Definition of roadway
It’s important for cyclists and motorists to understand how the law defines a roadway. Why? Because that is where the law requires a bicyclist
to operate his or her bicycle. Is a roadway synonymous with pavement? Does it include the shoulder? Is it from curb to curb?
Does it include that space designated for parking? What is meant when the law says: “…ride as close as practicable to the right-hand
curb or edge of the roadway…”(UVC) A roadway is defined by the UVC (and most states have adopted this definition) as: “that portion
of a highway used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the sidewalk, berm or shoulder…” In other words, a roadway is simply the lanes of traffic. No more
no less. It’s that section of a road, paved or unpaved, that motor vehicles use to travel on. It is also that section of a street in which a
bicyclist is entitled to and expected to operate h/her bicycle.
