A past post at LADOT Bike Blog adressed sidewalk riding in Los Angeles, prompting reader Joe Linton to ask about the legal status of sidewalk riding in the other cities in Los Angeles County. Even though LADOT – Bikeways jurisdiction ends at the Los Angeles city limits, we understand that our readers bike all over the county. To immerse ourselves solely in Los Angeles-centric issues, without considering what is going in neighboring cities, would be an immense disservice. Bicyclists have no qualms with passing over city lines, and neither should we.
To that end, LADOT Bike Blog will compile sidewalk riding rules for every city in LA County. That’s right, we’re going to wade through all the ordinances and municipal codes on this here blog so you don’t have to. We’ll eventually compile all the results into a handy-dandy spreadsheet for easy reference and maybe even a color-coded map (!!!). If that’s not love, we don’t know what is.
PART 1: The City and inner-ring suburbs
(Ed. Note: Though we’ve linked directly to the municipal code for each city, we’ve also included each chapter and section number for your convenience.)
(Ed. Note 2: This guide is the work of a Student Professional Worker for LADOT – Bikeways. The interpretation of sidewalk-riding ordinances in the cities of Los Angeles County constitute neither legal advice nor LADOT – Bikeways’s stance on sidewalk riding).
(Ed. Note 3: Whew! Let’s get on with it!)
Los Angeles – City:
The City has already been spoken for, but we’re more than happy to cover old ground. Riding on the sidewalk in the City is legal as long as you aren’t being dangerous. If you feel you must ride on the sidewalk, please be extra careful when navigating intersections, driveways, and alleyways. Bikeways, as always, encourages riders to take their rightful place in the street. LAMC Sec. 56.15 lays it out for you:
No person shall ride, operate or use a bicycle, unicycle, skateboard, cart, wagon, wheelchair, rollerskates, or any other device moved exclusively by human power, on a sidewalk, bikeway or boardwalk in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.
Los Angeles – County:
For all those unincorporated slices of LA County, riding your bike on the sidewalk is not allowed. Check out Sec. 15.76.080:
A person shall not operate any bicycle or any vehicle or ride any animal on any sidewalk or parkway except at a permanent or temporary driveway or at specific locations thereon where the commissioner finds that such locations are suitable for, and has placed appropriate signs and/or markings permitting such operation or riding.
So make sure you keep your bike on the street whenever you duck into Universal City, East LA, or Marina Del Rey.
Beverly Hills:
Beverly Hills scattered their sidewalk riding regulations all over their municipal code. Sec. 5-5-8 says:
E. The operator of a bicycle shall not ride on the public sidewalk in any business district as prohibited by section 5-6-801 of this title;
So we flip to Sec. 5-6-801, which says:
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate, ride, or propel any bicycle, skateboard, roller skates or similar type device on the sidewalk in any business district. For purposes of this section, “business district” shall be defined as designated in section 235 of the state Vehicle Code
So then we have to look up section 235 of the California Vehicle Code(CVC), which says:
235. A “business district” is that portion of a highway and the property contiguous thereto (a) upon one side of which highway, for a distance of 600 feet, 50 percent or more of the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by buildings in use for business, or (b) upon both sides of which highway, collectively, for a distance of 300 feet, 50 percent or more of the contiguous property fronting thereon is so occupied. A business district may be longer than the distances specified in this section if the above ratio of buildings in use for business to the length of the highway exists.
Okay, so no sidewalk riding where 50% of the buildings are businesses. But! There’s more. “Business district” is further defined through Sec. 240 of the CVC, which says:
All churches, apartments, hotels, multiple dwelling houses, clubs, and public buildings, other than schools, shall be deemed to be business structures.
This makes sidewalk riding somewhat impractical anywhere other than single family home subdivisions. With all the types of buildings considered part of a “business district”, it’s hard to know when you are (and when you aren’t) in an area that allows sidewalk riding. Play it safe and stay on the street.
