Let me start by saying I'm new to commuting and I haven't even started yet but have a bike on order and plan to start in the next month or so.
Today I drove down the roads that I mapped out for my commute. Most of the reason why I picked this road is because it's labeled as bike friendly and has a little bike lane. It's pretty high traffic and not unusual for traffic to be at a standstill for a few minutes here and there before anyone moves.
One thing I noticed as I was driving down this road is there were a ton of people halfway in the bike lane while traffic was at a stop, so much so that even on a bike there probably wouldn't be room to pass without running into the curb or into their vehicle.
So my question is when is it acceptable to ride on the sidewalk instead of the bike lane? Do I stop at each vehicle that is in the lane, hop over the curb and on the sidewalk then off the sidewalk again and back in the bike lane? Or do I ride on the sidewalk (there are little to no pedestrians) and avoid having to go back and fourth? There were a few other cyclists using the sidewalk instead of the bike lane, but it was my understanding that it's not good practice.
When is it acceptable (if at all) to use a sidewalk instead of a bike lane?
Today I drove down the roads that I mapped out for my commute. Most of the reason why I picked this road is because it's labeled as bike friendly and has a little bike lane. It's pretty high traffic and not unusual for traffic to be at a standstill for a few minutes here and there before anyone moves.
One thing I noticed as I was driving down this road is there were a ton of people halfway in the bike lane while traffic was at a stop, so much so that even on a bike there probably wouldn't be room to pass without running into the curb or into their vehicle.
So my question is when is it acceptable to ride on the sidewalk instead of the bike lane? Do I stop at each vehicle that is in the lane, hop over the curb and on the sidewalk then off the sidewalk again and back in the bike lane? Or do I ride on the sidewalk (there are little to no pedestrians) and avoid having to go back and fourth? There were a few other cyclists using the sidewalk instead of the bike lane, but it was my understanding that it's not good practice.
When is it acceptable (if at all) to use a sidewalk instead of a bike lane?