Bob’s Random Legal Wisdom: Bikes on the Sidewalk and the Law

By Bob Anderton

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Bikers Can Ride on the Bikes on the Sidewalk: Whether one can ride a bike on the sidewalk depends upon where that sidewalk is.

Bicyclists may ride on any sidewalk in Seattle provided they do so in a “careful and prudent manner.” (Seattle Municipal Code 11.44.120) In Bellevue, bicyclists can ride on the sidewalk unless doing so would “unreasonably inconvenience pedestrians.” (Bellevue Municipal Code 11.60.070)

In Spokane, bikers must stay off the sidewalks “within the retail zone of the congested district of the city,” but can ride on the sidewalks everyplace else. (Spokane Municipal Code 16.61.787.1)

Similarly, in Walla Walla, bikes are prohibited on the sidewalks in business districts. (Walla Walla Municipal Code 10.19.100)

Finding the Law: A relatively new website run by the Municipal Research Council, a state agency, makes it fairly simple to look up municipal codes for most cities in Washington. Rather than trudging down to the library and searching through pages of incomprehensible text, anyone with an Internet connection should be able to search for laws in most Washington cities. The site is www.mrsc.org/codes.aspx .

As you might expect to hear from a lawyer, being able to find legislation on a particular topic doesn’t mean that you can answer any legal question. Laws passed by the legislative branches of government are arranged in a relatively organized way in codes and regulations.

However, we are also governed by the common law, which is based upon historical decisions by judges. While judicial decisions are increasingly available on the web, accessing this information is difficult.

The Municipal Research Council and other sites have more and more judicial decisions on-line, however, I am not aware of any free service that provides reliable access to every potentially relevant decision.

This is why lawyers pay up to $900 per hour for comprehensive services like Westlaw and Lexis.

Additionally, using the common law is a lot like writing a book report. Lawyers (whether they admit it or not) read the decisions and look for language that supports their arguments. This takes skill. And this is why, despite the many lawyer jokes with some basis in reality, people with serious legal issues ought to consult with a lawyer.

Bob Anderton represents bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers who have been injured in collisions. He occasionally represents people who have been injured in unsafe places or those whose insurance companies have acted in bad faith. He is also a court-appointed settlement guardian ad litem.

Bob can be reached at (206) 262-9290 or bob@andertonlaw.com.

Content by Seattle Bicycle Lawyer Bob Anderton,
Washington Attorney at Law


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Bike Lawyer Bob Anderton Washington State Practice Areas
bicycle injuries, personal injury, wrongful death, products liability cases, accidents, crashes and collisions involving bikes, bicycles, fixies, tandems, scooters, skateboards, pedestrians, wheelchairs, mopeds, motor scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, and even the dreaded SUV. Unsafe premises, unsafe places, unfair insurance practices, bad faith, court-approved settlement guardian ad litem in King County, Housing Justice Project.

Bike Lawyer Stacie Bain Washington State Practice Areas
bicycle injuries, personal injury, wrongful death, products liability cases, accidents, crashes and collisions involving bikes, bicycles, fixies, tandems, scooters, skateboards, pedestrians, wheelchairs, mopeds, motor scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, and even the dreaded SUV. Unsafe premises, unsafe places, unfair insurance practices, bad faith, Elder Law Clinic.

