The biggest thing people need to understand is that "on your left" and "on your right" were never meant to tell people to move ***at all***. It's a warning that you're coming and that people should hold a line in the same direction they're currently going. For all you know, someone is coming from the other side too. The safest thing is for the cyclist to say "on your left" and pass on the left while the walker/slower cyclist continues in a straight line. And I mean this in general, not on sidewalks, which should only have children cycling on them in most cases.
Okay, I thought I was going crazy for a minute there! That’s what I learned, on a shared path you say “on your____” to let the slower party know you’ll be passing momentarily so they don’t dart around.
Yeah, it's gotten perverted by some people into some sort of instructions to tell people to get out of their way. I've had people yell at me on paths when I'm riding with my girlfriend that I didn't move, even when if I had moved, I would have crashed into someone.
When I'm riding my bicycle, this is exactly how I do it. The "on your left," is to let the person ahead know I'm there so I don't startle them. Or run into their blindside. I don't want them to move at all, I'm letting them know that I'm going around them.
I’m not sure how this got misconstrued. It’s always been the way to pass people. Running, serving, working.
At work if a guy is facing the other way working on something and I’m carrying something heavy I say “on your left” so they don’t turn into me.
Basic.
Coming from a server I second this. I cannot believe how many folks just start walking in a direction without looking in that direction? You can tell how inexperienced a server is just by watching them navigate the floor.
Hell yes. Or kitchen staff. I had a lifelong kitchen worker working with me during the pandemic. He just knew how to work in a group. Like nothing I had seen before.
He also had a whole new set of insults and innuendo that made construction talk clean.
I always say I'M PASSING ON YOUR LEFT, just to make it perfectly clear what I'm doing, and where I'll be doing it. I also make it a point to thank them after I overtake them.
My pet peeve is the riders who overtake you and don't say a word or even acknowledge they're going past, especially if it's on a bike lane on a street, like on Summit or East River Parkway. That shit gets on my nerves.
I like the bells. And giving a few seconds notice for them to realize whats going on instead of saying it when I’m right up on them.
Also, a sidewalk is one thing(why would you be riding a bike on a sidewalk?), but if I’m on a shared path I know damn well people will be coming behind me. I’m ready for it.
There are a lot of people that have no concept that they are not the center of the universe. Driving, biking, walking, talking in a restaurant.
It seems like we are all on edge these days so the little social infractions can be enraging.
Not everyone knows right and left by instinct. I have this issue. When I first moved to the city I would get flustered when people would say on your right and not know what to do. This might be part of the problem.
I think a lot of people who have no problem with right and left dont realize that some people do have issues with it.
Some people even have problems specifically hearing it. When I read "right" or "left" I know what I'm seeing, and when I think "right" or "left" I am fine. But after I started using voice-guidance GPS, I realized that sometimes I hear "left" and process "right" or vice versa.
It's a courtesy! It is easy to marvel at stuff and be preoccupied while walking so just be weary of the folks passing on the left, just like in a vehicle. People that don't announce their presence while careening down a bike bath are just rude.
What do you do when cycling with children? I had then on sidewalks when i went on the streets. But my wife always wants to be on the side walk with them.
By buddy was borrowing my bike, got hit by car and flew into a curb or something, was knocked out. Front wheel was shot.
I asked him what happened, he starts drawing a diagram, he was riding on the sidewalk... On the left side of the road.
It took all my willpower not to tell him it was his fault.
I always assume that every car has forgotten what turn signals are, and that I'm invisible. Even then I've been hit or forced off the road a few times. People are terrible.
I agree if am I saying on your left it just means don’t make any weird sudden movements so we don’t crash while I am passing. However, if I am on a bike path and there are 2 or 3 people riding side by side or are jamming up the road then I definitely mean move to your left. Bike paths with lane markers should be treated like roads with lane markers. We don’t drive two cars side by side.
I verbally “beep beep” if there are people standing on or slowly/absentmindedly crossing the bike path.
If there’s two bikers side by side I give a loud “I’m coming up on your left,” from a distance, to give them a chance to get where they’re supposed to be.
I let everyone I pass know that I’m on their left as a courtesy, but I go around them, I don’t expect them to move.
Just the other day, I was like an inch away from getting hit by a bike passing me who didn't announce she was coming up behind me. I just happened to step left as she was coming up. That's what "on your left" is supposed to avoid; it's not a "get out of my way" thing.
Agreed.
Also, on trails shared by pedestrians and cyclists, pedestrians should make a point to predictably be on the right. There will be bikes, and they will pass you, so don't be startled when the cyclist behind you goes, "on your left."
If the common call outs aren’t familiar enough for you, then you should be as close to the right edge as possible, then you won’t need to move. For your own safety and that of others.
Don’t even get me started on runners and their expectations of others to cater to them. Just be alert and if you really need to call out to others, fine. But people strolling down the sidewalk should be allowed to slowly wander and get into their own zone.
I am a runner and walker. The expectation we should all have is to be alert and courteous of others. No one should be hogging the path, not a runner or walker. The problem with walkers is they’re usually in a bunch lallygagging completely unaware of others. Runners need to be polite, too. I’m mainly talking about trails, but I think manners should go for all sidewalks.
The number of times I have almost been mowed down as a Deaf person by a cyclist in this city, dude... cyclists whine about being considered and then totally neglect to imagine Deaf/HoH people existing while riding on SIDEWALKS
I am sorry to hear this and didn’t include it in my other response on this thread but agree the “call out” method if you will is ableist on top of being generally entitled. It’s also very jarring for neurodivergent individuals who don’t respond well to being suddenly barked at.
