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San Luis Obispo debates allowing bicyclists to ride on sidewalks

February 27, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

After installing bike lanes through much of the city, San Luis Obispo is debating whether or not to allow bicyclists to also ride on sidewalks.

The city’s Active Transportation Committee last month debated the pros and cons of allowing bikes on sidewalks before voting 5-1 to bring the topic back, with Jonathan Roberts dissenting. On Tuesday, the committee will again discuss recommending changes to an ordinance that bans bicycle riding on sidewalks.

Currently, officers ticket bicyclist caught riding on the sidewalk, a consequence of the ordinance committee members worry could dissuade people from riding bikes.

The city currently has a goal of increasing the share of citywide commute trips made by bicycles to 20% by 2030. City staff estimates that currently 8.3% of city traffic is by bike.

Proponents of allowing bike riding on sidewalks voiced concerns about bike safety on several arterial roads, including Foothill Boulevard. They also argued that children are safer riding their bikes on the sidewalk.

Several committee members voiced concerns that motorists backing out of their driveways will not be looking for bike traffic on the sidewalk. Another member worried about bicyclists crashing into and killing pedestrians.

The committee members were looking at three options:

  • Continue ban on riding bikes on sidewalks
  • Allow bike riding on some sidewalks, with a ban in business districts
  • Allow only children to ride their bikes on sidewalks

The committee provides oversight and policy direction on matters regarding pedestrians and bicyclists. If the committee votes in favor of changing the ordinance, their proposal will require approval by the SLO City Council.


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I do not believe 8% of the city traffic is bikes… where are they measuring, downtown, Cal Poly ?


49

This city committee is supposed to represent the interests of pedestrians. Clearly it’s not or this issue wouldn’t even be on the agenda. And no wonder — it’s actually nothing more than a bicycle advocacy committee dressed up by the city council as something more than that.


52

Bikes and pedestrians do not mix well using the same surface area.

In my hometown they pulled out the train tracks that ran along the water front paved half of it for bikes,two lanes for bike traffic for both directions and a path for pedestrians its plenty wide enough for both groups to use at the same time.

But you have a lot of near misses and some hits from bike riders trying to pass slower bike riders by using the pedestrians path.

Some bike riders are riding to fast in my opinion on these paths.

I think that bikes belong in their bike lane,even kids riding belong in a bike lane and pedestrians on the sidewalk.

Mixing them is just waiting for an accident to happen and if someone gets hit on a sidewalk by a bike who is responsible, the pedestrian,the rider or the city?


46

Prohibiting children from riding bikes on sidewalks is absolute lunacy. Mixing children on bikes in roadways with cars, trucks, SUVs and these ridiculously-oversized “pickup trucks” operated by nitwit texters, drunken and drugged and inattentive drivers is astonishingly dangerous. This whole bicycle thing has grown into an out-of-control public safety monster promoted by fanatical zealots.


It is much safer to mix children on bikes with an occasional walking pedestrian than to mix them with hoards of speeding steel and glass vehicular weapons.


-15

B and C


4

And no pedestrians will get hurt because we know how careful our bicyclists are…


52

This proves our elected leaders are board…. I’m sure we can find bigger better things for this committee to do….


30

The SLO Bike Lobby always gets want it wants.


48

I assure you we don’t. Just got back from our secret meeting in the dark shadowy castle full of skeletons and other liberal things. If cyclists got what they wanted, they wouldn’t be killed by motorists so often.


-11

Absolutely not. Cyclists need to stay in the bike lane, and not in the road either. The sideWALK is for walking! Ridiculous suggestion.


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