Bob Anderton, Attorney at Law and Stacie Bain, Attorneys at Law: Anderton Law Office Bike Lawyers Serves Washington State
Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan. Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, and Yakima. Aberdeen, Airway Heights, Albion, Algona, Almira, Anacortes, Arlington, Asotin, Auburn, Bainbridge Island, Battle Ground, Beaux Arts Village, Bellevue, Bellingham, Benton City, Bingen, Black Diamond, Blaine, Bonney Lake, Bothell, Bremerton, Brewster, Bridgeport, Brier, Buckley, Bucoda, Burien, Burlington, Camas, Carbonado, Carnation, Cashmere, Castle Rock, Cathlamet, Centralia, Chehalis, Chelan, Cheney, Chewelah, Clarkston, Cle Elum, Clyde Hill, Colfax, College Place, Colton, Colville, Conconully, Concrete, Connell, Cosmopolis, Coulee City, Coulee Dam, Coupeville, Covington, Creston, Cusick, Darrington, Davenport, Dayton, Deer Park, Des Moines, DuPont, Duvall, East Wenatchee, Eatonville, Edgewood, Edmonds, Electric City, Ellensburg, Elma, Elmer City, Endicott, Entiat, Enumclaw, Ephrata, Everett, Everson, Fairfield, Farmington, Federal Way, Ferndale, Fife, Fircrest, Forks, Friday Harbor, Garfield, George, Gig Harbor, Gold Bar, Goldendale, Grand Coulee, Grandview, Granger, Granite Falls, Hamilton, Harrah, Harrington, Hartline, Hatton, Hoquiam, Hunts Point, Ilwaco, Index, Ione, Issaquah, Kahlotus, Kalama, Kelso, Kenmore, Kennewick, Kent, Kettle Falls, Kirkland, Kittitas, Krupp, La Center, La Conner, Lacey, LaCrosse, Lake Forest Park, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Lamont, Langley, Latah, Leavenworth, Liberty Lake, Lind, Long Beach, Longview, Lyman, Lynden, Lynnwood, Mabton, Malden, Mansfield, Maple Valley, Marcus, Marysville, Mattawa, McCleary, Medical Lake, Medina, Mercer Island, Mesa, Metaline, Metaline Falls, Mill Creek, Millwood, Milton, Monroe, Montesano, Morton, Moses Lake, Mossyrock, Mount Vernon, Mountlake Terrace, Moxee, Mukilteo, Naches, Napavine, Nespelem, Newcastle, Newport, Nooksack, Normandy Park, North Bend, North Bonneville, Northport, Oak Harbor, Oakesdale, Oakville, Ocean Shores, Odessa, Okanogan, Olympia, Omak, Oroville, Orting, Othello, Pacific, Palouse, Pasco, Pateros, Pe Ell, Pomeroy, Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Port Townsend, Poulsbo, Prescott, Prosser, Pullman, Puyallup, Quincy, Rainier, Raymond, Reardan, Redmond, Renton, Republic, Richland, Ridgefield, Ritzville, Riverside, Rock Island, Rockford, Rosalia, Roslyn, Roy, Royal City, Ruston, Sammamish, SeaTac, Seattle, Sedro-Woolley, Selah, Sequim, Shelton, Shoreline, Skykomish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Soap Lake, South Bend, South Cle Elum, South Prairie, Spangle, Spokane, Spokane Valley, Sprague, Springdale, St. John, Stanwood, Starbuck, Steilacoom, Stevenson, Sultan, Sumas, Sumner, Sunnyside, Tacoma, Tekoa, Tenino, Tieton, Toledo, Tonasket, Toppenish, Tukwila, Tumwater, Twisp, Union Gap, Uniontown, University Place, Vader, Vancouver, Waitsburg, Walla Walla, Wapato, Warden, Washougal, Washtucna, Waterville, Waverly, Wenatchee, West Richland, Westport, White Salmon, Wilbur, Wilkeson, Wilson Creek, Winlock, Winthrop, Woodinville, Woodland, Woodway, Yacolt, Yakima, Yarrow Point, Yelm, Zillah, and perhaps a few others.

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The following information is intended to assist humans find Washington Bike Law via machine enabled searches. There is no hidden text.

Bike Lawyer Bob Anderton Washington State Practice Areas
bicycle injuries, personal injury, wrongful death, products liability cases, accidents, crashes and collisions involving bikes, bicycles, fixies, tandems, scooters, skateboards, pedestrians, wheelchairs, mopeds, motor scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, and even the dreaded SUV. Unsafe premises, unsafe places, unfair insurance practices, bad faith, court-approved settlement guardian ad litem in King County, Housing Justice Project.

Bike Lawyer Stacie Bain Washington State Practice Areas
bicycle injuries, personal injury, wrongful death, products liability cases, accidents, crashes and collisions involving bikes, bicycles, fixies, tandems, scooters, skateboards, pedestrians, wheelchairs, mopeds, motor scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, and even the dreaded SUV. Unsafe premises, unsafe places, unfair insurance practices, bad faith, Elder Law Clinic.