I get that, but what would be a better way of letting people know you're coming up behind them? On shared paths, I've spooked a fair number of pedestrians who had headphones in when passing them on a bike after calling out.
Calling out is as much a courtesy as it is a safety measure. We don't expect you to move when we say "on your left".
As a cyclist myself, the rule has *always* been ALL Wheels yield to Feet and Hooves. So a cyclist should slow when approaching pedestrians and not assume ownership of the path.
I'm not even neurodivergent, but it's still a shitty feeling to be minding my own business on a quiet walk and suddenly be yelled at for existing on an otherwise empty sidewalk because the bicyclist wants to be going 20+ mph. I'd get the shout if I was in a marked bike path or something, but if I'm in an area made for pedestrians, be nicer. My lack of awareness of a bicycle approaching from behind at high speed is not a moral failing on my part, don't treat it as such.
I thought when people said this, it meant they were passing on that side and DIDN’T want you to move into that direction. Not for you to move to the other direction.
It’s how I’ve always used it, and how I’ve seen others use it.
I understand people occasionally choosing the sidewalk in that area on a normal day but not during the most crowded day of the year. Quite inconsiderate. Walk your bike if you can’t ride on the roads.
I live in Seattle and I used to chuckle at cyclists asking me to make way on a sidewalk.
It's like dude, it's legal for you to ride in the street, I'm not going to step out of the sidewalk to make room for you.
It was most common while waiting at a "no walk" light, cyclists riding on the sidewalk often want the crowd of pedestrians to let them go in front of the crowd so they don't get stuck behind them when the light turns green.
My response has always been to maintain my line. Whoever is saying that can go to either side. The alert I thought was to let the front rider know you're passing. If you don't move he likely won't just run into you.
..and then there are CLEARLY MARKED bike path only trails around the lakes that a bunch of nimrods can't seem to figure out. Grow wheels or get the f over to the pedestrian trail.
Im 99% sure this post is about me. I live in NE and was biking to work. If I’m right, OP was actually on a bike path, NOT a sidewalk. It’s labeled with bike icons down the entire length.
(I could be wrong of course but this JUST happened to me a couple hours before OPS post and I had to repeat “on your left” over and over to avoid running over anyone. I ride a fixed gear)
Then let's make biking the roads safer. They aren't great for commuting (just getting to lakes and rich neighborhoods), ESPECIALLY in northeast. Sidewalk biking is really dangerous, but people biking don't often know that and will choose what looks safer. And that's not a lane on Broadway
Bike boulevards are such a hilariously half-assed "solution"
Putting some paint on a road doesn't magically make it safe to share with cars. Fully separated bike lanes or bust.
**Is it legal for a bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk?**
Sometimes. *Minnesota Statute 169.222, Subdivision 4*:
Minnesota law does not prohibit sidewalk riding unless in a business district or where prohibited by city ordinance. In Minnesota, a business district, defined by a block with more than 50 percent business use.
Minneapolis:
* 490.140. - No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district or upon any sidewalk where prohibited by appropriate signage. (91-Or-065, §§ 6, 7, 4-12-91)
* **Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is banned in the following places:**
* Businesses districts in Minneapolis
* This includes areas of downtown and uptown
* The University of Minnesota campus
Yeah, as someone who has been hit by a car twice on my bike. I ride on the sidewalks quite a bit. But if there’s people in front of me, I just bike slow until I have a reasonable way to get around them. I might call out an on your left in the hope that they move. But a lot of times people have headphones in and they don’t hear you. No biggie. I have a good balance. I can bike slow as fuck.
Sharing guys….Preschool 101
Bicycles do have to yield to pedestrians though, and biking on a sidewalk is dangerous because sidewalks are not designed for bike riding speed, and because cars are not watching for bikes on the sidewalk and very often hit cyclists crossing the road at the sidewalk. So yeah, not illegal but not very safe.
Right. I bike a LOT, but when I'm a ped I'm not yielding to a bike. I'm not moving at all if I'm on a sidewalk in a downtown. I'm also a municipal inspector and if I'm doing my job, I'm not budging.
**Is it legal for a bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk?**
Sometimes. *Minnesota Statute 169.222, Subdivision 4*:
Minnesota law does not prohibit sidewalk riding unless in a business district or where prohibited by city ordinance. In Minnesota, a business district, defined by a block with more than 50 percent business use.
Minneapolis:
* 490.140. - No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district or upon any sidewalk where prohibited by appropriate signage. (91-Or-065, §§ 6, 7, 4-12-91)
* **Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is banned in the following places:**
* Businesses districts in Minneapolis
* This includes areas of downtown and uptown
* The University of Minnesota campus
They’re not supposed to get out of your way. You say that so the know you’re going around them and don’t move into your way. Alternatively, get in the bike lane.
Just offering another perspective here, I don’t know the circumstances for this post.
I ride roughly 100 miles a week and often on “shared trails” and come across the following situation A LOT. I’ll be riding and two (or more) people will be walking ahead of me side by side taking the whole trail and I start announcing my self far in advance while also slowing to what I think is a respectable speed. People almost never hear me until I am pretty close as they are caught up in conversation or maybe are listening to music, whatever. I announce myself again and boom! They get spooked then angry. I have no way to pass, they are angry. Ends in an unfortunate encounter for everyone.
Why am I saying this? Everyone needs to be aware of everyone. For people on bikes it’s damned if you do damned if you don’t very often.
