Walking and bicycling are healthy choices for you and the environment. Dublin features an extensive recreation path system, with more than 100 miles of paths, 200 miles of sidewalk and new sections added each year. Dublin is an extremely walkable and bicycle friendly community.
Share Our Streets is a campaign to encourage everyone—pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers to follow proper safety and traffic laws and to #ShareOurStreets in Dublin, Ohio.
Safety Tips
When you walk:
- Look for vehicles and bicyclists approaching your path.
- Be a defensive pedestrian.
- Use crosswalks.
- Wait for a gap in traffic before crossing the street; it’s the law.
- Use push buttons to activate warning lights or walk phases, whenever possible.
- If there are countdown numbers displayed, finish crossing the street in this phase; don’t start crossing if you haven’t entered the street.
- Remember, drivers are only required to yield to pedestrians in the half of the crosswalk they are approaching.
- Use these same habits when crossing at roundabouts.
- Be visible and predictable.
- Wear reflective clothing or blinking lights when walking at dawn, dusk or in the dark.
- Make eye contact with drivers and bicyclists.
- When walking a pet, be sure the leash is not too long. Long leashes can trip or tangle other walkers or bicyclists.
When you bicycle:
- Before you begin, ensure your bicycle is in good working condition, using the ABC Quick check (proper Air in tires, Brakes, Crank/Chain and Quick releases).
- Look for vehicles and pedestrians approaching your path.
- Be a defensive cyclist.
- Walk your bike in crosswalks.
- Be visible and predictable.
- Signal your turns.
- Wear a properly fitting helmet.
- Make eye contact with drivers and pedestrians.
- Follow traffic laws. You are considered a vehicle when you ride in the street.
- Ride near the right side of the roadway.
- Ride single file or no more than two abreast.
- Shared-use paths are for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized vehicles.
- General rules of the road apply on the paths.
- In Dublin, bicyclists are allowed to ride on the sidewalk. Be aware that bicyclists are not allowed to ride on sidewalks in many other cities. Be respectful and provide plenty of distance between your bicycle and pedestrians.
- Warn pedestrians when you are passing. Ring a bell from a good distance back, or loudly say “bicycle passing” or a similar message.
- At roundabouts, use the paths around the intersection. Only experienced cyclists should ride through the roundabout.
When you drive:
- Look for bicyclists on the road and pedestrians in crosswalks.
- Be respectful and provide plenty of distance between your vehicle and bicycles and pedestrians. Drivers are required to give at least three feet of space when passing bikers, per Ohio law.
- Make eye contact with pedestrians and bicyclists.
- When turning right, look for approaching bicyclists and pedestrians to your right.
- Drivers often only remember to look to the left when turning right.
- Yield to bicycles in the street as you would another vehicle.
- Yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
- Yield to every blind pedestrian guided by a guide dog, or carrying a cane.
- Enhanced warning lights, pavement markings and signs are provided to enhance drivers’ awareness at some crosswalks. Drivers are required to yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk with or without enhanced markings.
- If another vehicle is stopped at a crosswalk, do not pass the stopped vehicle.
- Pedestrians have the right of way on a sidewalk when crossing a driveway.
- Use these same habits at roundabouts, and remember to stay in your lane and yield to traffic in the roundabout.
FAQ
Why do cyclists ride on the road when there are so many bike paths?
Bicyclists have the same right to be on the streets as motorists. Many cyclists prefer to ride on roadways for Peloton training, commuting and riding at higher rates of speed. The paths are more recreational and are shared with pedestrians, strollers and other more leisure traffic.
Is there a speed limit on the recreation paths?
There is no speed limit on Dublin’s recreation paths, but all users should be courteous, share the paths and follow traffic laws. Bicyclists and pedestrians should generally stay to the right and pass on the left.
Don’t pedestrians always have the right of way?
Under Ohio law, drivers are only required to yield to pedestrians in the half of the crosswalk they are approaching. Pedestrians must wait for a gap in traffic before crossing the street.
More Information
- Shared-use path etiquette: https://dublinohiousa.gov/bicycling-in-dublin/recreation-path-etiquette/
- Bike path maintenance request: https://dublinohiousa.gov/request/bike-path-maintenance/
- Dublin Named a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists: https://dublinohiousa.gov/newsroom/dublin-named-bicycle-friendly-community-league-american-bicyclists/
- http://www.bikeleague.org/community
- Properly Fitting a Helmet: https://dublinohiousa.gov/bicycling-in-dublin/properly-fitting-a-helmet/
- Bicycle Safety: https://dublinohiousa.gov/bicycling-in-dublin/bicycle-safety/
- Map your destination – Bike way, rack, and fix-it locations: https://dublinohiousa.gov/parks-open-space/map-your-destination/
- Pedestrian signals: https://dublinohiousa.gov/engineering/pedestrian-safety/
- The League of American Bicyclists: http://www.bikeleague.org/
- National Highway Traffic Administration: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Bicycles
