When is it legal for a car to enter a bike lane in Modesto? Who has the right of way?
We all know them — the dreaded Modesto intersections that are backed up more often than not. Particularly, the ones near the Highway 99 on-ramps.
Driving in these intersections can be even more frustrating when you’re stuck behind a line of cars moving straight, when you need to turn right.
Modesto Bee reader Tom Meinhold asked Bee Curious, a community-driven series in which our journalists answer your questions, “When approaching an intersection that is backed up and you are going to make a right-hand turn, when can you enter the bike lane and approach the intersection and make your right-hand turn?”
We reached out to the Modesto Police Department to answer this, and asked whether you can be cited for traveling in a bike lane too early:
When can you enter a Modesto bike lane?
A bike lane is a designated traffic lane for bicyclists, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. There are some cases where motorists must merge into a bicycle lane, like when making a right turn.
These lanes are marked by a solid white line up until the 200-foot mark, said Sharon Bear, a spokeswoman with the Modesto Police Department. The line becomes dotted when it is legal to enter the lane.
“The driver can’t enter the bike lane when turning right until 200 feet before the turn,” Bear said. “If a bicyclist is using the bike lane, the bicyclist has the right of way and the driver must yield to the bicyclist.”
The white lines designating a bicycle lane are different from the white lines showing the edge of the road, according to the DMV. A bicycle lane follows specific width requirements and is “clearly marked” as a bike lane with symbols and/or signs.
Bicycle lanes are sometimes painted a bright green to increase visibility, according to the DMV. Drivers should treat these just like any other bicycle lane.
Fines for traveling in bike lanes
You cannot drive in a bike lane unless to park where permitted, to enter or leave the roadway, or to prepare for a turn within 200 feet of an intersection, according to Vehicle Code 21209.
If you enter the bike lane before the 200-foot mark or when otherwise not permitted, you could be fined roughly $230, Bear said.
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 12:21 PM.
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