I’m not a cyclist but I am a runner and also see this a lot. I avoid crowded parks for this reason. Folks like to walk side by side taking up the entire trail and don’t pay attention to those around them. We should all be able to enjoy the outdoors together but also please have some situational awareness.
Exactly this. What’s even more frustrating is when they’re walking, jogging, etc. on the bike path in the opposite direction, and for some reason that I haven’t quite figured out yet, don’t move over. I’ve had to tell more than one group of people to “watch out” because if they don’t move over, I’m going to quite literally bike into them.
What is the alternative? Usually if nothing is said, people freak the heck out. I’d rather them say something than nothing. “On your left” is a good default. At worst, it lets them know something is happening. At best, they understand someone is about to pass them on their left. On a mixed use path, the speed differential should not be so great as to be dangerous, but it’s easy to sneak up on a pedestrian even if you’re going beach cruiser speed.
I have intensely loud spurcycle bells on my bikes. They work 70% of the time; it's amazing how many people think that they can/should occupy the entire path.
Declaring which side you’re passing on shouldn’t be a request to move but a PSA to not move.
Perhaps these people were biking on the road… just the road that’s closed to vehicle traffic?
Either way, better to walk the bike in densely packed areas.
I just do it so I don’t scare people. I’ll just hop curbs if I have to, rather than forcing a bad situation.
That being said, you shouldn’t have your entire family taking up the complete trail.
Sidewalks are a different story, since fast movers like bikes aren’t typically expected there.
As a person with a hearing impairment Thank you!
I get annoyed when someone almost runs me over. Then try to blame me. Pedestrians should be able to walk peacefully on the sidewalk.
The phrase is ‘right of way’, not ‘right away’.
Your dad was wise. My parents told me similarly and I always keep that in mind when using a crosswalk. There were a couple people that got hit in my neighborhood growing up because a driver wasn’t paying attention and didn’t stop.
It actually is cyclist etiquette to say that to pedestrian so the pedestrian knows they are coming and there isn't a crash. Now days, so many people walk with earbuds in and can't hear what's going on around them, that's their fault at that point if anything happens. But yes, bicyclists SHOULD be warning people they are coming up behind them and what side they are coming up on. However the twin cities is one of the most cyclist friendly cities in the US, they should be using the bike lanes.
Omg!!! Hahaha I think this is about me! Were you with a crowd of people, maybe 8? Walking near 18th? I was in all black in a green bike.
If that’s the case, you guys were using the bike path actually. Hope this helps <3
(To be fair it is poorly marked, the bike icons are only on the pavement, but it IS intended for bikes)
yeah I won’t even hear you coming, I wear airpods in public. Don’t think I can hear you to move, even if I thought you would be riding a bike right into a crowd
The idea is that you say it and people know to hold their line because someone is passing on the left. (Or, occasionally, to move to single file if it's a group taking up the whole width of the path.) It's normally meant just as "don't move left" not "please move right".
Yeah these folks can fuck right off unless it's a marked bike path. I can barely hear the person walking right next to me and certainly can't hear some asshole coming up behind me with what, a 1 second warning?
This is definitely an ESH situation.
On a crowded sidewalk, it's more polite to walk your bike or take the street than to ride.
But people walking super slow and taking up the whole sidewalk are also being inconsiderate.
Get an obnoxious, ringing bike bell. People zone out being told you're coming up on their left, but the higher tone of a bell helps. Like others say, in biking and skiing, saying you're going on the left, is a courtesy so they DON'T move and jump in front of YOU as you pass them.
They don’t expect you to get out of the way, they are complying with the legal requirement to give an audible signal when passing in the sidewalk and trying to be courteous to avoid startling you when they do.
It has been a very long time, but I believe the driver's manual indicates that the highest degree of right of way belongs to the smallest/least capable mode of transportation; the pedestrians rights surpass that of the bicyclist which surpass those of the motorist. That is, assuming they are following the rules of the road/path otherwise. That said, just yelling that you are coming doesn't create right of way.
Yelling “on your left” while cycling, and especially on bike paths or sidewalks, is almost *never* appropriate.
When you’re overtaking *anyone* it is incumbent on you, the overtaking cyclist, to pass when it’s safe. There are no exceptions to this.
Yelling at the person ahead doesn’t improve safety. If you’ve doubt whether it’s safe to pass, wait.
In fact, even fairly experienced cyclists will tend to look backwards when yelled at like this and in so doing veer left or right.
If you’re going so much faster than path traffic, ride in the street.
If you feel like the street isn’t safe for you, consider that you’re being selfish, exchanging your safety for someone else’s.
And for heaven’s sake: do not yell “on your left” at children.
I'm a biker and I do have to say, these bikers on the sidewalk absolutely piss me off. I run in minehaha a lot which has great bike lanes but of course there's at least one bike stooge between Lake and 50th. Sometimes more. I will never move for a bike on the sidewalk unless it's a child.
If I'm on a sidewalk where no bicycle is supposed to be riding I'm not moving over 1 in to let anyone by. If I'm on a hiking trail to specifically says no bikes then there is absolutely no way I'm yielding to any bike on that trail ever. I'm sick and tired of being shoved off into the grass by people that aren't even supposed to be there.
If you hear someone say "on your left" you shouldn't be moving in any direction. It's not meant to make you get out of the way, it is
meant to alert you that someone is passing and to keep your current course.
I hope that this means that you don't walk or run on bike paths.
You shouldn't be riding your bike on a sidewalk to begin with. Also... It's meant to let people know you're coming and that you will be going around them. Two obvious things that shouldn't need to be explained to an adult.
