Cycling

I am a passionate cyclist.

I bike for fun, exercise, and as my main mode of transportation. You can find me biking along the many beautiful trails we have here in Ohio as well as sharing the road with cars year-round. To me there isn’t a better way to stay in shape or connect with my community.

Columbus, where I reside, is experiencing a population explosion. Residents are looking towards alternative modes of transportation (like bikes) as roads in Central Ohio area become increasingly congested by the influx of new drivers. Columbus is making a concerted effort to be more bike friendly. New bike lanes are being installed regularly and the city is set to launch the first phase of its Capital Line Project, a passageway exclusively for pedestrians and bicyclists in the heart of downtown, later in 2025.

While these expansions are fantastic, an area that needs to remain in sharp focus is the relationship between bicyclists and drivers. A relationship, as it stands today, is quite poor. Based on years of sharing the road with drivers, the streets of Columbus remain very dangerous for bicyclists. Drivers appear to be unaware of the rules of engagement when encountering a bicyclist on the road. It’s a near daily occurrence for me to have a close call with a driver while biking. On a good day, I feel this is negligence on the part of Columbus drivers. On a bad day I feel drivers are openly hostile towards bicyclists (there are studies that point to this). A greater understanding of the local traffic laws concerning cyclists is needed.

Here are some highlights from the Ohio Revised Code Traffic Laws Chapter 4511:

Speeds (§ 4511.21) Posted speed limits are the legal maximum speed at which a vehicle can travel. Even when passing other vehicles on the road, such as bicyclists, the speed limit may not be exceeded. In all cases, a vehicle’s speed should always be slow enough that a driver can bring their vehicle to a stop without colliding with the vehicle in front of them.

Passing (§ 4511.27, § 4511.31) When passing a bicycle on the left, drivers must signal, provide at least 3’ of horizontal space, and return to the right side only when it is safe to do so.  

Vehicles can legally cross a solid yellow line to pass a bicycle if they can do so without exceeding the speed limit and there is sufficient sight distance to complete the pass safely.

Approaching Intersections (§ 4511.43, § 4511.712) When approaching a red light or a stop sign, vehicles must stop at the stop line. If there is no stop line, vehicles must stop before entering the crosswalk. Crosswalks exist at all intersections, even if they are not painted, unless signage is present to prohibit pedestrians from crossing.

Vehicles must also avoid obstructing any part of an intersection, including crosswalks and bike boxes (area of green pavement between the stop line and the crosswalk, meant for bicyclists to queue) if they are present.

Graphic: Ohio Department of Transportation