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San Jose To Ban Bicycling On Sidewalks On Some Downtown Streets

SAN JOSE (KCBS) – The San Jose City Council has approved a measure that would ban bicycle riding on some downtown streets.

The hot button topic has proponents on both sides. Many downtown residents have expressed concerns that bike riders are dangerous to pedestrians, with several collisions reported.

San Jose To Ban Sidewalk Biking On Some Downtown Streets

Joyce Rabourn with the San Jose Senior Citizens Commission spoke in favor of the measure at Tuesday's city council meeting.

"Bicyclists go tearing down the sidewalk and some of them are very rude and arrogant," she said. "In fact, they've yelled out, we have a right to be here as much as you do. We realize that's not the whole bicycle riding population."

The ban will include a large swath of downtown, including stretches of San Fernando, First, Second and Third streets.

Meanwhile, bicyclists have argued that downtown streets are dangerous and that some don't even have designated bike lanes. "It's very dangerous because it's narrow and there's no room for a bicycle, no designated area for a bicycle, and people are texting and driving," said one bicyclist at Tuesday's meeting.

Children 12 years and younger would be exempt from the ban, as would police performing their duties on bikes.

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