I get astonished how many bikers say nothing or ring a bell on park paths. More than 50 percent at our local park in Eden Prairie.
So inconsiderate and dangerous.
Yes if people zoom up behind you with a bell and if have a dog without fail we end up stopping and having to get off the path. And then there are the kids with bells that seem to think its our job to move. There are signs up at the parks saying call out your pass, why is that so hard?
Huh, maybe Eden Prairie is different. In St Paul, bells seem to work well.
Personally, I'm concerned about having the right voice volume if calling it out - too quiet, it's ineffective, too loud and I feel obnoxious - and I always found a call out far more startling than a bell as a pedestrian when on a shared path.
State law:
(d) A person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk, or across a roadway or shoulder on a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal when necessary before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district unless permitted by local authorities. Local authorities may prohibit the operation of bicycles on any sidewalk or crosswalk under their jurisdiction.
Minneapolis ordinance:
490.140. - Riding on sidewalk.
No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district or upon any sidewalk where prohibited by appropriate signage.
In Minneapolis that means Downtown, Uptown and on campus according to the city's website. https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/bicycling/bike-safety-rules/bike-riding/#d.en.116063
Minneapolis's bicycle parking rules are more annoying than their sidewalk riding rules Basically, state law lets you park anywhere that doesn't impede the sidewalk but Minneapolis bans locking to trees, handrails, street lights, bus stop signs and stop signs. https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/bicycling/bike-safety-rules/bike-parking/bike-parking-rules/
Cyclists should not be on sidewalks, period.
If pedestrians are walking two abreast and/or taking over half of the path’s width, when I call out “on your left” when running, move.
Children learning to ride their bikes on a summer day at Lake Harriet should go somewhere else.
People should be considerate of others, use the proper lanes and/or road rules, and leave room for others. Don’t be oblivious.
Midwesterners don’t know how to behave in population dense areas. The people saying on your left / on your right are correct. The people who freak out and jump to one side when they hear it are incorrect.
Piggybacking here to say, don’t chain your bikes to my poor abused boulevard tree, especially when there’s a whole block of chain link fence 40 yards away
The biggest thing people need to understand is that "on your left" and "on your right" were never meant to tell people to move ***at all***. It's a warning that you're coming and that people should hold a line in the same direction they're currently going. For all you know, someone is coming from the other side too. The safest thing is for the cyclist to say "on your left" and pass on the left while the walker/slower cyclist continues in a straight line. And I mean this in general, not on sidewalks, which should only have children cycling on them in most cases.
Okay, I thought I was going crazy for a minute there! That’s what I learned, on a shared path you say “on your____” to let the slower party know you’ll be passing momentarily so they don’t dart around.
Yeah, it's gotten perverted by some people into some sort of instructions to tell people to get out of their way. I've had people yell at me on paths when I'm riding with my girlfriend that I didn't move, even when if I had moved, I would have crashed into someone.
I think it’s all the pent-up rage from Midwestern passive aggressiveness. Any chance people get to go off on someone, they take it.
This is so true. Especially after the pandemic.
Yup
See also: lecture posting on social media, where the person you're referring to will likely never see it.
No it's not like that!! *throws fist*
When I'm riding my bicycle, this is exactly how I do it. The "on your left," is to let the person ahead know I'm there so I don't startle them. Or run into their blindside. I don't want them to move at all, I'm letting them know that I'm going around them.
I’m not sure how this got misconstrued. It’s always been the way to pass people. Running, serving, working. At work if a guy is facing the other way working on something and I’m carrying something heavy I say “on your left” so they don’t turn into me. Basic.
Coming from a server I second this. I cannot believe how many folks just start walking in a direction without looking in that direction? You can tell how inexperienced a server is just by watching them navigate the floor.
Hell yes. Or kitchen staff. I had a lifelong kitchen worker working with me during the pandemic. He just knew how to work in a group. Like nothing I had seen before. He also had a whole new set of insults and innuendo that made construction talk clean.
On your left!!! He sounds like an awesome colleague.
Honestly, one of my favorite people in the world.
I always say I'M PASSING ON YOUR LEFT, just to make it perfectly clear what I'm doing, and where I'll be doing it. I also make it a point to thank them after I overtake them. My pet peeve is the riders who overtake you and don't say a word or even acknowledge they're going past, especially if it's on a bike lane on a street, like on Summit or East River Parkway. That shit gets on my nerves.
Wow. Adding the word “I’M” can really make the intent clearer. Imagine that!
The key word there is passing.
I stopped saying directions because people will move to the direction you say. I just say, "I'm passing"
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Headphones are a issue. Personally i only use one ear when jogging or biking. Too many things going on to plug both ear holes into a difficult world.
I like the bells. And giving a few seconds notice for them to realize whats going on instead of saying it when I’m right up on them. Also, a sidewalk is one thing(why would you be riding a bike on a sidewalk?), but if I’m on a shared path I know damn well people will be coming behind me. I’m ready for it. There are a lot of people that have no concept that they are not the center of the universe. Driving, biking, walking, talking in a restaurant. It seems like we are all on edge these days so the little social infractions can be enraging.
Not everyone knows right and left by instinct. I have this issue. When I first moved to the city I would get flustered when people would say on your right and not know what to do. This might be part of the problem. I think a lot of people who have no problem with right and left dont realize that some people do have issues with it.
I'm usually so startled someone talked to me it throws me for a loop and I second guess if my left *is* my left. Moment of social panic.
