San Jose Enacts 'Pedestrian Safety Zone'—Bans Bikes from Sidewalks

The city of San Jose has responded to concerns of seniors in the community by banning bikes from sidewalks a large swath of downtown near the convention center, City Hall, and San Jose State.

1 minute read

December 4, 2014, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Bicyclists will be kicked off the sidewalk in downtown San Jose, but only on a few streets -- a partial victory for seniors and other pedestrians who are scared of being hit by cyclists," reports Mike Rosenberg.

"After a year and a half of debate at City Hall and initial proposals to ticket sidewalk bicyclists on all downtown streets, the council instead decided to ban sidewalk bicycle riding on a few dozen blocks that largely have bike lanes….Exemptions would apply for kids 12 and younger and their guardians, cops and situations when bike lanes are blocked."

San Jose joins other California cities like San Diego and Palo Alto that have banned bikes on sidewalks in business zones. San Francisco and Oakland outlaw bikes on sidewalks entirely, according to the article.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014 in San Jose Mercury News

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