6/9/16 Even an act as simple as riding a bike can run you afoul of the law, whether State or City, if you are not familiar with it. As busy and fast-paced as our Valley traffic is, it is important to know the rules and regulations which apply to bicyclists in Arizona, whether you ride on the street or on the sidewalk.
As a bicyclist myself, this issue is especially interesting to me. Bicycles operated on the roadway or in a dedicated bike lane or path are subject to State law. If operated on the sidewalk, they are subject to local City ordinance (see our Related Links page to review your City’s current Code or the Arizona Revised Statutes).
A.R.S. Title 28, Article 11, governs the Operation of Bicycles (currently, 28-811 through 28-818). In general, the Arizona statutes provide for common-sense requirements, such as that a parent or guardian shall not knowingly allow their young one to violate the rules of Article 11, that bicyclists in the roadway or bike lane are subject to all of the rights and duties as apply to drivers, and you are not allowed to pilot a bicycle without a seat or attach in any way a bike to a motor vehicle.
However, some of the State laws may be more obscure or even nonsensical, such as that it is unlawful for a kid to ride his buddy on the back (of a bike built for one), or that, despite the rights given to bicyclists, a person riding under the normal speed of traffic (effectively, every bicycle rider riding in the roadway or bike lane) must ride as close as possible to the right-hand curb/edge of road, except under a few limited conditions (see 28-815 here at azleg.gov). Furthermore, a bicycle helmet is not required, under either State law or most City ordinances.
Those choosing to ride on the sidewalk must check their City’s ordinances for specifics (Related Links, above), but put generally, a bicyclist on the sidewalk must yield the right-of-way to everyone, vehicle and pedestrian, even at crosswalks.
Did you know if you operate a bicycle on the sidewalk in the City of Phoenix you are required to have a license (and not the one you get from MVD)?
For further reading on this topic, see the recent azcentral.com article below:
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