South Lake Tahoe is relatively flat in significant sections, combined with the cool alpine temps(short of icy paths), makes for a very desirable place to bike. Bicycle paths in Highland Woods are regularly used. Some improvements have occurred in the last year or so. Even more improvements are planned. Bicycling is getting better here, hopefully, it gets much better.

A few days ago when driving east on Highway 50 my passenger and I witnessed a bicyclist riding against the flow of traffic and approaching an intersection where a woman who appeared to be in her mid-40’s was making an eastbound right turn on to Highway 50. There was no traffic approaching in the slow lane so the woman began to turn out when the bicyclist rode directly in front of her car and was struck. Fortunately the woman’s car speed was very slow, and according to my passenger she stopped immediately, jumped out of her car with her cellphone in hand calling for help and when the bicyclist attempted to get up the woman motioned to them to remain on the ground. My wife had a similar incident when she was turning right off Johnson onto Al Tahoe when she had the green light. She had slowed and looked to her left to be certain that no one was possibly running the light and when she started to make her right turn a bicyclist on the wrong side of the street and against a red light rode directly in front of her car. She was able to screech to a halt but needless to say was extremely distressed over almost striking a cyclist with her car. And now, just a few days ago, I saw a bicyclist pulling a child carrier behind them riding on the wrong side of Highway 50 against the traffic.

I think the City’s Police Department needs to start issuing Administrative Citations to cyclists not following the rules of the road and perhaps if their disregard of the rules starts costing them some money they’ll start abiding by the law. These types of cyclists need to start assuming responsibility for their use of the road and the type of irresponsible bicycle riding I described above along with running through red lights is not only not acceptable but it’s extremely dangerous. Maybe other law-abiding cyclists would be willing to put some effort toward policing their own which would help make some of the non-cycling public a whole lot more supportive.

4-mer-usmc,

You are absoloutely correct. There is an epidemic of wrong-way bicycle riders in this community. As a long time bicycling advocate and well-traveled, responsible rider myself, I have never witnessed anything like this anywhere else. I too have seen a wrong-way rider stuck by an auto that was simply turinig right. I have been trying to understand “what the hell are they thinking”. This topic was even brought up at a recent TRPA sponsored bicycling workshop I attended.
One explaination that was suggested is cultural. Many Hispanics ride against traffic as it seems that is how they did it in their home country. However, this problem is not limited to Hispanics or even 20 somethings, I’ve seen all ages and stripes of bicycle riders doing this. As a responsible ‘with the flow of traffic’ rider, this both angers and scares me as I approach these knuckleheads . . especially in a striped and directional arrow marked bike lane. They are now not only putting me at risk of a collision (as almost happened recently with a wrong way rider at night with no lights), but also engendering an anti-bicyclist mindset among motorists. It has got to stop and education and strict enforcement are the answer. Perhaps with the busy summer traffic season behind us, police can pay more attention to this growing problem and write some citations.

I routinely ride west down the wrong side of rte. 50 because it is a short distance and I cannot get across easily or quickly. Sidewalks and bike paths are the best way to go. Then there is no wrong way in car traffic. As irate as many of the commenters are, these wrong way cyclists will never cause the damage that one drunk driver or red light running vehicle does. The better enforcement still needs to be directed toward the cars and trucks that routinely exceed the speed limit and run red lights.

Yes, dogula, the selfish attitude is that I want to stay alive to my destination. Do you think I’m really as harmful as much of the other selfishness present in this community and country? I am not a hazard to anyone at that early morning hour. When all of the laws in this community are enforced – speeding, running red lights, keeping all dogs on leashes all of the time unless allowed, no minors smoking cigarettes, no minors riding bicycles without helmets, no public drunkenness, no driving over the legal alcohol limit, no talking on cell phones or texting while driving (wow, do I see a lot of that going on!) then I’ll do my part to obey this law. My bicycle is hardly a one ton plus vehicle capable of doing extensive damage. If it was really a vehicle, then I would not be allowed to ride it on any of the bike paths, mountain bike trails or any other areas closed to vehicles. I don’t know where you came up with that crazy comparison or why so many drivers are taking it out on the cyclists. We are not the problem that causes the severe injuries to innocent others in this community.

John, there are no crosswalks nearby. There are none in many parts of town, none between ski run and al tahoe on pioneer, none between al tahoe and black bart on pioneer, none from black bart to the end of pioneer except for one in front of sierra house that cars rarely stop for. And there are none at the end of pioneer in meyers. There is also no access to the bike path from that end of Pioneer Trail, unless you want to go over the bushes. So really, I’m supposed to use a gps or some other app to find a crosswalk in this town? It’s easy to be on your high horse about crosswalks until you get out there and try to find one where you need it. And on the section I ride, there is less traffic and it is less scary than trying to go on the other side of 50 in the direction of car traffic. I don’t take a bike into wilderness, just like you probably don’t take dogs on national park trails. But that doesn’t make your dog a vehicle.
And if you can’t seen what is in your lane, you really shouldn’t be driving.

Dogula, I’m sure that law enforcement will come after me since I’m so much more of a risk to the public than drunk drivers, large vehicles running red lights, drivers talking on cell phones and on and one. Yes, you’ve convinced me that I am a much bigger risk to the general public than any of those. And don’t I need a license to operate a vehicle on public roads? Except my bicycle is not a vehicle, it’s just a bicycle. No directional lights needed, no smog inspection needed, no registration and insurance needed, no seat belt law, no vision test. Yes, it’s just a vehicle like any other except, except, except, except, except.

