It’s been a long, long road in the quest for sidewalk riding laws in the cities of LA County. If you’re a glutton for punishment, you can check out parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of LA County Sidewalk Riding. Today, in our final installment of “LA County Sidewalk Riding”, we’re covering the rules of the road (er, sidewalk) in the eastern half of the San Gabriel Valley.
(Ed. note: Before we get started, let’s just make clear that all the same disclaimers from Part 1 still apply. Good? Good.)
Bradbury:
Throughout Bradbury’s 310 page municipal code, nary a mention is made towards the legality of sidewalk riding.
Azusa:
Finally! Some municipal code language dealing with sidewalk riders! Sec. 74.83 says:
(a)No person shall ride or propel a bicycle, skateboard or other wheeled toy upon any sidewalk in front of any church, school or place of public assembly while persons are entering or leaving such place of public assembly or while such assembly is in progress.(b)No person shall ride or propel a bicycle, skateboard or other wheeled toy upon the public sidewalk in front of a business or office or in a shopping center.(c)Prior to the enforcement of subsection (b) of this section, a sign clearly visible to members of the public shall be posted.(d)Where the use of a bicycle, skateboard or other wheeled toy is permitted on a sidewalk, the rider shall give the right-of-way to pedestrians.
This language slides solidly into the “Business District” camp.
Duarte:
Sidewalk riding is not allowed in Duarte. They went with LA County’s code. Sec. 11.04.010:
There is adopted by reference that certain code known and designated as “Title 15, Vehicles and Traffic” of the county of Los Angeles, as amended to January 1, 1984. Such code, hereinafter referred to as the “county traffic ordinance,” shall be and become the traffic code of the city regulating matters concerning traffic within the city.
Irwindale:
The trend continues in Irwindale. Sec. 10.52.090 says:
No person shall ride, or park or leave a bicycle upon any sidewalk. The rider of a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as nearly as practicable within five feet of the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except when passing a standing vehicle or making a left-hand turn at an intersection.
No dice. Off the sidewalk with you.
Baldwin Park:
Search where you like in the Baldwin Park Municipal Code, it doesn’t utter a peep regarding sidewalk riding.
Industry:
Surprisingly, Industry doesn’t have their municipal code available online.
La Puente:
Continuing the trend in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, La Puente has no language in their municipal code covering sidewalk riding.
West Covina:
While West Covina has explicit restrictions for skateboards and rollerskates on sidewalks, there is no language given for bicycles.
Covina:
Finally some clear language. Covina is another “business district” city. Sec. 10.52.002:
No person shall use or operate any bicycle or wheeled toy upon any sidewalk in a business district or adjacent to any place of public assembly.
Glendora:
You can ride your bike on the sidewalk in Glendora unless signage tells you otherwise. Sec. 10.17.040:
Public agencies may designate any public roadway, sidewalk, parking lot, or other public property as a no skateboarding, roller-skating, bicycling or similar activity area by the posting of appropriate signage in accordance with Section 10.17.050 of this chapter.
San Dimas:
San Dimas looks to be in the clear – except for one little quirk. Sec. 10.18.020:
No person shall use or operate any bicycle or wheeled toy upon any wooden sidewalk.
That’s right, don’t you dare take that bike on a … wooden … sidewalk.
Walnut:
Walnut does not allow sidewalk riding. They also adopted LA County’s traffic code. Sec. 3.16-1:
Reference is hereby made to Ordinance No. 6544 of the County of Los Angeles, known as “The Traffic Ordinance,” being an ordinance regulating traffic upon public highways and repealing Ordinances No. 2177, 3549, 3922 and 6383 of the county.County Ordinance No. 6544, known as “The Traffic Ordinance,” is hereby adopted and approved as the Traffic Code of the city.
Diamond Bar:
Sidewalk riding is also prohibited in Diamond Bar. Rather than adopting LA County’s traffic code, they chose to spell it out themselves. Sec. 10.12.050:
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 city engineer finds that such locations are suitable for, and has placed appropriate signs and/or markings permitting such operation or riding.
