Is it legal to ride a bike on the road on University Ave west of Highland? (Madison: vs)

[AgotiKuruc]

I'm referring to the segment of westbound Univ Ave between Highland and Shorewood.

I see a bike rider going westbound on this segment of U Ave about once a week or so. I've had a few near accidents and seen a few more ones with bus vs bike. I've never seen a bike lane or a bike symbol on this segment, but I'm not sure about the legality of bike riding on an unmarked car road. My hunch is that most of these are explained by:

1. the bike rider was new in town
2. started going westbound from campus
3. didn't divert into the bike path and just kept truckin.

I just want to get the word out, whatever it is. Thank you.

[timberline742]

Of course it is.

[everwinter]

I can't recall seeing signs that say "no biking" so it's likely allowed. It's not an interstate, expressway or controlled access highway where biking isn't allowed. I will say that these cyclists are putting their life on the line biking there. There's no shoulder for most of the stretch. And there's a bike path right there, parallel to University for you know, bicyclists.

As someone who bikes to work I will say that there are a lot of very dumb bicyclists in Madison. Especially around the UW campus & the backroads around Madison.

Here's a rule I see being broken often.
"Any person operating a bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb of the unobstructed traveled roadway, including operators who are riding 2 or more abreast where permitted under sub. 646.80

I don't know how many times I've been driving on narrow PD or P & I go over a hill & there's 3 abreast bicyclists in the middle of the road. Sometimes they'll hear me coming & swing out at the last second. Ya, I know they do this so cars don't pinch them into the gravel, but a good portion of the time it's completely unnecessary. Like there's no turn coming up & no car approaching us. I drive 50 through there whereas many cars are going 65. Even at those speeds I've had close calls where I've had to hit my brakes hard. I'm surprised there hasn't been more accidents with the drivers that drive 65 or even faster on PD between 18 & M.
As a commuter myself it irritates me to see other bicyclists give us a bad image.

[dirt _farmer]

Not sure, but it is legal for a pregnant woman in the UK to pee wherever she wants, even into a policeman's helmet!