6 scariest things about riding a bike in Las Vegas
Friday is “Bike to Work Day,” part of a week-long event encouraging bike owners to use take advantage of their two-wheeled transportation instead of their car for the week.
The event, big in cities like San Francisco, Nashville and Washington, D.C., is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and was established in 1956.
The point of the event — part of the even larger Bike Month — is to raise awareness of the benefits of riding a bike versus driving a car.
In Las Vegas, many whip and wind down the valley’s roads and bike-friendly neighborhoods like Summerlin and Downtown Las Vegas. Not all roads were created equally, however, and cyclists face danger when their tires hit the asphalt.
With that in mind, these are some of the scarier thing of riding a bike in Las Vegas, according to regular cyclists:
Roads without bike lanes
Many Las Vegas roads, including popular streets like Charleston Boulevard, which runs east-west across the valley, don’t have marked bike lanes for much of their route. This forces cyclists to squeeze against the side of the lane and the sidewalk, which can be dangerous.
Roads that aren’t smooth
Many streets in the Las Vegas Valley are long overdue for a repaving, including major roadways and many around UNLV. For regular cyclist Sean Breckling, the intersection of Maryland Parkway and Flamingo Road “is like a demilitarized zone.”
He said Sahara Avenue is a model street for biking because it has a full-sized, clearly-marked bike and bus lane and is smooth sailing the whole way.
Turning right in traffic
A major pet peeve for cyclists is that they’re sometimes not seen by drivers, or drivers consider them pedestrians (they’re not, but they’re technically not vehicles, either.)
So here’s the deal: Most bike lanes in Las Vegas are in between the far right lane and the curb of the sidewalk. At a stoplight, cyclists will be in that bike lane, but not necessarily turning right. When the light turns green, the car might turn right without considering the direction of the cyclist.
That’s how accidents happen.
Cars turning left, but not looking for cyclists
When cars are making left turns, at stop lights or four-way intersections — especially in a situation where they’re required to yield for oncoming traffic — the driver is looking for cars, but not always for bikes.
Cyclists going straight in the opposite direction can end up in the crosshairs if drivers don’t see them beforehand.
Drivers who don’t understand bike laws
Here are some Nevada lawsdrivers (and bicyclists) don’t always adhere to, which often leads to accidents or unfortunate mishaps:
- When in a roadway, bicyclists have the rights to travel in the lanes, but must follow the same rules as drivers (they don’t have to ride in the shoulder)
- Vehicles can’t be in a bicycle lane unless there are special circumstances
- According to statewide law, bicyclists in Nevada can be on sidewalks, although the rules vary in city and county codes
- Cyclists are not required by law to wear helmet in Nevada, although it’s obviously recommended
- Pedestrians can’t walk in bike lanes (yes, there’s a law for this: NRS 484B.297)
- How do you know you’re in a shared lane? The marking will be a bicycle with two chevron marks above it
- Need to pass a cyclist in a lane? NDOT says you need to be three feet away
There are a bunch more that you can read about from NDOT here.
Roads that aren’t properly lit
Some cyclists say many roads in the valley, particularly in the southwest, aren’t properly lit. Some roads don’t have any street lamps (yet), meaning both the driver and the cyclist are at a higher risk of being in an accident.
Cyclists can wear reflective items to help their visibility, but it makes for a terrifying ride if you know drivers can’t see you — and you can’t see them.
So this Bike to Work Day, take it easy, take your time and be careful.
Las Vegas Review-Journal photographer Kevin Cannon contributed to this article.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva
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