The Bikeway in the Woodlands: Rules of the Road

By: Sharon Aron Baron

The bikeway in the Woodlands is a safe way to walk, ride, and get exercise.  Now that the weather is cooling off, more people are taking advantage of it and are enjoying exercising throughout the day.

The bikeway project from inception to completion, which took a year and a half, took four narrow lanes down to two creating bikeways on either side. Residents have now gotten used to the wider lanes while driving along Woodlands Boulevard, however, after the restriping was completed in 2012, people were driving down the boulevard straddling both the bikeway and the main lane, not certain where to drive.   It took a few months before it was a safe time to walk or bicycle without feeling like someone was going to head into the bikeway lane.

Our bikeway is open for anyone to use, whether you ride a bike, walk your dog, use a stroller, walker, wheelchair, or are driving your golf cart. Yes, our bikeway provides a safe area for our residents and visiting golfers to get to and from their golf game.

At our October WHOA meeting, President Patti Fox suggested that we ban golf carts from using the bikeway.  This would be a terrible idea to our residents who are members of our country club as well as a terrible public relations move towards ClubLink.   Even ClubLink’s maintenance carts use the bikeway each day to get around the area to work. With so few bikers on the bikeway at anytime one time, carts that use our bikeway to get from point A to point B, do not disrupt the people on the bikeway. In fact, they travel with the flow of the traffic, and when a pedestrian is in the bikeway, they move aside into the street.  Besides, the bikeway is on city property and our WHOA has no jurisdiction over the bikeway or city streets.

Many residents aren’t aware of the rules of a bikeway, so I found these from the Florida Bicycle Association and altered language to fit bikeway usage versus trail usage. Remember, bicycles go with the flow of the traffic.  Pedestrians face the traffic.

Sharing the Shared-use Path

1. Courtesy

• Respect other bikeway users; joggers, walkers, bladers, wheelchairs all have bikeway rights
• Respect slower cyclists; yield to slower users
• Obey speed limits; they are posted for your safety

2. Announce when passing

• Use a bell, horn or voice to indicate your intention to pass
• Warn other well in advance so you do not startle them
• Clearly announce “On your left” when passing

3. Yield when entering and crossing

• Yield to traffic at places where the bikeway crosses the road
• Yield to other users at intersections
• Slow down before intersections and when entering the bikeway from the road

4. Keep right

• Stay as close to the right as possible, except when passing
• Give yourself enough room to maneuver around any hazards
• Ride single file to avoid possible collisions with other bikeway users

5. Pass on left

• Scan ahead and behind before announcing your intention to pass another user
• Pull out only when you are sure the lane is clear
• Allow plenty of room, about two bike lengths, before moving back to the right

6. Be predictable

• Travel in a straight line unless you are avoiding hazards or passing
• Indicate your intention to turn or pass
• Warn other users of your intentions

7. Use lights at night

• Most bikeway users will not have lights at night; use a white front and red rear light
• Watch for walkers as you will overtake them the fastest
• Reflective clothing does not help in the absence of light