There have been two recent letters to the editor addressing the issue of encounters between pedestrians and bicyclists. I agree with both authors that whenever pedestrians and bicyclists interact, they should be courteous to each other. However, those encounters should really only occur at intersections due to one important fact.
It is against the law for a person over the age of 12 to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in the city of Muncie. Muncie Code, Section 74.10, subsection I, states that "no bicycle shall be operated upon any sidewalk in the city unless otherwise designated, except those operated by persons 12 years of age or less. These persons, however, shall yield the right-of-way to any and all pedestrians." It is a good law and is common throughout the United States.
Some may say that McKinley is too narrow for bicyclists to ride on, but that is not actually true. McKinley is simply too narrow for a bicycle and a car to share at the same time. Section 74.10, subsection A, says: "A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right-hand side of the road as reasonable and prudent." Notice that it doesn't say as close as possible. It is neither reasonable nor prudent for a bicyclist to ride so close to the edge of McKinley that he gives the following cars the impression that they have room to pass when they do not.
Finally, Section 74.02 tells us that "every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall have all of the rights and all of the duties under the provisions of this title applicable to the driver of a vehicle..."
So get off of the sidewalk and get onto the street. You have a right to be there, and you have a right to use as much of the lane as necessary to ensure your own safety.
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