Glendale:
Glendale, with an ordinance similar to Beverly Hills, has no sidewalk riding in a business district(Sec. 10.64.025).
No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon any public sidewalk in any business district within the city except where such sidewalk is officially designated as part of an established bicycle route. Pedestrians shall have the right-of-way on sidewalks. The prohibition in this section shall not apply to peace officers on bicycle patrol.
This would also cover those extra buildings listed in Sec. 240 of the CVC, so be very careful if you choose to ride the sidewalk in Glendale. Biking in LA covered this thorny issue earlier in the year.
West Hollywood:
West Hollywood (Sec. 15.53.010) is more permissive than Glendale and Beverley Hills. You can ride your bike on the sidewalk, but there are several caveats. Sidewalk riding is only allowed where no bike lane is provided and you must ride with traffic. Yielding to all pedestrians is also required.
It is unlawful for any person to ride or operate a bicycle on or over any sidewalk or part of a sidewalk in the city when there is a designated bicycle lane in the adjoining street. Where there is no designated bicycle lane in the street, bicycle riders riding or operating a bicycle on the sidewalk shall travel in the same direction as traffic in the adjoining lane of traffic, shall yield to pedestrians and shall not ride in a wanton or reckless manner as to endanger any person or property.
Culver City:
Culver City is trickier in their wording on sidewalk riding. Let’s dive in to Sec. 7.04.250, shall we?
A. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within any business district or upon the sidewalk adjacent to any public school building, church, recreation center or playground or upon a walkway specifically designated by resolution of the City Council as closed to all vehicular or bicycle traffic.
B. Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and when overtaking and passing a pedestrian, after giving an audible signal, shall at all times pass to the left of such pedestrian.
Culver City is similar to Glendale and Beverly Hills, but their code has even more caveats with their inclusion of schools, rec centers and playgrounds as areas that also prohibit sidewalk riding. It would be hard to continually ride on the sidewalk in Culver City without committing an infraction. When you do ride on the sidewalk, make sure you pass pedestrians correctly.
Santa Monica:
Santa Monica is a n0-no for sidewalk riding. It is very clearly not allowed (Sec. 3.12.540):
(a) It shall be unlawful to ride a bicycle or to coast in any vehicle upon any public sidewalk, except as provided for in Section 3.12.550. It shall be unlawful to ride a bicycle or to coast in any vehicle in any public parking structure.
Well, what about Sec. 3.12.550? It only deals with the bike path on the beach promenade. Bummer.
Inglewood:
Inglewood does not allow sidewalk riding for any type of vehicle (Sec. 3-22):
Except for members of the Police Department and Recreation, Parks and Community Service Department, it shall be unlawful to operate a vehicle, bicycle, wagon or other moving device within any sidewalk area or any parkway except at a permanent or temporary driveway. A “temporary driveway” for the purposes of this section is defined to mean a crossing or driveway suitable planked or otherwise protected to prevent injury to the curb or sidewalk.
To wrap up:
Sidewalk Riding is allowed
- LA City
- West Hollywood (with extra rules)
Sidewalk Riding is not allowed
- LA County
- Inglewood
- Santa Monica
Sidewalk Riding is not allowed in “business districts”, among other rules
- Glendale
- Beverly Hills
- Culver City
Next week, we’ll tackle the Valley as well as North and West LA County. Ride safe out there!
Thanks, this is a big help. When I first started commuting to work on my bike, I found it very difficult to figure out just what sidewalks I could ride on. I commute to Burbank and so asked a police officer for clarification (apparently it’s okay in Burbank as long as I’m giving peds the right of way and not riding dangerously… but I’ll wait to see what you turn up). I don’t like riding on the sidewalk but sometimes it’s the safest way to go (like when the streets are narrow and overly-wide trucks are parked up and down the block). I’d much prefer having more bike lanes or sharrows. Thanks again.
Thanks, Kevin.
