California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2509

Introduced by Assembly Member Ting

February 19, 2016

An act to amend Section 21202 of the Vehicle Code, relating to bicycles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2509, as introduced, Ting. Operation of bicycles: speed.

Existing law requires a person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time to ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except in specified situations. A violation of this provision is an infraction. Existing law further authorizes a person operating a bicycle upon a roadway of a highway that carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes to ride as close to the left-hand curb or edge of that roadway as practicable.

This bill would require a person operating a bicycle, as described above, to ride as close as is either safe or practicable to the specified curb or roadway edge. The bill would expand the exceptions to riding as close as safe or practicable to the right-hand curb or roadway edge to include, among others, when riding in class I, class II, or class IV bikeways, as specified.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 21202 of the Vehicle Code is amended
to read:

21202.  

(a)  begin delete Any end delete begin insert A end insert person operating a bicycle upon a roadway
at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same
direction at that time shall ride as close as begin insert is safe or end insert practicable to
the right-hand curb or edge of the begin delete roadway except under any of
the following situations: end delete begin insert roadway. end insert

begin insert

(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply in any of the following
situations:

end insert

(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle
proceeding in the same direction.

(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a
private road or driveway.

(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid begin delete conditions (including, end delete
begin insert conditions, including, end insert but not limited to, fixed or moving objects,
vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or
substandard width begin delete lanes) end delete begin insert lanes, end insert that make it unsafe to continue
along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to begin delete the provisions of end delete
Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a “substandard width
lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to
travel safely side by side within the lane.

(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

begin insert

(5) When riding within a class I, class II, or class IV bikeway.

end insert begin insert

(6) When riding within a class III bikeway within the path of a
shared lane marking.

end insert begin insert

(7) When riding beside another bicycle in any situation
described in paragraphs 1 to 6, inclusive, or whenever riding
outside the path of vehicular travel in a lane.

end insert begin delete

(b)  Any

end delete

begin insert (c) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert A end insert person operating a bicycle upon a roadway of a begin delete highway,
which highway end delete begin insert highway that end insert carries traffic in one direction only
and has two or more marked traffic begin delete lanes, end delete begin insert lanes end insert may ride as begin delete near end delete
begin insert close to end insert the left-hand curb or edge of that roadway as begin insert is safe or end insert
practicable.