Bob Anderton, Attorney at Law and Stacie Bain, Attorneys at Law: Anderton Law Office Bike Lawyers Serves Washington State
Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan. Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, and Yakima. Aberdeen, Airway Heights, Albion, Algona, Almira, Anacortes, Arlington, Asotin, Auburn, Bainbridge Island, Battle Ground, Beaux Arts Village, Bellevue, Bellingham, Benton City, Bingen, Black Diamond, Blaine, Bonney Lake, Bothell, Bremerton, Brewster, Bridgeport, Brier, Buckley, Bucoda, Burien, Burlington, Camas, Carbonado, Carnation, Cashmere, Castle Rock, Cathlamet, Centralia, Chehalis, Chelan, Cheney, Chewelah, Clarkston, Cle Elum, Clyde Hill, Colfax, College Place, Colton, Colville, Conconully, Concrete, Connell, Cosmopolis, Coulee City, Coulee Dam, Coupeville, Covington, Creston, Cusick, Darrington, Davenport, Dayton, Deer Park, Des Moines, DuPont, Duvall, East Wenatchee, Eatonville, Edgewood, Edmonds, Electric City, Ellensburg, Elma, Elmer City, Endicott, Entiat, Enumclaw, Ephrata, Everett, Everson, Fairfield, Farmington, Federal Way, Ferndale, Fife, Fircrest, Forks, Friday Harbor, Garfield, George, Gig Harbor, Gold Bar, Goldendale, Grand Coulee, Grandview, Granger, Granite Falls, Hamilton, Harrah, Harrington, Hartline, Hatton, Hoquiam, Hunts Point, Ilwaco, Index, Ione, Issaquah, Kahlotus, Kalama, Kelso, Kenmore, Kennewick, Kent, Kettle Falls, Kirkland, Kittitas, Krupp, La Center, La Conner, Lacey, LaCrosse, Lake Forest Park, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Lamont, Langley, Latah, Leavenworth, Liberty Lake, Lind, Long Beach, Longview, Lyman, Lynden, Lynnwood, Mabton, Malden, Mansfield, Maple Valley, Marcus, Marysville, Mattawa, McCleary, Medical Lake, Medina, Mercer Island, Mesa, Metaline, Metaline Falls, Mill Creek, Millwood, Milton, Monroe, Montesano, Morton, Moses Lake, Mossyrock, Mount Vernon, Mountlake Terrace, Moxee, Mukilteo, Naches, Napavine, Nespelem, Newcastle, Newport, Nooksack, Normandy Park, North Bend, North Bonneville, Northport, Oak Harbor, Oakesdale, Oakville, Ocean Shores, Odessa, Okanogan, Olympia, Omak, Oroville, Orting, Othello, Pacific, Palouse, Pasco, Pateros, Pe Ell, Pomeroy, Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Port Townsend, Poulsbo, Prescott, Prosser, Pullman, Puyallup, Quincy, Rainier, Raymond, Reardan, Redmond, Renton, Republic, Richland, Ridgefield, Ritzville, Riverside, Rock Island, Rockford, Rosalia, Roslyn, Roy, Royal City, Ruston, Sammamish, SeaTac, Seattle, Sedro-Woolley, Selah, Sequim, Shelton, Shoreline, Skykomish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Soap Lake, South Bend, South Cle Elum, South Prairie, Spangle, Spokane, Spokane Valley, Sprague, Springdale, St. John, Stanwood, Starbuck, Steilacoom, Stevenson, Sultan, Sumas, Sumner, Sunnyside, Tacoma, Tekoa, Tenino, Tieton, Toledo, Tonasket, Toppenish, Tukwila, Tumwater, Twisp, Union Gap, Uniontown, University Place, Vader, Vancouver, Waitsburg, Walla Walla, Wapato, Warden, Washougal, Washtucna, Waterville, Waverly, Wenatchee, West Richland, Westport, White Salmon, Wilbur, Wilkeson, Wilson Creek, Winlock, Winthrop, Woodinville, Woodland, Woodway, Yacolt, Yakima, Yarrow Point, Yelm, Zillah, and perhaps a few others.

Content Alternative Spellings
solistitur, solistitor, solister, solicitor, solicitors, barrister, barristers, barister, baristur, baristir, barristir, barristirs, barristur, judgement, judgements, barrester, leegal, leagal, leegel, leegal, clame, tryal, attourney, atourney, atourny, attourny, attornies, attornys, atturnies, lowyers, laywers, attourneys, attorneyship, lowyer, laywer, atturney, atturneys, lowyer, atorney, atorneys, aturny, atorny, legal advise, attroney, aawyres, exquire, esquire.

Site Content
personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, negligence, negligent, negligent conduct, fault, no-fault, at-fault, reckless, recklessness, outrage, strict liability, injured, disabled, disability, killed, maimed, hurt, fractured, wage loss, property damage, non-economic damages, economic damages, general damages, pain and suffering, special damages, plaintiff's personal injury, insurance, UIM, uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist, UIM, accident, accidents, crash, crashes, collide, collisions, bike, bikes, bicycle, bicycles, bicycling, biker, bikers, cycles, cycling, cyclist, cycle messengers, bike messengers, bike messenger, fixed-gear, fixie, fixed gear, mountain bike, track bike, cross bike, commuter bike, randonneurs, tandem bike, scooters, skateboards, pedestrians, wheelchairs, mopeds, motor scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, trains, trams, boats, planes, ships, SUVs, rules of the road, sidewalks, parking lots, stairs, crosswalks, bike path, bike trail, bike paths, bike trails, sharrow, share the road, physically separated bike path, METRO, Burke-Gillman Trail, Duwamish Trail, Chief Sealth Trail, Interurban Trail, Myrtle Edwards/Elliott Bay Trail, Ship Canal Trail, Alki Trail, Bicycle Master Plan, Bicycle Advisory Board, Urban Trails, door, doored, doring, intersection, cross walk, cross-walk, zebra, yield, stop, T-bone, side-swipe, collide, police, unsafe places, premises liability, bad faith, unfair insurance practices, dog bites, litigation, trial, trial lawyer, arbitration, mediation, alternative dispute resolution, negotiations, settlement guardian ad litem, Washington bike law, Seattle bicycle accident attorney, Seattle bicycle injury lawyer.