§ 55-8-205 — Vehicular use of bicycle lanes prohibited - Penalties

(a) As used in this section, "bicycle lane" means any portion of the roadway set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. (b) It is an offense for a person to operate a motor vehicle within a bicycle lane, except under the following situations: (1) When parking, stopping, or leaving standing the motor vehicle pursuant to § 55-8-158 , § 55-8-160 , or other law, upon the right side of the roadway or the roadway's shoulder or berm; provided, that a carrier of passengers for hire or other motor vehicle used to provide public transportation may only be parked, stopped, or left standing within a bicycle lane temporarily when loading or unloading passengers and when the area adjacent to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway that is otherwise designated or primarily used to load or unload passengers is obstructed; (2) When turning into an intersecting or adjoining highway, drive, road, or driveway; or (3) When yielding the right-of-way to, or temporarily parking or stopping upon the approach of, an authorized emergency vehicle or police vehicle pursuant to § 55-8-132 or other law. (c) Any person failing to conform with subsection (b) shall receive a warning citation on first offense and be liable for a fine of twenty dollars ($20.00) on second offense, and fifty dollars ($50.00) on third and subsequent offenses. (d) Nothing in this section preempts or otherwise affects an ordinance or resolution governing the parking, stopping, or standing of motor vehicles in bicycle lanes that is more restrictive than subdivision (b)(1), whether enacted or modified prior to, or on or after, July 1, 2016, by a municipality or county, including a county with a metropolitan form of government.

Legislative History

Added by 2016 Tenn. Acts, ch. 944, s 1, eff. 7/1/2016.