§ 3508. Pedalcycles on sidewalks and pedalcycle paths.
(a) Right-of-way to pedestrians. – A person riding a pedalcycle upon a sidewalk or pedalcycle path shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian.
(b) Business districts. – A person shall not ride a pedalcycle upon a sidewalk in a business district unless permitted by official traffic-control devices, nor when a usable pedalcycle-only lane has been provided adjacent to the sidewalk.
PA law is pretty clear: you shall not side a bike upon a sidewalk in a biz district.
But I'd like to ask: what's a business district?
Does it need to be designated by local government? Is there a signage obligation? How does a person passing through know?
Is there a criteria separating a biz district from a residential district with a Starbux, a 7-11, and a dry cleaner? Is PennAve in the Strip a Bus District, but is PennAve between the Heinz History Center and the Hampton Inn not a business center?
How is one to know? Maybe a neighborhood I've been passing through changes over the years. Does one more incremental CrazyMocha make it a Business District? Or if a business closes, does the B-D go away?
vannever
2016-10-02 02:10:55
marko82
2016-10-02 10:34:01
Not a PA definition, but a federal definition.....
According to 49 CFR 390.5 [Title 49 – Transportation; Subtitle B -- Other Regulations Relating to Transportation; Chapter III -- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; Subchapter B -- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations; Part 390 -- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations; General; Subpart A -- General Applicability and Definitions], business district means “the territory contiguous to and including a highway when within any 600 feet along such highway there are buildings in use for business or industrial purposes, including but not limited to hotels, banks, or office buildings which occupy at least 300 feet of frontage on one side or 300 feet collectively on both sides of the highway.”
So............if 25% or more of the frontage is business/industrial = business district.
That seems like a low threshold for an area to be considered a "business district".
offtn
2016-10-02 11:31:10
Shadyside
dr-avis
2016-10-02 11:35:37
In the absence of a good, clear and easy to interpret definition, I've adopted the personal position that if there is metered parking, it is a business district.
swalfoort
2016-10-03 09:36:07
But why is highway used in the definition? Why not street? Roadway? Right of way?
Is walnut Street a highway? Ellsworth Ave? How about S. Highland Ave? Or S. Craig St? Or Bryant St? I feel like these all have business districts.
benzo
2016-10-03 12:42:37
PA statute contains the same definition as the federal regulation above:
"Business district." The territory contiguous to and including a highway when within any 600 feet along the highway there are buildings in use for business or industrial purposes, including but not limited to hotels, banks, or office buildings, railroad stations and public buildings which occupy at least 300 feet of frontage on one side or 300 feet collectively on both sides of the highway.
the same statute also defines "highway" to mean what most of us think of as a 'street' or 'road':
"Highway." The entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. The term includes a roadway open to the use of the public for vehicular travel on grounds of a college or university or public or private school or public or historical park.
So, to answer part of Benzo's question, all of the named streets are highways. Whether all of their commercial zones are business districts, I don't know offhand; I'm terrible at measuring distances without a ruler. How far is 300 or 600 feet, let alone 300 out of 600 feet? That, I couldn't tell you.
Van also brings up an interesting point: if several occupants close, meaning their
buildings are no longer
in use for business or industrial purposes, is it still a business district?
epanastrophe
2016-10-03 14:10:32
I think a plain reading of the definition says no, it is not a business district if the buildings are no longer in use.
jonawebb
2016-10-03 14:34:08
So of course, there are sidewalks next to active businesses where I've hardly ever seen a pedestrian.
For example, the south side of Liberty between 31st and 32nd. When the outbound rush-hour traffic is backed up, it seems reasonable to get on the sidewalk to get by.
Somehow that feels acceptable, as opposed to dodging pedestrians on Liberty between (say) 7th and 6th.
ahlir
2016-10-11 20:39:04
Wow, that's a surprising definition of business district.
My rule of thumb is if buildings are adjacent to the sidewalk, I don't ride on the sidewalk. This avoid two scenarios, encountering pedestrians at blind building corners and pedestrians exiting doors that open directly onto the sidewalk. I think that is the spirit of the law at least.
dfiler
2016-10-17 09:55:12
Ok so is Carson street between 10th and Arlington not on the river side a business district?
yesterday morning, the dirty dozen training ride attempted to take the sidewalk down Carson to get to Arlington to get to sycamore. The road was closed for the Mario 6.6k, but it did not cross anywhere on the side of the road on which I wanted to use the sidewalk. A cop told us we couldn't even use the sidewalk. We went around (up lower mcardle), so it was fine. Wondering if anyone has thoughts? I think the cop was wrong, but maybe I am.
stefb
2016-10-17 16:34:39
there is no sidewalk at all on the side of carson away from the river downstream of 7th st.
epanastrophe
2016-10-17 16:47:11
My impression was that he didn't want us riding on the sidewalk because the street was closed, not because he thought it was a business district. He didn't want us passing the sawhorse barrier.
Not sure about the distance, but it looks like it's not a business district in the definition above.
jonawebb
2016-10-17 16:48:32
