 §1; 2001 c.749 §24; 2003 c.341 §8]

1 Legislative Counsel Committee, CHAPTER 811—Rules of the Road for Drivers, http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/811.html

I PARKED IN A BIKE LANE

Did you receive a little present from a concerned citizen recently? He or she may have wanted to remind you that your choice to block a bike lane was unsafe and probably illegal. Parking in, double parking in, or otherwise blocking a designated bicycle passageway forces cyclists (and others using this lane) to ride into the street, possibly blocking traffic and placing the cyclist in harm's way.

Think: car moving at 45 mph and bike moving at 10 mph. What fun! Bike lanes are there for a reason. Please be respectful in the future.

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OBESITY I

A bike ride a day ...

OBESITY II

I PARKED IN A BIKE LANE

Linkbar

This Blog

Labels

Future Florence Specific Sign?

IRide a Bicycle

Blog Archive

Translate BLOG

CRITICIZING PEOPLE

Subscribe To

Sometimes I wonder

>> Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Translate to

Violation Counter

Bicycling is for eveyone

Bike Lane Stencil Placement

National and Local Importance of Bicycling

Definition of Bicycle Lane

Visitors since March 30th 2009

Florence Bike Lane Links

Bike Lane on Kingwood

Recommandations for Florence

Helpful Legal Links

Movie Links

OREGON LAW RELATING BICYCLES LANES

OBESITY I

A bike ride a day ...

OBESITY II

I PARKED IN A BIKE LANE