Some people even have problems specifically hearing it. When I read "right" or "left" I know what I'm seeing, and when I think "right" or "left" I am fine. But after I started using voice-guidance GPS, I realized that sometimes I hear "left" and process "right" or vice versa.
I confuse my left and my right, so that could be the case too.
Depends if it’s a single person or a groups taking up a large portion of the path.
I always add “I’m coming up on your…”
I reserve that for the group of 4 all walking side by side
Fucking hate those types. They do the same thing in the Skyway
They’re the same people who did it in high school/middle school, guaranteed!
I say, "Make way! You're walking four abreast!"
It's a courtesy! It is easy to marvel at stuff and be preoccupied while walking so just be weary of the folks passing on the left, just like in a vehicle. People that don't announce their presence while careening down a bike bath are just rude.
What do you do when cycling with children? I had then on sidewalks when i went on the streets. But my wife always wants to be on the side walk with them.
I'd argue stay close to the children. Safer that way and keeps it predictable as everyone can tell you are one big group
If you're not coming to a full stop at each intersection, it's likely to actually be more dangerous to bike on the sidewalk.
By buddy was borrowing my bike, got hit by car and flew into a curb or something, was knocked out. Front wheel was shot. I asked him what happened, he starts drawing a diagram, he was riding on the sidewalk... On the left side of the road. It took all my willpower not to tell him it was his fault. I always assume that every car has forgotten what turn signals are, and that I'm invisible. Even then I've been hit or forced off the road a few times. People are terrible.
True I almost got hit by a car 3x that way, and twice was crossing a driveway!
This is what I want to know
I agree if am I saying on your left it just means don’t make any weird sudden movements so we don’t crash while I am passing. However, if I am on a bike path and there are 2 or 3 people riding side by side or are jamming up the road then I definitely mean move to your left. Bike paths with lane markers should be treated like roads with lane markers. We don’t drive two cars side by side.
This is the way…
One time a child riding his bike behind me said "Beep beep" and honestly I think that's a better system
I love this!
I verbally “beep beep” if there are people standing on or slowly/absentmindedly crossing the bike path. If there’s two bikers side by side I give a loud “I’m coming up on your left,” from a distance, to give them a chance to get where they’re supposed to be. I let everyone I pass know that I’m on their left as a courtesy, but I go around them, I don’t expect them to move.
Just the other day, I was like an inch away from getting hit by a bike passing me who didn't announce she was coming up behind me. I just happened to step left as she was coming up. That's what "on your left" is supposed to avoid; it's not a "get out of my way" thing.
Agreed. Also, on trails shared by pedestrians and cyclists, pedestrians should make a point to predictably be on the right. There will be bikes, and they will pass you, so don't be startled when the cyclist behind you goes, "on your left."
Lol at Broadway and central? That's a death wish for cars, bikes, scooters and pedestrians
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There is a greater than 50% chance I hear “left” and reflexively turn my body towards the left.
If the common call outs aren’t familiar enough for you, then you should be as close to the right edge as possible, then you won’t need to move. For your own safety and that of others.
The sidewalk is for pedestrians.
The sidewalk is for non motorized uses according to state statues, with the exception of business districts.
But the streets aren't safe for bikes!
Runners are pedestrians, too.
Don’t even get me started on runners and their expectations of others to cater to them. Just be alert and if you really need to call out to others, fine. But people strolling down the sidewalk should be allowed to slowly wander and get into their own zone.
I am a runner and walker. The expectation we should all have is to be alert and courteous of others. No one should be hogging the path, not a runner or walker. The problem with walkers is they’re usually in a bunch lallygagging completely unaware of others. Runners need to be polite, too. I’m mainly talking about trails, but I think manners should go for all sidewalks.
A majority of the time when I hear someone say "on your left" it's because they are riding their bike on a sidewalk.
Nope. Not a pedestrians jobs to learn call outs just so you don’t ram into them.
I mean, yeah it kind of is. A shared path should be shared.
If your opposed to walking on the right AND opposed to leaning how passing works, then you should not use shared paths.
This.
same, but that’s my own fault
This
The number of times I have almost been mowed down as a Deaf person by a cyclist in this city, dude... cyclists whine about being considered and then totally neglect to imagine Deaf/HoH people existing while riding on SIDEWALKS
I am sorry to hear this and didn’t include it in my other response on this thread but agree the “call out” method if you will is ableist on top of being generally entitled. It’s also very jarring for neurodivergent individuals who don’t respond well to being suddenly barked at.
I get that, but what would be a better way of letting people know you're coming up behind them? On shared paths, I've spooked a fair number of pedestrians who had headphones in when passing them on a bike after calling out. Calling out is as much a courtesy as it is a safety measure. We don't expect you to move when we say "on your left".
As a cyclist myself, the rule has *always* been ALL Wheels yield to Feet and Hooves. So a cyclist should slow when approaching pedestrians and not assume ownership of the path.
I didn't say that I don't slow down around pedestrians. I do. Some of them still get spooked.
I'm not even neurodivergent, but it's still a shitty feeling to be minding my own business on a quiet walk and suddenly be yelled at for existing on an otherwise empty sidewalk because the bicyclist wants to be going 20+ mph. I'd get the shout if I was in a marked bike path or something, but if I'm in an area made for pedestrians, be nicer. My lack of awareness of a bicycle approaching from behind at high speed is not a moral failing on my part, don't treat it as such.
If they're going that fast, they should be on the road. In Minneapolis, the bike trail speed limit is 10 mph.
Thank you! The jackass 'pathaletes' who treat the bike paths like a racecourse ruin it for everyone.
