[alzjr]

Florida Department of Transportation
3. Bicycle Lane: A bicycle lane (bike lane) is a portion of a roadway (either with curb and gutter or a flush shoulder) which has been designated by striping, special pavement markings, and signing for the preferential use by bicyclists.

marked with a stripe, and the official symbol on the right. Florida bicycle regulations - 316.2065 (S5a & b) state: - See more at: Bike Lane Safety - Fort Myers, FL Personal Injury Attorney | Spivey Law Firm

To meet the statute language
To meet the statute language “a lane marked for bicycle use,” the lane must have this stencil in it.

The stencil is the shape of a bicycle, not a diamond.

The only place in The Villages that has this stencil is on Morse north of Rt.466.

[outlaw]

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

That is correct. And then there are people who walk and run in the diamond lanes, when there is a sidewalk right beside it (Canal Street is a good example). So carts come up behind a walker or walkers going two abreast in the diamond lane, and they will NOT move over when the carts have to almost halt behind them because car traffic on their left does not permit them to veer left to go around the walker/runners.

They defy 1200 lb. vehicles going 20mph as if to say, "C'mon. Hit me. Then you'll see who's right." Insanity!

I think Florida law says you run/walk AGAINST traffic. So those people are on the wrong side of the road to begin with. even if it isn't the law, it is just good old life preserving common sense.

[tuccillo]

The law allows for you to take up an entire lane on a 4 lane road such as Buena Vista. As you pointed out, this is actually the safe thing to do because it forces over taking cars into the left hand passing lane instead of trying to squeeze pass you in the right hand lane with a another car in the left hand lane. Most cyclists come to realize this quickly. Also, on 2 lane roads, moving left into the middle of the lane on curves is also a safe thing to do as it prevents cars from passing you unsafely when there isn't room in the lane for both a car and a cyclist. Most automobile drivers have no idea how scary it is when a cyclist is passed on a curve on a 2-lane road and a car appears in the other lane and the overtaking car nearly clips you trying to avoid a head on collision. Moving left to the middle of the lane on curves is often required for safety and fully permitted by the law. Be safe out there.

Originally Posted by Bosoxfan

You probably are right but I'm guessing you're not a cyclist. I ride on the roads after first trying the mmp's .I don't get the workout I'm looking for there.All the stopping & starting just doesn't get it done.Also I found it unsafe with the way some drive their carts.After I tried the mmp's next I went on the shoulder of the roads.Talk about insanity people would be so close to me when passing that I was almost knocked off my bike several times . I'm pretty sure that a 3 foot clearance is the law when passing a bike ! The funny thing is that most of the folks passing me that close had the whole left lane to move over but because the were going to need to be in the right lane in a mile they wouldn' t move over. Then there was the time when I caught up to one of these vehicles at a gate where they had to wait. I asked why they had to pass me so close.The answer I got was the person in the left lane wouldn't let him move over.I asked him if he had brakes and pointed out that slowing down until it was safe to pass me sure would have been nice.
Now I take up the whole right lane.Right or wrong it's the safest way to ride.People get ****ed but I know I'm in control of the way you pass me.Oh I forgot to mention I ride only on 4 lane roads. I also wear bright colors, have flashing lights in front & back & I live in my mirrors. That's my story & I'm sticking to it!

[Walter123]

Confrontations between golf carts, walkers, bikers and cars last a few seconds most of the time. Be the bigger person and let it go. I try to laugh it off and go on with my day knowing that I did the right thing. No sense letting your blood pressure go up. Sometimes common sense should override the law. Don't be the one in the laying in a hospital bed because you had the "law" on your side. Use your head.

[bobbym]

Walkers face the traffic so they can jump out of the way when a driver gets a phone call but bikes have to go on the right side so there is a slower closing speed between them and the cars and carts.

[CFrance]

Bicyclists ride on the right because they are considered street legal and therefore must follow the traffic laws.

[Polar Bear]

I don't have a dog in this race, but isn't this portion of the rule pretty important...

"Persons riding two abreast may not impede traffic when traveling at less than the normal speed of traffic"?

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

I don't have a dog in this race, but isn't this portion of the rule pretty important...

"Persons riding two abreast may not impede traffic when traveling at less than the normal speed of traffic"?

"Traveling less than the normal speed of traffic" is the crux of almost all the problems with cyclists and cars/golf carts.

Next on the list would be cyclists who do not observe stop signs and change lanes while riding thru a roundabout, cutting left in front of a car that is exiting the roundabout to continue going straight on the same street.

[Villages PL]

Sat. I was exiting from Aldi's and turning right onto 441.. As I was making my turn I saw a bicycle coming at me at a high rate of speed, going in the wrong direction against traffic. I had been looking to my left so as to merge with the traffic. I never expected there would be something coming at me from my right.

