Pueblo police to issue warnings for bike lane violations – for now

New bike lanes mean new rules for drivers on several Pueblo streets.

Bike lanes have been added to Goodnight Ave., Cleveland St., Orman Ave., Elizabeth St. and Greenwood Ave.

Police say drivers have a responsibility to respect cyclists on the roadway by adhering to the following rules:

Pass with a minimum of 3-feet of space between the motor vehicle (including side mirrors) and the cyclist. If a lane is less than 14 feet wide, a car and bicycle cannot safely share the lane and the motorist should pass using the other lane.
Do not open car door into oncoming traffic in the bike lane.
Do not park in or block a bicycle lane when turning right.

Police say dedicated bike lanes are safer for bicyclists and drivers than sharing too narrow of a lane or having cyclists ride on the sidewalk.

Under the law, bicycles are considered vehicles and there are rules bicyclists must follow as well:

Ride with the flow of traffic, NOT against traffic.
Stop at stop signs and traffic signals.
Use hand signals to indicate turns.

Pueblo police officers will be monitoring areas with the new bike lanes to make sure drivers and bicyclists are following the new rules.

Drivers who drive in the bike lane instead of the lane dedicated for automobile traffic will receive a warning for the time being. Though a specific time-frame was not given, police said the grace period would be short.