The Louisiana House of Representatives failed to pass legislation that would allow bicyclists to ride on sidewalks.
The bill, which was drafted by Rep. Stephen Ortego,
D-Carencro, was designed to alleviate the current ban that prevents bicyclists from riding on sidewalks. House Bill 1193 also defined the term “bicycle” and the regulations bicyclists should abide by when riding their bicycle.
Ortego told the Times-Picayune the bill was a measure for both the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
The bill failed to pass in a 50-to-38 vote in opposition of the legislation. Opponents of the bill said the language was vague and subject to interpretation, and the bill would raise new safety concerns for pedestrians on sidewalks.
Current Louisiana law defines bicycles as vehicles, meaning people riding them must abide by all traffic laws. The law states that “every person riding a bicycle upon a highway of this state shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle.”
LSU Police Department spokesperson Capt. Cory Lalonde said sidewalks are for pedestrians, which doesn’t include cyclists in the state of Louisiana.
“When you mix bicycles and pedestrians on sidewalks, it opens the opportunities for bad things to happen,” Lalonde said.
Lalonde said the University has not had many incidents involving bicycles and pedestrians, but there have been some close calls.
“If cyclists, as well as drivers of vehicles, follow the rules of the road, pay attention to their surroundings and use patience with the other, the roads are much safer for both,” Lalonde said.
Lalonde said cyclists are often seen riding with headphones, which is an added distraction that can cause problems with paying attention to their surroundings.  He noted all cyclists should remember to pay attention to all stop signs, traffic signals and lane designations. 
“Don’t pass cars that are stopped at a stop sign or traffic light, nor should cyclists ride on the sidewalks and through crosswalks,” Lalonde said. “Be patient and aware of the surroundings.”
Lalonde said drivers also need to understand that the bicycles have a right to be on the road.
“They need to realize that paying extra attention will help them see cyclists they might not have seen otherwise,” Lalonde said.
A cyclist who runs a stop sign or red light or commits any other traffic violation could be issued a citation just like the driver of a vehicle would, Lalonde said. In the event of a traffic crash, Lalonde said the cyclist could be issued a citation if they were found to be in violation of a law, just like a driver would be, and in some cases, both may be cited.
“Just like any other traffic law, we cannot catch or address each and every instance that a cyclist or a driver breaks the law,” Lalonde said. ”We can simply not be everywhere at once.  We feel the best way to approach it is to through not only enforcement but through education as well.”
____ Contact Lauren Duhon at [email protected]