[tuccillo]

The "problem" is actually cars not respecting the right of cyclists to use the roads and their failure to meet their legal obligation to pass the slower moving cyclist in a safe and lawful manner, just as they would with a slower moving car. Cyclists do often roll through stop signs when it is clear and safe to do so - probably with the same frequency as cars. Cyclists can be invisible in roundabout and are generally interested in getting through the roundabouts as quickly and safely as possible. Just as cars can be seen doing things they shouldn't, so it goes for some cyclists.

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

"Traveling less than the normal speed of traffic" is the crux of almost all the problems with cyclists and cars/golf carts.

Next on the list would be cyclists who do not observe stop signs and change lanes while riding thru a roundabout, cutting left in front of a car that is exiting the roundabout to continue going straight on the same street.

[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by alzjr

Florida Department of Transportation
3. Bicycle Lane: A bicycle lane (bike lane) is a portion of a roadway (either with curb and gutter or a flush shoulder) which has been designated by striping, special pavement markings, and signing for the preferential use by bicyclists.

marked with a stripe, and the official symbol on the right. Florida bicycle regulations - 316.2065 (S5a & b) state: - See more at: Bike Lane Safety - Fort Myers, FL Personal Injury Attorney | Spivey Law Firm

To meet the statute language
To meet the statute language “a lane marked for bicycle use,” the lane must have this stencil in it.

The stencil is the shape of a bicycle, not a diamond.

The only place in The Villages that has this stencil is on Morse north of Rt.466.

What you are quoting is what is required for an official bike lane with all the rights and restrictions that ensue. IMO, the diamond lanes within TV are not meant to meet the strict definition of a bike lane in that they are meant for use by other wheeled modes of transportation as well as bikes.


Share the road is a good concept for everyone to follow, whether they be in a cart, on a bike, or on foot. After all, they are your neighbors!

[Chazz]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Sat. I was exiting from Aldi's and turning right onto 441.. As I was making my turn I saw a bicycle coming at me at a high rate of speed, going in the wrong direction against traffic. I had been looking to my left so as to merge with the traffic. I never expected there would be something coming at me from my right.

You described a frightening, and illegal situation that I have seen only once in TV on the north side of Morse. Imagine this happening when you're riding your bike in the correct lane in the correct direction and one of these wrong-way riders comes at you and you have nowhere to go to avoid a collision!

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by tuccillo

The "problem" is actually cars not respecting the right of cyclists to use the roads and their failure to meet their legal obligation to pass the slower moving cyclist in a safe and lawful manner, just as they would with a slower moving car. Cyclists do often roll through stop signs when it is clear and safe to do so - probably with the same frequency as cars. Cyclists can be invisible in roundabout and are generally interested in getting through the roundabouts as quickly and safely as possible. Just as cars can be seen doing things they shouldn't, so it goes for some cyclists.

The real problem is that everyone disagrees on what the problem is....

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

I don't have a dog in this race, but isn't this portion of the rule pretty important...

"Persons riding two abreast may not impede traffic when traveling at less than the normal speed of traffic"?

316.2065 (6) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway may not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast may not impede traffic when traveling at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing and shall ride within a single lane.

The 2-abreast rule only applies to roads on which a single rider can operate side-by-side with a motor vehicle (i.e. a lane 14 ft or wider, or a road with a bike lane). A single cyclist (or single line of cyclists) is entitled to the full use of a lane less than 14 ft wide, therefore it makes no difference in the flow of traffic for riders to be 2-abreast. In many cases it actually facilitates overtaking by reducing in half the distance needed to pass. For more about this, visit the Group Riding page.

[GaryW]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

The real problem is that everyone disagrees on what the problem is....

and I say again,,

This battle has been going on for years.. One blames the other and so on. If everyone stops worrying about what someone is doing and pay attention to the road and what they are doing, then there will not be a issue. Everyone from walkers, to cyclist, to golf carts to motorcycles and cars and trucks break the same laws. Flip a coin and take your poison.

Since I am a avid cyclist and ride the roads all the time, I will say the thing I see that be-wilders the be-shizzle out of me is why do the recreational cyclist if you will, the ones on the beach cruisers doing 3 mph and no helments, no protective gear of any sort on, Having a hard time staying on the side of the road much less in a lane..... Why would you ride on the road like that. To me those are the ones that need to stay on the MMP. It is one thing to have cyclist on the road, but not the ones doing 3-5 mph and swerving all over the lane.

Now with that said, they have the same right as I or you have,, but when I ride on the roads usually in a pack try to keep speed above 20 mph at least. when I am riding by myself I will usually ride the MMP to stay out of traffic. JUST A THOUGHT..