We think you’ll be pretty amused when we get to Burbank in next week’s installment. Let’s just say … it’s not as simple as the officer made it out to be.
I think they should change all sidewalks to bike lanes……just kidding. Don’t ride them much except to cheat to get someplace faster. But it’s good to be informed about other cities around LA.
While sidewalks seem safe, they are usually problematic. Drivers are even less likely to look for bicyclists on the sidewalk than on the road when making right or left turns. Also, drivers exiting driveways or blind alleys often fail to look for bicyclists on the sidewalk before pulling out into the street. A bicyclist approaching a blind alley on the street has a better angle to spot an exiting driver as well as more room (a sidewalk’s worth of room, actually) to maneuver or hit the brakes in order to avoid said driver.
Great post. This is such a complicated area; people are always asking me about the legality of sidewalk riding, and it’s almost impossible to answer. You’ve done a great service here.
As you’ve pointed out, it’s seldom a good idea to ride on the sidewalk for more than just a short distance, since your risk of injury is significantly higher than on the street.
And someone should tell Santa Monica that the courts ruled in Amberger-Warren v. City of Piedmont that a sidewalk must be attached to a roadway; as a result, the beach bike path isn’t one, regardless of what their ordinance may say.
You’d be surprised by the types of things that slip through municipal codes simply because no one bothers to look. For instance, it’s technically against the law in Oakland to either crossdress in public or operate a pinball machine in a bar.
What about playing pinball in a bar while crossdressing? Or should I change my plans for the weekend?
I didn’t ask for this… I merely commented that you were incorrect in asserting that “most cities make sidewalk riding illegal” in your earlier post, if you didn’t actually know that for a fact.
Looks like 8 down, about 81 more to go…
I hope if you find that “most cities” don’t actually “make sidewalk riding illegal” you’ll correct your earlier post.
You may not have asked for it, but I sure am giving it to you.
You are absolutely correct, the mayor, city council, businesses; need to get on broad passing the new bike plan then implementing the bicycle infrastructure, and education. It will make the roads available for all transportation users in LA.
I’ve just one rant about the mayor.
The bike summit is meaning less…it will do nothing to put bicycle facilities on the ground in Los Angeles. The implementation of the bike plan will make the city a better place to ride but he needs to get more money for the city and influence the state and federal government to allocate funding for bicycle and ped facilities. I hope the mayor will start to invest time and money in bicycle infrastructure and agenda for the City of Los Angeles.
Right now when it comes to the bike summit and the mayor, I would like less talk, appeasement and more action. That said he is a politician and it is a step in the right direction for bicyclists in LA.
If you are a sidewalk rider..be safe out there.
What about Pasadena?
Pasadena comes in Part 5: Western San Gabriel Valley
Well, this is a big help indeed! And shouldn’t there be an app for that? Somebody in our bike community needs to get crackin.’
No good deed goes unpunished:
I’d also be curious about the legality of locking to a meter post. I was informed by none other that Ms. Mowery that it’s illegal in LA to lock to an ‘active’ meter post. Can I get confirmation on that, and maybe one of those city-by-city spreadsheets?
The ‘active’ phrase suggests after-hour meters are fine, and also perhaps broken meters…which suggests that we’re OK locking to about 15% of meters citywide. Unless and until they magically reset.
Ask, PlebisPower, and you shall receive:
Not a complete answer, but it’s a start.
[…] — LADOT Bike Blog offers Part 1 of a comprehensive look at where it is and isn’t legal to ride on the sidewalk in the L.A. area, with more to come; on the other hand, it’s usually not a good […]
Hey Chris! I am so glad for this comprehensive guide. I tried to study this back after the Thompson conviction on my UCLA blog, but obviously did not do this with nearly as much detail as you. Kudos!
Thanks Sirinya!
It’s been a lot of work, but it’s also been pretty rewarding.
[…] the head blogger at LADOT’s Bike Blog, has launched a multi-part series on sidewalk riding. Kudos to the intern, who is delving into municipal code to parse which municipalities permit […]
This is awesome, awesome, awesome post. Thanks for doing it!
