Bike riders need to follow the rules too
A Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision will chill the already extremely limited traffic enforcement against them
In a case that has just come to my attention, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled mostly in favor of a bicyclist who had little opportunity to avoid impeding traffic and was ticketed by a white supremacist gangster who “was aware of complaints about bicyclists slowing traffic on the two-lane [Evans City Road, also known as Route 68, in Butler Township].” The gangster’s dashcam recording showed that “the [Pennsylvania State] trooper was at the back of a queue of about ten motor vehicles behind Linton, each of which was able to pass within two minutes. Osche twice tried to pass Linton as he rode 19 mph in a 55 mph zone but was unsuccessful, according to the video. It also showed the shoulder of the highway was obstructed with gravel, potholes, storm drain grates and a construction vehicle and worker.”[1]
This was clearly not the hill to die on for advocates of a more equitable relationship between motorists and bicyclists. But we did: The Court ruled that “cyclists must make ‘reasonable efforts’ to avoid impeding the flow of traffic. How they do that, Justice Kevin Dougherty wrote, is up to the judgement of the rider, taking into account factors such as whether it is safer to remain in the lane or move to the shoulder.”[2]
This is a result that will likely have a chilling effect on the already extremely limited traffic enforcement meted out to bicyclists whom I routinely see flaunt stop signs and red lights with abandon. It will cheer the privileged anti-car advocates who think everyone, including the aged and disabled, can ride the bus (even in times and places where bus service is flatly not available) or a bicycle (even at night or in adverse weather) to get to shopping and jobs. No one, they insist universally, needs a car.
I cannot argue with the Court’s decision in this case. But it ignores a larger context in which if roads are to be shared by motorists and bicyclists, both must be treated fairly under the vehicle code and roads must be wide enough, preferably with bike lanes, to reasonably accommodate both.
[1] Peter Hall, “Cyclists aren’t required to get off the road for faster traffic, Pa. Supreme Court rules,” Pennsylvania Capital-Star, June 20, 2025, https://penncapital-star.com/criminal-justice/cyclists-arent-required-to-get-off-the-road-for-faster-traffic-pa-supreme-court-rules/
[2] Peter Hall, “Cyclists aren’t required to get off the road for faster traffic, Pa. Supreme Court rules,” Pennsylvania Capital-Star, June 20, 2025, https://penncapital-star.com/criminal-justice/cyclists-arent-required-to-get-off-the-road-for-faster-traffic-pa-supreme-court-rules/