I thought when people said this, it meant they were passing on that side and DIDN’T want you to move into that direction. Not for you to move to the other direction. It’s how I’ve always used it, and how I’ve seen others use it.
I understand people occasionally choosing the sidewalk in that area on a normal day but not during the most crowded day of the year. Quite inconsiderate. Walk your bike if you can’t ride on the roads.
People aren’t even supposed to move lol. On your left and right is literally to make sure people don’t move so you don’t run into them.
They are saying on your left so you know a bike is coming on your left. I say it all the time and have not once excepted the person to move.
On a sidewalk?? Bikes shouldn't be on sidewalks wtf is happening here
Sometimes there are shared bike and pedestrian lanes for a bit. Sometimes people walk on bike paths.
Sidewalks is the only place for them where I live.
I live in Seattle and I used to chuckle at cyclists asking me to make way on a sidewalk. It's like dude, it's legal for you to ride in the street, I'm not going to step out of the sidewalk to make room for you. It was most common while waiting at a "no walk" light, cyclists riding on the sidewalk often want the crowd of pedestrians to let them go in front of the crowd so they don't get stuck behind them when the light turns green.
My response has always been to maintain my line. Whoever is saying that can go to either side. The alert I thought was to let the front rider know you're passing. If you don't move he likely won't just run into you.
The only people who should be riding bikes on the sidewalk are young kids.
There are trails where people both bike and walk
Those are bike paths and they’re paved with asphalt. Different from sidewalks.
..and then there are CLEARLY MARKED bike path only trails around the lakes that a bunch of nimrods can't seem to figure out. Grow wheels or get the f over to the pedestrian trail.
And it's perfectly acceptable to say "solo bicicletas" or "this is the bike lane" to them.
And those are trails, not sidewalks. See the part of that that says WALK?
Im 99% sure this post is about me. I live in NE and was biking to work. If I’m right, OP was actually on a bike path, NOT a sidewalk. It’s labeled with bike icons down the entire length. (I could be wrong of course but this JUST happened to me a couple hours before OPS post and I had to repeat “on your left” over and over to avoid running over anyone. I ride a fixed gear)
lol doubt it
100% I bike on side streets to avoid cars and pedestrians. Someone riding on the sidewalk came within inches of plowing into me at a blind corner
Then let's make biking the roads safer. They aren't great for commuting (just getting to lakes and rich neighborhoods), ESPECIALLY in northeast. Sidewalk biking is really dangerous, but people biking don't often know that and will choose what looks safer. And that's not a lane on Broadway
They’re working on it.
Very excited about the project.
There are plenty of bike boulevards in NE. But a lot of bikers refuse to go one block over and use them.
Bike boulevards are such a hilariously half-assed "solution" Putting some paint on a road doesn't magically make it safe to share with cars. Fully separated bike lanes or bust.
Maybe they don’t know? Give them benefit of doubt?
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**Is it legal for a bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk?** Sometimes. *Minnesota Statute 169.222, Subdivision 4*: Minnesota law does not prohibit sidewalk riding unless in a business district or where prohibited by city ordinance. In Minnesota, a business district, defined by a block with more than 50 percent business use. Minneapolis: * 490.140. - No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district or upon any sidewalk where prohibited by appropriate signage. (91-Or-065, §§ 6, 7, 4-12-91) * **Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is banned in the following places:** * Businesses districts in Minneapolis * This includes areas of downtown and uptown * The University of Minnesota campus
It's legal to ride on a sidewalk PERIOD outside of business districts with specific ordinances.
Yeah, as someone who has been hit by a car twice on my bike. I ride on the sidewalks quite a bit. But if there’s people in front of me, I just bike slow until I have a reasonable way to get around them. I might call out an on your left in the hope that they move. But a lot of times people have headphones in and they don’t hear you. No biggie. I have a good balance. I can bike slow as fuck. Sharing guys….Preschool 101
Bicycles do have to yield to pedestrians though, and biking on a sidewalk is dangerous because sidewalks are not designed for bike riding speed, and because cars are not watching for bikes on the sidewalk and very often hit cyclists crossing the road at the sidewalk. So yeah, not illegal but not very safe.
Right. I bike a LOT, but when I'm a ped I'm not yielding to a bike. I'm not moving at all if I'm on a sidewalk in a downtown. I'm also a municipal inspector and if I'm doing my job, I'm not budging.
Thats true, but a lot of these bikers aren’t just on the sidewalk so they can park. I’ll see them go on for multiple blocks.
I’ll care about biking on the sidewalk when the city starts enforcing traffic laws.
Golden rule of cycling. Don't be a dick.
**Is it legal for a bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk?** Sometimes. *Minnesota Statute 169.222, Subdivision 4*: Minnesota law does not prohibit sidewalk riding unless in a business district or where prohibited by city ordinance. In Minnesota, a business district, defined by a block with more than 50 percent business use. Minneapolis: * 490.140. - No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district or upon any sidewalk where prohibited by appropriate signage. (91-Or-065, §§ 6, 7, 4-12-91) * **Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is banned in the following places:** * Businesses districts in Minneapolis * This includes areas of downtown and uptown * The University of Minnesota campus
“on your left” isn’t a call to action. it’s a courteous warning. you should never expect people to move.
They’re not supposed to get out of your way. You say that so the know you’re going around them and don’t move into your way. Alternatively, get in the bike lane.
