Rules of the Road

Rules of the Road: Can a car park in a bike lane?

By David Wright

For The Bellingham Herald
Matthew Blackett at Spacing magazine in Canada created this poster to express his frustration at cars parking in bike lanes. It’s illegal there and in Washington state.
Matthew Blackett at Spacing magazine in Canada created this poster to express his frustration at cars parking in bike lanes. It’s illegal there and in Washington state. Spacing magazine Courtesy to The Bellingham Herald

Question: Is it legal to park in a marked bike lane?

Answer: The short answer is no. The bicycle lane is marked for the use of bicycles to transit the roadway. It has the same requirements as any other marked lane for traffic flow.

Rules of the Road is a regular column with questions and answers on road laws, safe driving habits and general police practices. Answers come from David Wright, a retired officer from the Bellingham Police Department who serves on the Whatcom County Traffic Safety Task Force. For previous Rules of the Road columns or to ask a question, go to bellinghamherald.com/news/traffic/rules-of-the-road/.

This story was originally published October 4, 2015 at 9:31 PM.

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