Do Massachusetts cyclists and drivers understand the rules of the road?
BOSTON - In Massachusetts, bikes are allowed to go almost anywhere a car can go. But cyclists and drivers don't always get along.
Cyclists don't feel respected and they want some space, like bike lanes. Drivers don't particularly love change or sharing the streets.
So here's the question - do drivers and cyclists even understand the rules of the road in Massachusetts?
Bad behavior - on both sides
Admitting and addressing bad behavior would be a start. In the first 30 seconds of working on this story we saw a guy on a bike with grocery bags hanging from his handlebars in Boston. That's not allowed.
Then, there was another guy pedaling with no hands haphazardly through the middle of Davis Square in Somerville. That's also not allowed.
We also saw several cyclists running red lights and, of course, that's not allowed.
"It drives me absolutely crazy. I don't do it. I tell others not to do it," Joshua Zisson told WBZ-TV. Zisson rides his bike to work every day. He's a lawyer who also blogs about bike safety.
"In Massachusetts, the legislature has given cyclists a full right to the road. So they can go anywhere in the lane that a car could go. They can go anywhere on the roads that a car can go, except for highways," Zisson said.
Being side-by-side on city streets doesn't always go well. Badly behaved bicyclists are equally offset by aggressive and inconsiderate drivers. We've seen plenty of cars blocking bike lanes. Cyclists get hurt when cars open their doors into traffic, which has actually carried a $500 fine since 2008. But when they collide very bad things happen to cyclists.
We spoke with cyclists and drivers all over the greater Boston area and found the animosity is real. A new driver named Mia made that painfully clear when asked if she ever yells at people on bikes. "One time I just said 'move out of the way (expletive)," she said.
Rob Borgono, who works at Cambridge Bicycle, has a car and a bike. He thinks both sides share the blame for the unhealthy relationship. As a cyclist, Borgono has been forced off the road and cursed at to, "Get off the road! Get on the sidewalk!"
Ignorance seems to be bliss when it comes to the rules of the road. So, here's a pop quiz - What do cyclists and drivers really know?
Bikes on a sidewalk?
Most people we spoke with said no. But the answer is yes and no. People on bikes cannot use the sidewalk in business districts, which is a vague description. But they can use the sidewalk outside of those zones or if they think the road is too dangerous in that spot.
Can you wear headphones on a bike?
We saw a lot of cyclists wearing headphones.
The law in Massachusetts says bikers cannot wear headphones "on both ears." The law does not specifically say you can't wear an earbud in one ear.
Go to front of the pack at red light?
At a red light in traffic, can a person on a bicycle pass all of the waiting cars to go right to the front of the pack?
The answer is yes. Bicyclists are allowed to pass cars on the right and going to the front of the line makes them more visible.
Stay in the bike lane?
If there is a bike lane, does a bike need to stay in the lane or can it still drive right down the middle of the road with cars?
The answer is no. Bikes don't have to stay in the bike lane. They are still allowed to travel anywhere a car can go.
Interestingly, very few cyclists and drivers were able to answer these questions correctly. So, as the debate, and contentiousness, continues over bike lanes and the safest way to share the road, maybe the next step is for everyone to study up on what we are doing wrong behind the wheel and the handlebars.
If you have a question you'd like us to look into, please email questioneverything@cbsboston.com.