Pomona:
Pomona seems to be another city that allows sidewalk riding through omission, as they expressly prohibit all other human-powered vehicles on the sidewalk(Sec. 58-602).
La Verne:
La Verne, like so many other cities on eastern San Gabriel, does not have any language on sidewalk riding.
Claremont:
The City of Claremont also has no language about sidewalk riding. How sad.
For one last time, here’s the big list! Now that it’s complete, LADOT Bike Blog will work on making a spreadsheet and map available outlining all the various sidewalk riding rules of LA County. Ride safe out there!
Sidewalk Riding is allowed
- LA City (except Venice boardwalk and posted business districts)
- West Hollywood (with extra rules)
- Burbank (though still unclear)
- Redondo Beach (unless there are signs)
- Commerce (with extra rules)
- San Marino (unless there are signs)
- Pasadena (with extra rules)
- La Mirada (unless there are bike lanes)
- Hawaiian Gardens (unless there are signs)
- Glendora (unless there are signs)
- San Dimas (unless you’re on a wooden sidewalk)
- Pomona
Sidewalk Riding is not allowed
- LA County
- Inglewood
- Santa Monica
- Palmdale
- Westlake Village
- Malibu
- Calabasas
- Manhattan Beach (unless you’re under 14)
- Lawndale
- Hawthorne
- Gardena (unless road is “hazardous”)
- Rancho Palos Verdes
- Paramount
- Lynwood
- Bell Gardens (never in a business district, only elsewhere if road is “hazardous”)
- Montebello
- Monterey Park
- La Cañada Flintridge
- Alhambra
- San Gabriel
- Rosemead
- Temple City
- Whittier
- Pico Rivera
- La Habra Heights
- Norwalk
- Cerritos
- Artesia
- Lakewood
- Duarte
- Irwindale
- Walnut
- Diamond Bar
Sidewalk Riding is not allowed in “business districts”, among other rules
- Glendale
- Beverly Hills
- Culver City
- Agoura Hills
- San Fernando
- Santa Clarita
- Lancaster
- El Segundo
- Hermosa Beach
- Torrance
- Lomita (with signage, after approval of the City Council)
- Long Beach
- Carson
- Compton
- South Gate
- Huntington Park
- South Pasadena
- El Monte
- Arcadia
- Monrovia
- Downey
- Santa Fe Springs
- Bellflower
- Azusa
- Covina
No Clear Language in the Municipal Code
- Hidden Hills
- Avalon
- Palos Verdes Estates
- Rolling Hills Estates (lacking sidewalks)
- Rolling Hills (no sidewalks at all)
- Signal Hill
- Cudahy (no municipal code available online)
- Maywood
- Bell (no municipal code available online)
- Vernon (no municipal code available online)
- South El Monte (no municipal code available online)
- Sierra Madre
- Bradbury
- Baldwin Park
- Industry (no municipal code available online)
- La Puente
- West Covina
- La Verne
- Claremont
[…] LADOT Bike Blog concludes its study of sidewalk riding in Los Angeles County with a look at the eastern San Gabriel Valley; evidently, the Claremont Cyclist is on his own. Streetsblog offers a photo tour of Long Beach’s […]
Nice photo. Is it a veiled comment on bike lane design?
i live on the Lavern Pomona border. everyday now I have to jump out of the way of a bike on the sidewalk. I am disabled and they go by very fast without warning. I have been hit once and the person just kept going. I have seen others get hit by a person riding a bike on the side walk and bruised up pretty bad…the person was thrown from the bike. He got up and jumped on his bike and kept going. If there is a law…please start enforcing it. If there is no law then this matter needs to be looked into for the safety of the public and to reduce City Liability.
Other than the growing bike problem, La Vern seems to be a very pleasant place to live. Keep up the Great work City Council and Law Enforcement :)
great!