Signs blocking bike lanes are unfortunately a common occurrence and happen to all cyclists sooner or later. Whether these signs warn of upcoming road construction or advertise a nearby open house, they are often illegally placed signs. Ironically, a warning sign placed in the bike lane creates a greater hazard than the work it is supposedly warning about.
What makes them illegal?
The California Department of Transportation has standards that clearly state signs should not be placed in the bike lane. One such standard says, "All advance warning signs should be placed so that the path of travel for bicycles is not blocked". Other standards say, "Road user movement should be inhibited as little as practical," "Sign supports should be located so as to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists in areas designated for their use,” and "If a designated bicycle route is closed because of the work being done, a signed alternate route should be provided." These standards and more are published in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). MUTCD also has a standard for warning road users of donkeys, but that's a topic for another article.
Adding insult to injury
People who place signs in bike lanes are either not familiar with these standards or do not trouble to follow them. Many contractors seem to regard bicycle lanes as ideal places for warning signs, even when better alternatives compliant with the MUTCD are available. In addition, contractors may place signs far before the work begins, or leave them in place for long periods when the work is on hold or after the work is completed. Realtors are not the worst offenders; they generally are quite careful about sign placement, and remove them in a timely manner. There are, however, a few that use the bike lane for signs.
Take action to remove those signs
The good news is, if you report the infraction to the City, the City will contact the responsible party and require MUTCD compliance.
Cyclists riding near the intersection of Mary and Evelyn Avenues recently noticed large electronic signs warning of a road closure, but the signs blocked the bike lanes and the sidewalks. Alternative locations, which did not block bike lanes or sidewalks, were available but not used. The signs caused much discourse among cyclists about what to do. When cyclists reported these obstructions to the City, the City determined that the offending agency was Caltrain and promptly asked Caltrain to reposition the signs in a non-obstructive location. Caltrain quickly complied.
If you encounter a sign obstructing a bikeway in Sunnyvale, please submit a report to Access Sunnyvale, the City's portal to receive complaints of this sort. You can use that site to report any road hazard. Reporting to the City has a much better chance of resulting in a positive outcome than complaining to random neighbors on social media! And, if you encounter people complaining about road hazards on social media, you can point them to Access Sunnyvale.
For issues outside Sunnyvale, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition publishes a list of cities and their portal for accepting complaints.
Reporting takes just a few minutes, and you can save someone from getting hurt.
About the Author
Jon Blum is a life-long cyclist and has lived in Sunnyvale for over 20 years. He enjoys researching laws pertaining to walking and cycling.