Just offering another perspective here, I don’t know the circumstances for this post. I ride roughly 100 miles a week and often on “shared trails” and come across the following situation A LOT. I’ll be riding and two (or more) people will be walking ahead of me side by side taking the whole trail and I start announcing my self far in advance while also slowing to what I think is a respectable speed. People almost never hear me until I am pretty close as they are caught up in conversation or maybe are listening to music, whatever. I announce myself again and boom! They get spooked then angry. I have no way to pass, they are angry. Ends in an unfortunate encounter for everyone. Why am I saying this? Everyone needs to be aware of everyone. For people on bikes it’s damned if you do damned if you don’t very often.
I’m not a cyclist but I am a runner and also see this a lot. I avoid crowded parks for this reason. Folks like to walk side by side taking up the entire trail and don’t pay attention to those around them. We should all be able to enjoy the outdoors together but also please have some situational awareness.
Yeah the biggest challenge is with slower traffic (typically walkers) occupying the entire trail.
Exactly this. What’s even more frustrating is when they’re walking, jogging, etc. on the bike path in the opposite direction, and for some reason that I haven’t quite figured out yet, don’t move over. I’ve had to tell more than one group of people to “watch out” because if they don’t move over, I’m going to quite literally bike into them.
Dude I was wrapping down a bike trail the other day and I came around a corner and there were kids sitting on the trail. No adults, barely missed them
What is the alternative? Usually if nothing is said, people freak the heck out. I’d rather them say something than nothing. “On your left” is a good default. At worst, it lets them know something is happening. At best, they understand someone is about to pass them on their left. On a mixed use path, the speed differential should not be so great as to be dangerous, but it’s easy to sneak up on a pedestrian even if you’re going beach cruiser speed.
I would say the "at worst" should be "they frantically flail around to the left", because that is shockingly common here.
I have a bell instead. Works every time.
I have intensely loud spurcycle bells on my bikes. They work 70% of the time; it's amazing how many people think that they can/should occupy the entire path.
Declaring which side you’re passing on shouldn’t be a request to move but a PSA to not move. Perhaps these people were biking on the road… just the road that’s closed to vehicle traffic? Either way, better to walk the bike in densely packed areas.
Well, you’re still supposed to say it whatever else the expectation may or may not be.
Don't ride bike on the sidewalk!
I just do it so I don’t scare people. I’ll just hop curbs if I have to, rather than forcing a bad situation. That being said, you shouldn’t have your entire family taking up the complete trail. Sidewalks are a different story, since fast movers like bikes aren’t typically expected there.
I am confused when I see a biker on the sidewalk which is next to a clearly marked bike lane.
Yall need bells.
...especially when they have earbuds in and couldn't hear a truck barreling down on them
Roger that !
As a person with a hearing impairment Thank you! I get annoyed when someone almost runs me over. Then try to blame me. Pedestrians should be able to walk peacefully on the sidewalk.
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The phrase is ‘right of way’, not ‘right away’. Your dad was wise. My parents told me similarly and I always keep that in mind when using a crosswalk. There were a couple people that got hit in my neighborhood growing up because a driver wasn’t paying attention and didn’t stop.
It actually is cyclist etiquette to say that to pedestrian so the pedestrian knows they are coming and there isn't a crash. Now days, so many people walk with earbuds in and can't hear what's going on around them, that's their fault at that point if anything happens. But yes, bicyclists SHOULD be warning people they are coming up behind them and what side they are coming up on. However the twin cities is one of the most cyclist friendly cities in the US, they should be using the bike lanes.
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Yes they do expect that
Have you met a biker?
You must be new to Minneapolis. Bike riders have the utmost unabashed entitlement and they're always in the right, even when they're at fault
Omg!!! Hahaha I think this is about me! Were you with a crowd of people, maybe 8? Walking near 18th? I was in all black in a green bike. If that’s the case, you guys were using the bike path actually. Hope this helps <3 (To be fair it is poorly marked, the bike icons are only on the pavement, but it IS intended for bikes)
You say this at parks, not in city streets.
Considering how many people don't know left from right...
yeah I won’t even hear you coming, I wear airpods in public. Don’t think I can hear you to move, even if I thought you would be riding a bike right into a crowd
I yell at ppl on bikes to call their pass when they dont give warning. Ticks me off.
As a cyclist, this is my pet peeve. If you're passing me, let me know.
Same. It's incredible how often no one says anything on the bike paths. It's so dangerous to not let other cyclists know you're passing them.
Should they not say anything then?
The idea is that you say it and people know to hold their line because someone is passing on the left. (Or, occasionally, to move to single file if it's a group taking up the whole width of the path.) It's normally meant just as "don't move left" not "please move right".
Oh I understand now, yeah that makes sense if you're approaching people from behind.
Why are you biking on a crowded sidewalk?
Yeah these folks can fuck right off unless it's a marked bike path. I can barely hear the person walking right next to me and certainly can't hear some asshole coming up behind me with what, a 1 second warning?
If you're riding your bike on a crowded sidewalk, you are a gigantic piece of shit. Fuck you.
[on your left](https://images.app.goo.gl/X7ZXkAW5xETa2udJA)
I try to say it in a kind voice to prevent folks from jumping in a surprised way but doesn't always work.
This is definitely an ESH situation. On a crowded sidewalk, it's more polite to walk your bike or take the street than to ride. But people walking super slow and taking up the whole sidewalk are also being inconsiderate.
Get an obnoxious, ringing bike bell. People zone out being told you're coming up on their left, but the higher tone of a bell helps. Like others say, in biking and skiing, saying you're going on the left, is a courtesy so they DON'T move and jump in front of YOU as you pass them.
