Columbus City Code Title 21 and the Columbus Bicycle Plan regulate bike lane use, motorist conduct around cyclists, and infrastructure design. Drivers must give three feet of passing distance and avoid blocking bike lanes citywide.
Columbus adopted its Bicycle Plan to expand the citywide network of protected lanes, buffered bike lanes, and shared-use paths to over 500 miles by 2050. Title 21 of the City Code, the Traffic Code, requires motorists to provide at least three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist, prohibits parking or stopping in marked bike lanes, and treats cyclists as vehicles entitled to a full lane when safety requires. Cyclists must obey traffic signals, ride with traffic flow, use front and rear lights at night, and yield to pedestrians on shared-use paths. The Department of Public Service maintains bike infrastructure, while the Columbus Police Division enforces traffic laws involving cyclists.
Driving in a bike lane or violating the three-foot passing rule is a minor misdemeanor with fines starting at one hundred fifty dollars. Cyclists ignoring signals or riding without lights face fines around fifty dollars.
See how Columbus's bike lane rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.