From: josh@Happy-Man.com (Joshua_Putnam)
Subject: Re: Bike paths (FROM Re: Cycling and Environmentalism)
Reply-To: Joshua_Putnam@happy-man.com
Organization: Happy Man Corp., Vashon Island, WA 98070-7399
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 19:21:41 GMT

In <1992Dec29.044236.16394@eng.umd.edu> gsurbeck@eng.umd.edu (Gregory D. Surbeck) writes:

>Some states have laws requiring a vehicle to pull off the road if more
>than 5 cars are lined up behind it and it is not doing the speed
>limit.  The state of Washington, on the Olympic peninsula which has
>heavy truck (weight not necessarily numbers of trucks) traffic, has
>posted signs asking truck drivers to pull to the shoulder if they can
>not maintain the speed limit (on steep hills, for example)
>	Owning a mountain bike, I can pull onto a very rough shoulder
>even at (for me) high speeds without too much concern about destroying
>my bike.  A slim-tired road bike rider does not have that option.
>Thus he is breaking the law.  

Such a cyclist is in fact complying fully with the law.
The relevant sections from the RCW follow:

"RCW 46.61.770  Riding on roadways and bicycle paths. 
  (1)  Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a 
rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the 
particular time and place shall ride as near to the right side 
of the right through lane as is safe except as may be 
appropriate while preparing to make or while making turning 
movements, or while overtaking and passing another bicycle or 
vehicle proceeding in the same direction. [....] "

"RCW 46.61.427  Slow moving vehicle to pull off roadway.  
  On a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe because of 
traffic in the opposite direction or other conditions, a slow 
moving vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed 
in a line, shall turn off the roadway wherever sufficient area 
for a safe turn-out exists, in order to permit the vehicles 
following to proceed.  As used in this section a slow moving 
vehicle is one which is proceeding at a rate of speed less 
than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and 
place."


You'll note that the law specifically requires the bicyclist to
make room for other traffic only where it is safe to do so.  Pulling
off the road where it is dangerous to do so isn't required, and
might even constitute recklessness.  It's certainly more
dangerous than staying in the traffic lane as the law specifies.

If there is a real problem with slow cyclists creating dangerous 
traffic situations, the road can be brought up to legal standards 
or, if it is a limited-access highway (e.g. I-5, I-90) it can be 
closed to bicyclists: 

"RCW 46.61.160  Restrictions on use of limited-access highway -
- Use by bicyclists.
  The department of transportation may by order, and local 
authorities may by ordinance or resolution, with respect to 
any limited-access highway under their respective 
jurisdictions prohibit the use of any such highway by funeral 
processions, or by parades, pedestrians, bicycles or other 
nonmotorized traffic, or by any person operating a motor-
driven cycle.  Bicycles may use the right shoulder of limited-
access highways except where prohibited.  The department of 
transportation may by order, and local authorities may by 
ordinance or resolution, with respect to any limited-access 
highway under their respective jurisdictions prohibit the use 
of the shoulders of any such highway by bicycles within urban 
areas or upon other sections of the highway where such use is 
deemed to be unsafe.
  The department of transportation or the local authority 
adopting any such prohibitory regulation shall erect and 
maintain official traffic control devices on the limited 
access roadway on which such regulations are applicable, and 
when so erected no person may disobey the restrictions stated 
on such devices."

For the most part, bicycles pose such small risks that highways,
including interstates, are open to cyclists in most of
Washington.
-- 
 Joshua_Putnam@happy-man.com    Happy Man Corp.  206/463-9399 x102
 4410 SW Pt. Robinson Rd., Vashon Island, WA  98070-7399  fax x108
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