•Ride on the Street – You have a right to ride on the street. You are NOT required to ride on the sidewalk. For the most part, bicycle riders have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicle drivers. CVC 21200
•Take the Lane – If a travel lane is too narrow to safely share side by side with a motor vehicle, you can prevent unsafe passing by riding near the center of the lane. The law says that people who ride bikes must ride as close to the right side of the road as practicable with some exceptions.
•Obey All Signs, Street Markings, and Signals – Bicycle riders must obey the same rules as vehicle drivers. This includes stopping at red lights and stop signs. CVC 21200
•Look and Yield Before You Go – You must yield to traffic before entering the roadway. CVC 21804
•Ride With Traffic, Not Against It – You must ride on the right half of the roadway, with the flow of traffic. CVC 21650
°Exception: you can ride on either the left or right side of one-way streets.
•Ride Outside the Door Zone – It’s the responsibility of motor vehicle drivers to make sure it’s clear before opening a door. Despite this, a practical guide is to ride at least 3 feet from parked cars. CVC 22517
•Ride to the Right, But Within Limits – When riding slower than the normal speed of traffic, you are required to ride as far right as “practicable” (meaning safe). You are not required to ride as far right as possible, which may not be safe. You are allowed, but not required, to ride on the shoulder. CVC 21202, CVC 21650, CVC 21650.1
•Signal and Yield When Moving Left or Right – Use hand signals to indicate when you are turning, changing lanes, or stopping. Move left or right only when it’s clear to do so. CVC 22107, CVC 22111
•Use the Bike Lane, But Leave It When Needed – When riding slower than the normal speed of traffic, you must ride in the bike lane in the same direction as adjacent traffic. You can leave the bike lane to pass another bicyclist or a vehicle blocking the lane, to make a left turn, to avoid debris or hazards, or where a right-turning vehicle might cut you off. You must check before leaving the bike lane to make sure it can be done with “reasonable safety.” CVC 21208
°If you’re blocked in the bike lane, you can call LADOT at (213) 485-4184 or (818)374-4823 to report what is blocking you. Once you’re off your bike, you can fill out LACBC’s form at la-bike.org/blocked in as much detail as possible to help us gather data on what’s blocking Angelenos while riding in the bike lane.