Thanks, Steve. And thanks for the kind words on The Source.
I think cyclists need to be ticketed – those who ride on sidewalks like maniacs! They are putting others and themselves in serious danger.
The “sidewalk riding” rule should be: SLOW-DOWN OR PAY THE PRICE! :)
Lovely–and I’ll support that, as long as we start ticketing drivers for driving like maniacs too. And maybe pedestrians could also start looking around as they walk on a shared transportation segment such as a sidewalk instead of burying their heads in their cell phones? When and if I need to use a sidewalk on my bike (usually when I’m trying to navigate a particularly hairy intersection), I stay under 10mph and always give way to peds. But this doesn’t seem to matter, because no matter what I do or how I try to get their attention, even if I stop and put my foot down so I’m not moving, they still run into me because their buried in their cell phones.
Expecting pedestrians to suddenly stop burying their heads in their cellphones sounds like wishful thinking. If you’re going to ride on the sidewalk, legally or otherwise, I would think the onus is on you to do it in a manner that is safe for pedestrians– if you want them to notice you more, get a bell and use it! I walk my dogs on a long stretch of sidewalk in Culver City and just about every day I need to make way for someone silently cruising up behind me, usually too fast, on a bike, and the street I typically walk on has a clearly marked bike lane! I am also an avid cyclist and invariably I find riding on the street to be a better, safer option than using a sidewalk…
[…] Bike Blog Looks at Where It Is, and Isn't Legal to Ride on the Sidewalk (Part 1, Part […]
I just checked that Santa Monica has a different definition of a bicycle than California. Santa Monica requires that a bicycle either have at least one wheel greater than 20 inches in diameter, or a frame size 14 inches or greater — The California Vehicle Code has no such statement.
Does that mean if I am riding a folding bicycle, such as the Brompton (16-inch wheel size, 12-inch frame) that I can ride the bicycle on on a sidewalk? The CVC says I can ride a bicycle on a sidewalk unless a city says otherwise, and the Santa Monica code does not apply to my bicycle, by their size requirement.
My guess, David, (purely speculation, I might add) would be that you’d first have to get a ticket and take the city to court over it before you got a solid answer to that question.
David: IMO, a more meaningful question is: Can your bicycle HARM an innocent, defenseless pedestrian should you SLAM into them on the sidewalk? Or is the issue of a pedestrian’s safety important at all to you?
[…] 17, 2010 by ladotbikeblog So we’ve covered mid-town as well as the Valley, north county and west county. Today we’re taking a stroll down the […]
In a busy commercial area, there’s a narrow bit of sidewalk on Santa Monica Boulevard just as it turns from Los Angeles to Beverly Hills, opposite an empty lot. The walk there is very narrow, flanked on both sides by weeds.
Frequently, as I am walking a bicyclist will be barrelling down straight towards me without even a half-inkling that he (always a man) is going to even pull over to the side even a little. More than once (including today) I’ve had to almost dive out of the way, my legs being scratched by weeds. The most frightening experience I had was being passed so closely from behind (without warning) that the cyclist’s sleeve brushed my arm.
I don’t care if a bicyclist has to keep it “under 10 mph” – that’s a heck of a lot faster than I’m walking. I am a small woman and would do not relish the idea of being struck by a large man on a bicycle.
I’ve changed my route several times, but this continues to be a problem.
I don’t know what the solution is. Maybe this is just a rant.
[…] 25, 2010 by ladotbikeblog So far, LADOT Bike Blog has covered the rules for sidewalk riding in LA, the County, the Valley, north county, west county, and the beach/beach-adjacent towns of the south bay. […]
I feel that the narrow sidewalks in various spots through Los Angeles—such as the north walk along the parking lot that is Pershing Square, or the restaurant-overrun easements along Vermont in Franklin Hills (a case which prompted a rather gory wheelchair-laden man’s death on 25 August and of which I have a considerable portfolio of close-up photographs), amid countless other places—as well as the voluminous parking lots (258 public lots in downtown L.A.’s approximately 7-square miles; this is not considering the hundreds of private lots and structures in the very area) remains a topic that needs to be address well before the argument about the occasional bicycle on the sidewalk.