Is stealing a candy bar any less a theft than stealing your tv?
People who justify bad behavior because it’s “less bad” than what someone else does are morally bankrupt. There will ALWAYS be someone worse than you are.

Fish:
“When all of the laws in this community are enforced – speeding, running red lights, keeping all dogs on leashes all of the time unless allowed, no minors smoking cigarettes, no minors riding bicycles without helmets, no public drunkenness, no driving over the legal alcohol limit, no talking on cell phones or texting while driving (wow, do I see a lot of that going on!) then I’ll do my part to obey this law.”
So if that’s not a morally bankrupt attitude, I don’t know what is. Guess I won’t obey any laws I don’t like till ALL the laws are enforced all the time either. Ya right.

Dogula, you must think I am the worst of the worst in this town. Not all law violations are equal and not all attitudes are equal. I challenge you to find one person I have hurt by riding the wrong way on or on the sidewalk on one section of a busy and dangerous road. Or maybe you just have unlimited anger at anyone who doesn’t agree with you.

Biggerpicture:

Your assumption that I was suggesting the City’s Police force spend every minute focusing on unsafe bike riders in an aggressive fashion was incorrect. What I am suggesting, now that the tourist season has slowed, is that the City’s Community Service Officers (an adjunct to the Police Department that is NOT comprised of Patrol Officers, detectives, the Chief, etc., but with the authority to issue citations) begin issuing citations as time permits to individuals illegally riding bicycles on the wrong side of the street that place legally riding cyclists in danger and place motorists not expecting a bicycle to dart in front of their vehicle from the right in the position of harming or killing someone through no fault of their own.

I completely disagree with your comment that an individual who “put themselves into harms way WHETHER LAW ABIDING, or not, BE PREPARED TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS!” I know from personal experience that the unsuspecting motorist that becomes part of a tragedy of injury or death from someone else’s irresponsibility suffers tremendously. My nephew was placed in that unfortunate position in Menlo Park in January 1985 when immediately following the 49ers Superbowl victory over Miami at Stanford University a non-licensed, intoxicated, young motorcycle rider going an estimated 70 mph on El Camino lost control of the motorcycle he was riding and slid into the front of my nephews vehicle, killing himself and splattering his brain and body matter all over the front of my nephews car. My nephew had no culpability in that tragic accident but was the unsuspecting driver that to this day is forced to live with being an unwilling and unsuspecting participant of someone’s life ending in a tragic manner, where he had to just sit behind the wheel of his car and watch it happen.

My preference is to take a measured, proactive approach to something that may appear innocuous but can actually be dangerous, in an effort to help prevent injury or death, and to help prevent harm to totally innocent and unsuspecting victims.

I am very glad this discussion is happening. As we move toward creating a more bikeable / walkable community, this is an important issue that must be considered in planning infrastructure improvements.

The practice of so many people riding a bicycle against traffic in the street (an important distinction) is growing and creates stress for both drivers and legally riding cyclists. In order to address some of localgirl’s points, I think it would be instructive to clarify the difference between “vehicle” and “motor vehicle”. Webster (and the vehicle code) defines a vehicle as: ‘any means of transporting something from one place to another, as on wheels, tracks or runners; a conveyance’. That clearly makes a bicycle a vehicle. Just because it doesn’t weigh 2+ tons and have a motor is irrelevant. Period.

As for the issue of lack or crosswalks, unsafe auto drivers and danger in crossing Hwy. 50 in order to travel a short distance, I empathize with localgirl..to a point. For much of the length of Hwy 50 through SLT, there are side streets or multi use paths that provide an alternative to using 50. I routinely ride from Sierra Tract to Stateline and only travel 1/4 mile on or adjacent to Hwy 50. Yes, it’s a bit further that way, but much safer and more enjoyable. However, there are exceptions like crossings at Trout Creek and the Truckee River which require cyclists to be on the lake side in order to use the ‘bike’ path. Though I am firmly opposed to riding against traffic in the street, there are sections where I will use a section of paved or unpaved “sidewalk” to travel 1/4 mile or less if my destination is on the mountain side and both involve crossing the afore mentioned creeks / rivers. For instance, a trip to Grocery Outlet from the western edge of Sierra Tract (River St.) would require me to cross 4 lanes of Hwy. 50 with no signal just to go 1/8 of a mile and then re-cross 50 to access the store to be completely legal. So confronted with either taking a long detour, taking an unsafe and unnecessary risk, or riding against traffic over the bridge and on the dirt path (but NOT on the street), I choose the latter even though that is technically illegal. So as we upgrade our infrastructure to safely accommodate bikes, pedestrians, wheelchairs, etc., we need to look at these constrictions and re-design them with consideration for all modes of travel. In street design circles, this is known as “complete streets”..something we are sorely lacking.

In conclusion, there is only one scenario when riding against traffic is actually the reasonable option and that is on a country road with little or no shoulder and driveways / side streets that are widely spaced..like a 1/4 mile apart. . not every 50 feet or so like Hwy. 50. Riding against traffic with so many points of potential conflict is just an accident waiting to happen.