Why bike on the left?

I’m not sure where Jefferson Drive is… you don’t mean Street?
There is one place on Jefferson St. approaching Columbia Pike where I take the left lane in order to go straight (up the driveway) or turn. Actually that location was one of my worst experiences with “taking the lane,” even though we were stuck at a red light. The angry driver did not like having me in her lane….she felt I needed to be on the sidewalk.
More to your point, there is one location where I always ride on the left of the cars even though there is a bike lane on the right. That’s on 34th St. approaching Key Bridge in DC. The cars bunch up there and barely move. If you stick to the right-side path, it means you end up in the right-turn traffic lane onto M St. OR you do a do-si-do with the cars to get to the other side at last minute. Simply staying on the left feels safest there…with extreme caution in case of dooring.

@wheels&wings 118366 wrote:

I’m not sure where Jefferson Drive is… you don’t mean Street?

On the mall.

As to the original question, are they turning left? Otherwise, who knows; they’re humans, there’s a certain level of randomness.

@DismalScientist 118389 wrote:

The speed limit is 15. You bike on the left to pass the cars driving the speed limit.

Aren’t cyclists subject to the same speed limit as motorists?

Some of these bike laws are confusing though. For example, Virginia bike law has this bit:

http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-laws.asp#Where

Bicyclists operating a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place under conditions then existing shall ride as close as safely practicable to the right curb or edge of roadway. Exceptions to this are when bicyclists are overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, preparing for a left turn, avoiding unsafe conditions, avoiding riding in a lane that turns or diverges to the right, riding on a one way street where bicyclists may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of roadway, or when the lane width is too narrow to share with a motor vehicle. Additionally, bicycles are not excluded from riding on the highway shoulder.

So in VA I’m supposed to ride my bike as close to the right curb/edge “as safely practicable” but wouldn’t that lead to weaving – that is, you ride closer to the curb when there’s no parked cars (and their doors!) to worry about, but have to ride further away when the parked cars are there. :confused:

@GovernorSilver 118398 wrote:

or when the lane width is too narrow to share with a motor vehicle

So in VA I’m supposed to ride my bike as close to the right curb/edge “as safely practicable” but wouldn’t that lead to weaving – that is, you ride closer to the curb when there’s no parked cars (and their doors!) to worry about, but have to ride further away when the parked cars are there. :confused:

Not that it is super relevant to the situation but I bolded what is to me the most important part of that law. A few feet from the edge/curb to me, a foot or two for my width, 3′ to pass aka I ride dead center in the vast majority of lanes I ride in.

Yes, cyclists are vehicles and are subject to the speed limit. Dismal’s point is that so are cars. 15mph on a flat road is a simple task for many… so why not cycle where you’d please?

Bicyclists operating a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place under conditions then existing shall ride as close as safely practicable to the right curb or edge of roadway

I normally ride in the center of the lane on Madison and Jefferson, since I generally travel at the speed of traffic when the way is not obstructed. If a car is coming up to me, I’ll let him pass on the left, but I assume that either 1) he doesn’t realize how fast he is going because he has underestimated my speed, or 2) he has no idea what the speed limit is. That said, there are plenty of times when a car is just poking along and I will only pass him on the left.

When unobstructed, traffic generally flows at 20-25 mph on these streets. Speed limits are for both bikes and cars, but I have never seen them enforced.

@dplasters 118466 wrote:

Not that it is super relevant to the situation but I bolded what is to me the most important part of that law. A few feet from the edge/curb to me, a foot or two for my width, 3′ to pass aka I ride dead center in the vast majority of lanes I ride in.

Yes, cyclists are vehicles and are subject to the speed limit. Dismal’s point is that so are cars. 15mph on a flat road is a simple task for many… so why not cycle where you’d please?

In Maryland at least, the state takes the view that any lane less than 13 feet wide is too narrow for the rule about riding as far to the right as practicable to apply. This means that in virtually all lanes in the suburbs, riding anywhere in the right lane is allowed. I actually had this confirmed by a police officer who stopped a car for cutting me off when I was riding in the middle of the lane on Old Georgetown Road.