Bike advocates, I believe, have been distracted. The “Give Me 3 Feet” which Tony V recently helped to institute may be nice, yet the overwhelming car culture remains in place, the Metro bus/rail system remains a travesty and only a narrow demographic tend to ride bicycles—and only in a narrow selection of nabes.
I feel that the discussion of sidewalk riding in Los Angeles—with which I have been familiar here as well as NYC and elsewhere for a few decades—is akin to worrying about a splinter when what we need to fix is the pier.
Randall,
Thanks for your comment. We understand and acknowledge that Los Angeles needs to have a truly comprehensive approach toward transportation solutions. Growing the bicycling community is certainly one aspect of this approach, and we find that aiding this goal to be a worthy task. As the response by the bike community has been very positive towards this series, we see no reason to discontinue it in favor of something else.
[…] 31, 2010 by ladotbikeblog So far we’ve covered LA and environs, the Valley, the South Bay communities, and the Harbor Corridor. Today, we’re tackling […]
[…] 31, 2010 by ladotbikeblog So far we’ve covered LA and environs, the Valley, the South Bay communities, and the Harbor Corridor. Today, we’re tackling […]
Forgive my dumb newbie question here, but I’m kind of confused. :/ I just moved to LA and I’m unclear on the distinction between the city and the “unincorporated slices of the county.” I want to get a bike but I’ve never been a biker (I have been more of a public transit junkie in other cities) and am too scared to ride in the road right away. I’m in the Los Feliz/Silverlake area – what category does that fall under?
Welcome, Bex! All of Los Feliz/Silverlake is in the City of Los Angeles. The closest unincorporated areas to you are Universal City and East LA.
[…] – or even a misdemeanor. (In Beverly Hills it’s prohibited in the business district, which the LA Dot Bike Blog finds is too nebulous to define with any certainty. “Play it safe and stay on the street,” it […]
[…] Also have a look at the LA county SIDEWALK bike laws: LADOT Bike Blog Sidewalk Laws – for those of you who are like me and don’t put your complete trust in the metal death […]
[…] […]
[…] almost done! LADOT Bike Blog has covered everywhere in LA County (in parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) except the eastern San Gabriel Valley and the 605 corridor. Today, we’re […]
[…] cities and banned in others. And even legal in some areas of cities that ban it in others, such as Beverly Hills, which bans sidewalk riding only in business districts — even though BHPD bike officers routinely […]
And just as a little extra: its up to you to go in the road, in the bike lane or in the side walk, but you have to adjust to each. (ie if in the road/bike lane, you can cross if green light/stop in red, if in the sidewalk, you’d have to get a walk sign)
I was recently given a ticket in Los Angeles city for riding my bicycle on the sidewalk. I stated that there was no one on the sidewalk and the sheriff said that is not the point. I noticed later that he wrote moderate pedestrian traffic which was a lie. The citation number is 1018026 but I cannot find this. Do I have a chance of fighting this ticket. it is $156 and now it is also the principle.
re: I stated that there was no one on the sidewalk and the sheriff said that is not the point.
… Yes, the POINT is that, a pedestrian could suddenly appear from anywhere and your illegal use of the sidewalk poses a danger to a defenseless person (or animal). Personally, I don’t care if you or anyone rides on a sidewalk SO LONG AS you don’t harm a defenseless person who has a legal right to be there. But the cyclists that I tell about the law just tell me off or threaten me and keep on riding anyway. I am sorry the policeman lied on his report but that’s another sickening issue!
re: now it is also the principle.
