SPOILER ALERT: A shared path is not a bike lane. In Florida the bicycle is defined as a vehicle and the bicyclist is a driver. Bicyclists have the same rights to the road ways. HOWEVER, bicyclists must use a bike lane where provided (subject to certain exceptions).
The remainder of this article is an update of a Rules of the Road post of November 28, 2018.
Florida Bike Laws: Florida Statutes, Chapter 316 – MOTOR VEHICLES - STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL
316.2065 Bicycle regulations.
I am not going to recreate the wheel here so I am going to direct everyone to the wealth of information provided by the Florida Bicycle Association (CLICK HERE) to view the FLORIDA BICYCLE ASSOCIATION website. There is significant information on this site including (but certainly not limited to) Road/Path Rules and other significant resources for all concerned – both bicyclists and motorists.
The information and sources that follow are taken verbatim from the FLORIDA BICYCLE ASSOCIATION website:
In Florida the bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle and the bicyclist is a driver. Bicyclists have the same rights to the roadways, and must obey the same traffic laws as the drivers of other vehicles. These laws include stopping for stop signs and red lights, riding with the flow of traffic, using lights at night, yielding the right-of-way when entering a roadway and yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.
There is only one road and it is up to bicyclists and motorists to treat each other with care and respect. Adherence to the law is the foundation for this respect, but the law itself is simply a codification of the rules of movement that make all road users predictable to one another.
What follows is a special pull out from this Florida Bicycle Association website. I am providing special emphasis to respond to the comments, providing insight as to why adult bicyclists do NOT belong on sidewalks, See:
Adult bicyclists do not belong on the sidewalk. Riding on the sidewalk is unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians. Cyclists on the sidewalk expose YOU, the motorist, to a higher risk of hitting them when you are entering or leaving the road — and you are likely to be at fault in such a crash.
Cyclists are not required to ride on the shoulder. They may choose to do so, but shoulders can present hazards to cyclists. Cyclists should never drive in the gutter or hug the curb. Many inexperienced riders do this because they don’t know it greatly increases their risk of crashing.
Successful bicyclists “Ride Big.” They ride well into the lane to increase their visibility to other drivers, give themselves operating room and discourage motorists from trying to squeeze past them in narrow lanes.
Successful bicyclists “Ride Big.” They ride well into the lane to increase their visibility to other drivers, give themselves operating room and discourage motorists from trying to squeeze past them in narrow lanes.
My personal goal is to continue to advocate for cycling here in, as our County Commissioner refers to it: #TheBikeDistrict. This includes promoting bicycling as recreation, transportation as well as to promote healthier lifestyle.
Thank you,
Eugene Flinn
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