Category Archives: Bicycle Lanes

Introducing TCNF’s New Electric Scooter Legal Guide!

Thomas, Coon, Newton & Frost is pleased to announce our new electric scooter legal guide: Oregon E-Scooter Rights: A Legal Guide for Electric Scooter Riders. The guide was a team effort by TCNF personal injury attorneys Cynthia Newton, Ray Thomas, Jim Coon and Chris Thomas.

The guide covers several topics, including rules of the road, what to do if a crash occurs and insurance issues raised by e-scooters.

Here is a quick, ten point summary of e-scooter rules of the road, which are discussed in greater detail in our guide:

1)   An e-scooter is a “vehicle” in  the Oregon Vehicle Code and generally all traffic laws apply to it like other vehicles;

2)   E-scooters may be operated like other vehicles, but not on sidewalks.

3)   E-scooters may be ridden at speeds up to 15 mph on the public way.

4)   E-scooters must use the  bike lane if there is one and have the right of way just like a bicycle.

5)   E-scooters may travel  on any road with a speed limit of 25 mph or less.

6)   E-scooters may take the lane unless it slows down other traffic and then like bicycles must travel as far to the right (or left on a one-way street) as “practicable”.

7)   Any person 16 or older can ride an e-scooter on a public road.

8)   E-scooter riders must wear a helmet, but lack of a helmet may not be used against the rider in an injury case in court if there is a crash.

9)   E-scooter operators may not carry passengers.

10)   E-scooters may not ride on City of Portland or State of Oregon park paths or trails.

Please feel free to contact us with any question on Oregon electric scooter law.

Bike lane intersection

Ray Thomas advocates for bill to clarify Oregon bike lane law

During the current legislative session, TCNF partner Ray Thomas has supported efforts by The Street Trust and Oregon House Representative Rob Nosse to clarify that bicycle lanes (and their right of way protections) continue through intersections even when their painted markings do not. For more about the need for the bill and its current progress, see BikePortland’s coverage here.

Bike Lanes Continue Through Intersections For Sure With New Legislative Proposal

When a person riding a bicycle gets right hooked in an intersection, the Oregon Vehicle Code contains a section that protects the cyclist’s right to the right of way. ORS 811.050 provides:

“A person commits the offense of failure of a motor vehicle operator to yield to a rider on a bicycle lane if the person is operating a motor vehicle and the person does not yield the right of way to a person operating a bicycle . . . upon a bicycle lane.”

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Cynthia Newton’s Back to School Road Safety Tips

TCNF Partner Cynthia Newton spoke with KATU traffic reporter Hannah Olsen about getting your kids to school safely by bike. In this clip, aired in Portland on August 27th, 2018, Cynthia explains her five rules for safe bike travel to school.

1. Find a good route from where you live to your school. That way you can follow the same route every day. No fuss. No rush.

2. You can ride on the sidewalk everywhere in PDX except downtown. Remember to slow to a walking speed when crossing driveways and entering crosswalks so cars have more time to see you.

3. When crossing the street, always use a crosswalk. There is a crosswalk at every corner, even if there is no paint on the roadway. Enter at walking speed so cars have more time to see you.

4. Kids under 16 are required to wear a helmet. Kids are more likely to wear a helmet if their parent does.

5. Wear white and use a light. Lights—a white one in front and a red one in rear—are required in limited visibility conditions, but wearing white or using a light anytime makes you more visible. Drivers don’t hit cyclists they can see.

KATU’s article about this conversation with Cynthia, including some additional advice from TCNF attorney Chris Thomas, can be found here.

Announcing a New E-Bike Legal Guide by TCNF Bike Lawyers

TCNF’s team of bicycle trial lawyers is pleased to announce the completion of Oregon E-Bike Rights: A Legal Guide for Electric Bike Riders.  Written by Ray Thomas, Jim Coon, Cynthia Newton and Chris Thomas, the booklet contains a comprehensive discussion of laws governing the use of electric bicycles in Oregon.  Topics include riding in bike lanes, on sidewalks, in state parks and on federal land, as well as insurance coverage and advocacy efforts to improve e-bike laws.  TCNF’s bike lawyers felt the need for this booklet now due to the recent increase in popularity of electric bikes and the interesting legal space they occupy between bicycles and motor vehicles.

You can download the booklet here. Updated to 2nd Edition in November 2018.

We hope you find this guide useful and that you contact us with any questions about Oregon e-bike law.