… What “principle”? You were BREAKING THE LAW – PERIOD! The law does not state that it’s OK to ride on a sidewalk under such and such circumstances… and if it does…… then fight the ticket!
I recently wrote in about a sidewalk ticket. I realized they hit me with the county ticket even though I was in the city. I was on the sidewalk in the MTA orange line area. Do you know if that is considered county property because it belongs to MTA even though the location is in North Hollywood?
This is so good to have. I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into this. So can I look forward to seeing Venice and Marina del Rey posted soon? Specifically, that long stretch called Ocean Front Walk? My dogs and I have almost gotten taken out several times by wayward, rude cyclists. Despite signage dictating that bike riding on the sidewalk is not allowed, the cyclists are *never* ticketed and ignore the signs. Maybe if they got as many tickets for riding on the sidewalks and pathways that we dog owners get for having our dogs on the beach, eh?
A sidewalk is for WALKING; a bicycle is a MACHINE that belongs on the street with cars, motorcycle, trucks, and other machines. I fail to understand why parents with kids in strollers, handicapped people, elderly people, and other pedestrians who have a RIGHT to be on the sidewalk have to share that sidewalk with people who are essentially overgrown, entitled children.
And for the record, when a bicyclist surprises me on the sidewalk and puts my safety at risk, I reflexively shove them out of the way and OFF their bikes, which my lawyer has told me it is my right to do when a bicyclist moving at 15 or 20 miles per hour collides with me on a sidewalk.
In Los Angeles, main streets are often four lanes wide with an entire parking lane that can be used safely by bicyclists. The key is you have to PAY ATTENTION to traffic and not be yammering away on your cell phone as you pedal along, but if you can’t do that you shouldn’t be on the street, period.
Is it legal or illegal for someone to ride their bike on the “wrong side” of the sidewalk? In other words, going southbound on the sidewalk when their side of the street is northbound? This is VERY dangerous in my opinion and always a shock when I see a cyclist on on a sidewalk riding against traffic.
Hi Joanne,
The City of L.A. allows riding a bicycle on the sidewalk unless it is done “with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property”(LAMC 56.15). Sidewalk riding laws varies depending on what city you are in. The city of L.A.’s law makes no reference to a proper or legal direction to ride in.
re: “with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property”
…. But a very foolish or menacing cyclist can twist and turn that ruling any old way they wish to allow the cyclist to happily offend and threaten any pedestrian. Then, when an incident occurs, it’s the pedestrian’s word against the offending cyclist’s word! IMO, self defense is a pedestrian’s best solution to the stupidity and/or mean intentions of a cyclist bully.
[…] in the gutter, with serious wounds. It got so bad in LA, that there is now a law on the books that lets riders use the sidewalk in some LA metro areas. The fact is, people don’t look out for us bikers and this is a threat […]
Yes, I was a biker once and had many sad encounters with ignorant motorist but I never considered that my safety was MORE IMPORTANT than a pedestrian’s safety so I could therefore use the (pedestrian’s) sidewalk instead of the road. Is it really a matter of who’s safety matters the most = the cyclist or the pedestrian? I learned to “deal” with bad drivers and not turn to endangering innocent pedestrians since they were just a entitled to safety as me.
[…] LA County Sidewalk Riding: Part1 | LADOT Bike Blog Generally, sidewalk riding is looked down upon no matter what the law is. Sidewalk riding can actually be more dangerous than riding with traffic. Is it Safe to Ride on the Sidewalk? | Culver City Bicycle Coalition […]
Is it okay to ride on the sidewalks in valley glen and sherman oaks?
Do not ride your bike on the sidewalk in Glendale! Officers here are very much enforcing the law.
Today a cyclist hit my husband’s Guide Dog in downtown L.A. speeding around the corner on the sidewalk at 7th and Flower. The bikes should not be allowed on the sidewalks there.
[…] pedestrians on sidewalks. Remember, even if there is no bike lane, every lane is a bike lane. See this post from LADOT for more information about riding on […]