Do bicycles have to have brakes in Oregon?
Oregon law requires a bicycle to be equipped with a brake. ORS 815.280. However, the law does not just require that a bicycle have a brake, it specifies a minimum standard for a bicycle brake. A bicycle brake must be able to stop a bicycle traveling at 10 miles-per-hour within a space of 15 feet. On dry, level, and clean pavement. Charley Gee is a personal injury attorney in Portland, Oregon. He exclusively represents people against insurance companies, corporations, and t
Do buses have the right-of-way over bicyclists in the bike lane in Oregon?
In Oregon, the right-of-way of a bicyclist riding in the bicycle lane is one of the most pure rights-of-way there is in the traffic code. However there are some common circumstances when a bicyclist is required to yield to a bus. ORS 811.167 Failure to yield right of way to transit bus requires that all vehicle operators (and a bicycle is a vehicle under Oregon law) are required to yield the right-of-way to a transit bus trying to re-enter traffic after stopping to drop off
Are bicyclists required to give a signal when passing pedestrians?
Yes, a bicyclist, when passing pedestrians on a sidewalk, must give “an audible signal”. ORS 814.410(1)(b). Where it gets tricky is in the definitions. What is a sidewalk?: Sidewalk has a pretty hefty definition in the Oregon Vehicle Code but the biggest clue you are on a sidewalk is whether or not it it runs alongside a road, street, or highway, and is capable of being used by a pedestrian. This means multi-use paths like Portland’s Springwater Corridor or the paths in pa
Can an electric assist bicycle operate on the sidewalk in Oregon?
One of the most surprising laws in Oregon is that e-assist bicycles are banned, statewide, from being operated on the sidewalk. E-assist bicycles, called electric assisted bicycles in the legal code, are considered bicycles under the law so long as they are limited to the specific qualifications found in ORS 801.258 (otherwise it may be considered a moped or even a motorcycle). However, the portion of ORS 814.405 that grants electric bicycles the same legal status as bicycle
Does an Oregon Bicyclist Have to Obey the Same Laws as a Motor Vehicle Driver?
Yes, a bicyclist in Oregon has to follow all of the same “Rules of the Road” as a motor vehicle driver. A bicycle is a vehicle and Oregon law makes that clear: ORS 814.400 says that “a bicycle is a vehicle for purposes of the vehicle code.” The law also says that “When the term ‘bicycle’ is used the term shall be deemed to be applicable to bicycles.” So, every person riding a bicycle has to follow the same rules, but has the same rights as, the driver of any other vehicle o
