Rules of the road for Bike to Work Day

A.) Can you ride a bike on a sidewalk?

B.) Can you ride a bike in a crosswalk from sidewalk to sidewalk?

C.) Can you talk on a cellphone while riding a bike in traffic?

D.) Can you wear earbuds or headphones while riding on the roadway?

Those taking part in Bike to Work Day today should keep two things in mind: Be alert, and know the law as it pertains to bicycles.

Under Alaska law, a bicycle rider on a public road generally has all the rights and duties of the operator of any other vehicle.

A summary of the Alaska State Bicycle Laws by the Department of Public Safety emphasizes these points:

• Ride on the right side of roadways.

• Ride with traffic.

• Use signals to turn, slow and stop.

• Obey all traffic signs and signals.

• Give pedestrians the right of way.

The law also prohibits carrying "a person other than the operator, unless the bicycle is equipped with a seat for the passenger" (or, in the case of an infant, if the baby is in a backpack or sling), being pulled or towed by another vehicle, riding hands-free or operating a unicycle or roller skates on a roadway.

We put some additional bicycle questions to Rick Steiding of the Anchorage Police Department's Traffic Unit.

We also asked questions about complex intersections, like Benson Boulevard and A Street, which present an extra set of challenges for riders and drivers. Going north on A Street, the right two lanes turn onto Benson and the other three go straight. There's also a path with a crosswalk at the light. If a cyclist on A Street intends to continue straight, what should he or she do?

"If a rider is approaching an intersection that has dedicated turn lanes, they should move over to the right edge of the closest lane going straight when it is clear to do so and obey the traffic signal," he said. A little painted "island" actually separates the turn and through lanes, big enough to accommodate a bike at this intersection.

What if you want to make a left turn across several lanes of traffic?

"They need to merge over to the left side of the roadway and make the left turn from the left lane. What makes this difficult is the speed of the other traffic coming up from behind them."

The cyclist, of course, has the option of riding onto the sidewalk and crossing with the "Walk" light. But try not to be too abrupt about it.

"It is my opinion, the most dangerous situation for a cyclist is when they are bouncing from the roadway onto the sidewalk, then back out into the roadway," said Steiding. "This action is very confusing to motorists. If the bike rider is in the road and stays there, they are more predictable for the other traffic. But when they bounce back and forth, a driver in a car never knows what or where the bike is going to go next.

"When a bicycle is ridden in the roadway, they are the most visible to the other vehicles. The motorist might not like them being there but at least they see them."

Steiding also said that the most dangerous roads for cyclists are those where there is no shoulder and the lanes are too narrow for vehicles to get around the bike rider without crossing over the center line. He cited Dowling Road between the Old Seward Highway and C Street as an example.

"The best advice I can give to people is to ride your bike as if every vehicle out there is out to run you over," he said. "If you ride defensively and always look out for the other traffic, you have a lot better chance of avoiding the vehicles driven by people that may not be looking for you."

High-visibility clothing, especially at night or in bad weather, will help drivers see you. Protective equipment, especially a helmet, is also a good idea. So is being aware of drivers who may not know the rules as well as you do, Steiding added.

"In the end, regardless of who had the right of way, the bicycle rider loses every time in a vehicle-bicycle collision."

And, finally, here are the answers to the pop quiz from Rick Steiding, APD:

A.) Yes, for the most part. The only area where riding a bike on the sidewalk is restricted is in a business district.

(There's a somewhat convoluted description of what constitutes a "business district" but it includes downtown Anchorage; common sense should be applied.)

B.) Yes. But bikers have to obey the pedestrian signal.

C.) Yes. Nothing in the municipal code restricts a person from talking on a cellphone while riding a bike.

D.) No. There is a law against wearing devices that impair hearing while operating a vehicle (AMC 9.36.210).

Bike to Work event sites will offer refreshments. prizes --- even a bicycle

• Tudor and Elmore: The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium will be the locus of several events, including: Bagels for Bicyclists by the trail bridge, 6:30-8:30 a.m.; Blessing of the Bikes behind the Consortium building, 12:15 p.m.; Bike Bash Pizza Party with live music, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Refreshment stations for the morning commute

• Tudor Road and C Street: CRW Engineering Group and DOWL HKM will host a replenishment station with treats and prizes.

• Ninth Avenue and E Street: Thompson & Co. and the Anchorage Downtown Partnership will host a new checkpoint, with Kaladi Brothers coffee, treats and prizes.

• Chester Creek Trail and Seward Highway: Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage will host the Bacon Station just east of the trail tunnel under the highway, with coffee, cookies, bread and bacon.

• Elmore Road and Abbott Road: In addition to hosting a refreshment station, Chain Reaction Cycles donated a Trek 7.1 RX bike for a drawing among riders registered in Bike to Work Day.

More info

More information is at the Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage site, BicycleAnchorage.org, which also has more safety tips for riders, and the municipality's Bike to Work Day site at www.muni.org/biketowork.

A new, free map of Anchorage bike paths from the municipality includes rules and tips for safe cycling. The city's rules for biking, now under review by the Assembly, can be found online at muni.org.