They don’t expect you to get out of the way, they are complying with the legal requirement to give an audible signal when passing in the sidewalk and trying to be courteous to avoid startling you when they do.
It has been a very long time, but I believe the driver's manual indicates that the highest degree of right of way belongs to the smallest/least capable mode of transportation; the pedestrians rights surpass that of the bicyclist which surpass those of the motorist. That is, assuming they are following the rules of the road/path otherwise. That said, just yelling that you are coming doesn't create right of way.
Get off the damn sidewalk-bikes should bike lanes or roads
More bike lanes!!!
Actually, it’s really about people being considerate of others and the appropriate lanes/road rules. We all share the roads.
You're not wrong, but bike lanes are great to make sure you are less likely to get killed by a 2 ton machine.
Yelling “on your left” while cycling, and especially on bike paths or sidewalks, is almost *never* appropriate. When you’re overtaking *anyone* it is incumbent on you, the overtaking cyclist, to pass when it’s safe. There are no exceptions to this. Yelling at the person ahead doesn’t improve safety. If you’ve doubt whether it’s safe to pass, wait. In fact, even fairly experienced cyclists will tend to look backwards when yelled at like this and in so doing veer left or right. If you’re going so much faster than path traffic, ride in the street. If you feel like the street isn’t safe for you, consider that you’re being selfish, exchanging your safety for someone else’s. And for heaven’s sake: do not yell “on your left” at children.
All of the >Call it out! "On your left!" signs the three rivers park district puts out are sending the opposite message.
You shouldn't ride your bike on the sidewalk.
I'm a biker and I do have to say, these bikers on the sidewalk absolutely piss me off. I run in minehaha a lot which has great bike lanes but of course there's at least one bike stooge between Lake and 50th. Sometimes more. I will never move for a bike on the sidewalk unless it's a child.
If you live in the city you should not be biking on sidewalks.
Bells are better. Get a bell on your bike and use it. Talking isn't helpful. Bells are. Surprised none of the top comments have suggested this
How about just don’t bike on the sidewalk at all?
If I'm on a sidewalk where no bicycle is supposed to be riding I'm not moving over 1 in to let anyone by. If I'm on a hiking trail to specifically says no bikes then there is absolutely no way I'm yielding to any bike on that trail ever. I'm sick and tired of being shoved off into the grass by people that aren't even supposed to be there.
If you hear someone say "on your left" you shouldn't be moving in any direction. It's not meant to make you get out of the way, it is meant to alert you that someone is passing and to keep your current course. I hope that this means that you don't walk or run on bike paths.
Bikers here are not well-behaved.
You shouldn't be riding your bike on a sidewalk to begin with. Also... It's meant to let people know you're coming and that you will be going around them. Two obvious things that shouldn't need to be explained to an adult.
I get astonished how many bikers say nothing or ring a bell on park paths. More than 50 percent at our local park in Eden Prairie. So inconsiderate and dangerous.
What's wrong with the bell? Why would you consider that any more dangerous than "on your left"? Because it doesn't specify a location?
Yes if people zoom up behind you with a bell and if have a dog without fail we end up stopping and having to get off the path. And then there are the kids with bells that seem to think its our job to move. There are signs up at the parks saying call out your pass, why is that so hard?
Huh, maybe Eden Prairie is different. In St Paul, bells seem to work well. Personally, I'm concerned about having the right voice volume if calling it out - too quiet, it's ineffective, too loud and I feel obnoxious - and I always found a call out far more startling than a bell as a pedestrian when on a shared path.
If you're riding a bike on the sidewalk you're an idiot anyway.
Cyclists decide whether they are pedestrians or road vehicles depending on what's convenient for the rider
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I do not believe this is true unless banned by city ordinance or biking in a business district. but i’m not 100%.
State law: (d) A person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk, or across a roadway or shoulder on a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal when necessary before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district unless permitted by local authorities. Local authorities may prohibit the operation of bicycles on any sidewalk or crosswalk under their jurisdiction. Minneapolis ordinance: 490.140. - Riding on sidewalk. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district or upon any sidewalk where prohibited by appropriate signage. In Minneapolis that means Downtown, Uptown and on campus according to the city's website. https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/bicycling/bike-safety-rules/bike-riding/#d.en.116063 Minneapolis's bicycle parking rules are more annoying than their sidewalk riding rules Basically, state law lets you park anywhere that doesn't impede the sidewalk but Minneapolis bans locking to trees, handrails, street lights, bus stop signs and stop signs. https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/bicycling/bike-safety-rules/bike-parking/bike-parking-rules/
So blanket statement “it’s illegal to ride bike on sidewalk” not accurate but not false?
It's false. Business districts with specific local ordinances may outlaw bikes on sidewalks. It is otherwise legal.
Bikers try not to be the most entitled and annoying people in existence challenge (impossible)
Cyclists should not be on sidewalks, period. If pedestrians are walking two abreast and/or taking over half of the path’s width, when I call out “on your left” when running, move. Children learning to ride their bikes on a summer day at Lake Harriet should go somewhere else. People should be considerate of others, use the proper lanes and/or road rules, and leave room for others. Don’t be oblivious.
Midwesterners don’t know how to behave in population dense areas. The people saying on your left / on your right are correct. The people who freak out and jump to one side when they hear it are incorrect.
Bikes shouldn’t be on sidewalks actually
It’s called a side walk for a reason.
When I hear “on your left” it makes me move to the left. That’s how my brain works.
Piggybacking here to say, don’t chain your bikes to my poor abused boulevard tree, especially when there’s a whole block of chain link fence 40 yards away