How narrow does a lane have to be for you to take the lane?

[bentbike33]

I will take the lane unless there is enough space for a vehicle to pass me (i.e., without it crossing the center line) while giving me about a 3-foot margin AND a little space to bailout to the right (i.e., I don’t have to ride on the white line to allow safe passing distance within the lane).

I don’t know how wide such a lane is, but your example looks wide enough.

[Steve O]

It also, for me, depends on sight lines. If I can see way ahead and there is no oncoming car, I will shift to the right side of the lane as a way of signaling to drivers behind me that I am comfortable with their passing, even if the lanes are narrow. They can then swing wide and everything’s cool.
And vice versa: if there is not room for a 3-foot buffer, and a hill or curve obscures the view ahead, then I will take the entire lane, sometimes even to the left of center, to send a clear signal that I have no intention of allowing a car to pass with insufficient space. Then when we clear the hill or curve and it’s clear ahead, I’ll shift over and give the car a little wave. My intent is to engender good will. I’m not taking the lane because I’m an entitled jerk; I’m just taking it for the time and space I need to keep us all safe.

[dasgeh]

In Virginia, it’s now legal for cars to cross the yellow line to pass bikes. So I generally bike with my front wheel about 4-5′ from the edge of the lane unless there are two lanes heading in my direction or I can see a reason a car shouldn’t cross the yellow to pass me (e.g. oncoming car, curves). In that case, I ride in the middle of the lane, and maybe even a little left.

[Tania]

@Steve O 136380 wrote:

It also, for me, depends on sight lines. If I can see way ahead and there is no oncoming car, I will shift to the right side of the lane as a way of signaling to drivers behind me that I am comfortable with their passing, even if the lanes are narrow. They can then swing wide and everything’s cool.
And vice versa: if there is not room for a 3-foot buffer, and a hill or curve obscures the view ahead, then I will take the entire lane, sometimes even to the left of center, to send a clear signal that I have no intention of allowing a car to pass with insufficient space. Then when we clear the hill or curve and it’s clear ahead, I’ll shift over and give the car a little wave. My intent is to engender good will. I’m not taking the lane because I’m an entitled jerk; I’m just taking it for the time and space I need to keep us all safe.

What Steve said. Gah! 😮

I’ll also take (and keep) the lane if it’s two lanes in each direction. I do this routinely on Gallows before the bike lane starts – heavy traffic and no one actually does the 35 mph speed limit and they will routinely try to squeeze by me (sharing my lane) if I don’t take the entire darn thing. It’s only for maybe 1/2 mile though if that. Conversely, I try not to be smug and split the lane (when lacking a bike lane) during rush hour when traffic gets backed up – I’ll wait in line like everyone else.

[Steve O]

@Tania 136382 wrote:

What Steve said. Gah! 😮

That’s three.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]11179[/ATTACH]

[dkel]

@Steve O 136380 wrote:

And vice versa: if there is not room for a 3-foot buffer, and a hill or curve obscures the view ahead, then I will take the entire lane, sometimes even to the left of center, to send a clear signal that I have no intention of allowing a car to pass with insufficient space.

This! …And yet that often doesn’t stop them, oncoming traffic or unseen dangers over the crest of the hill be damned.

[DismalScientist]

My position depends on my speed telative to traffic. The faster I am, the more to the left. On a quiet street with or without a centerline, I take the middle of the lane. I will move right if a car is behind and it is safe to pass. On a two lane (in each direction) I take the middle of the right lane unless that lane is wide enough for safe passing when I am 3 feet from the curb. I will be in the parking lane if it is empty for long stretches. On door zone bike path, I tend to stay at the left edge. I never let a car pass me in the right lane at an intersection where right turns are possible. If I think it is safe for a car to pass and the driver seems hesitant, I will wave them around.

[dkel]

I don’t detect any snark in Dismal’s post. I’m not quite sure what to think.

[DismalScientist]

It’s because I was sober.

[cvcalhoun]

@lordofthemark 136373 wrote:

Assume no seg infra, no rideable sidewalk, etc. The choices are to ride in the center of a general travel lane, or on the right edge of it (let’s also assume no parked cars, so just in from the gutter)

I routinely ride on the far right here for example

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.836701,-77.1048373,3a,75y,101.19h,75.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLiHCJsbQZgztNfWb3FtLSg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

I am not a good judge of these things, but I guess it must be about almost 16 feet (I guess just too narrow to allow parking on the right). Ditto on two way streets with no center line and very light traffic (not uncommon in residential areas where I am more likely to be riding in the street to begin with)

On more common lanes, I almost always ride in the center. I will “release” the lane periodically (assuming one lane in each direction), if traffic is stacking up behind me, and there is what seems to me a safe place to do so (a very long stretch of the parking lane with no parked cars – sorry, I know I said assume no parking) If it is a steep uphill, and I am going to be going painfully slowly, and it is one lane in each direction, I will ride the sidewalk (again, sorry for violating my initial assumption) or will avoid altogether.

So forgetting what I do, when does a lane allow, to you, safe and comfortable riding on the right? 14 ft? 12 ft?

In Maryland, you’re supposed to ride as far as practicable to the right if the usable portion of the lane is at least 13 feet wide. If the lane is less wide than that (or if curbside parking or other encroachments narrow the width usable for travel to 13 feet or less), you can take the lane:

http://www.cphabaltimore.org/2012/11/where-noted-cyclists-use-of-full-lane-now-legal-in-md/

[mstone]

In general I can identify 13 feet by eye about as well as drivers can identify 3 feet…

[dkel]

@DismalScientist 136400 wrote:

It’s because I was sober.

I’m so sorry.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@cvcalhoun 136401 wrote:

In Maryland, you’re supposed to ride as far as practicable to the right if the usable portion of the lane is at least 13 feet wide. If the lane is less wide than that (or if curbside parking or other encroachments narrow the width usable for travel to 13 feet or less), you can take the lane:

http://www.cphabaltimore.org/2012/11/where-noted-cyclists-use-of-full-lane-now-legal-in-md/

I’ve never seen a legal exegesis of this…I assume that the law states you have to ride FRAP on the “roadway”, which means to the *left* of the fog line, right?…I think many cyclists means you have to ride at the very edge of the pavement, or at least on the shoulder, which I don’t think is technically part of the roadway.

[Terpfan]

As a general rule of thumb, I try to take the middle of the lane (or even slightly left of the middle). And, to be perfectly honest, I don’t really care if I were riding in MD or elsewhere and the law said otherwise. I’ve had enough people try insane things to know that if you leave them an inch, they will see it as a couple miles of space. Besides, there are always reasons you need to move one way or the other (potholes, glass, dooring threat, double-parked vehicles, etc) so that extra space can make all the difference.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Terpfan 136414 wrote:

As a general rule of thumb, I try to take the middle of the road. And, to be perfectly honest, I don’t really care if I were riding in MD or elsewhere and the law said otherwise. I’ve had enough people try insane things to know that if you leave them an inch, they will see it as a couple miles of space. Besides, there are always reasons you need to move one way or the other (potholes, glass, dooring threat, double-parked vehicles, etc) so that extra space can make all the difference.

If ever questioned, just say “the middle of the lane was as far right as was practicable to ride.” Use that ambiguity to your advantage!

[Author]

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