Pierce County, WA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopting section
- PCC 10.12.010
- Governing state rule
- RCW 46.61.770
- Bike lane use
- Permitted, not mandatory
- Riding side rule
- Near right side of lane
- Abreast limit
- No more than two abreast
- Enforcement
- Civil traffic infraction
Summary
Unincorporated Pierce County enforces Washington's bicycle riding statute as its own traffic code. PCC 10.12.010 adopts RCW 46.61.770 by reference, requiring cyclists to ride near the right side of the lane and permitting use of a marked bike lane where one exists, so anyone driving, parking, or riding through a bike lane must respect the rule as county law.
Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane as is safe except as may be appropriate while preparing to make or while making turning movements, or while overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction. A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway or highway other than a limited-access highway, which roadway or highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near to the left side of the left through lane as is safe. A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway may use the shoulder of the roadway or any specially designated bicycle lane if such exists. Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
Full Breakdown
12 PCC. 770, "Riding on roadways and bicycle paths," is not among the exclusions, so its exact text governs bicycle riding on every county road in the unincorporated area. That statute requires a cyclist moving slower than traffic to ride as near to the right side of the right through lane as is safe, except when preparing to turn or passing another rider or vehicle, and it separately authorizes riding as near to the left side of the left lane on one-way roads with two or more marked lanes.
Critically for obstruction complaints, the statute states a cyclist "may use the shoulder of the roadway or any specially designated bicycle lane if such exists," which frames bike lane use as a right the rider may exercise, not a mandate confining bikes only to the lane. The statute additionally bars riding more than two abreast except on paths or roadway sections set aside exclusively for bicycles, a rule enforceable on County trail crossings and dedicated bike paths built under PCC Title 18J's transportation standards. 61 straight into county law rather than paraphrasing it, deputies cite the RCW section number directly when writing an infraction for unsafe positioning, blocking a following cyclist, or riding three abreast in a shared lane.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the adopted riding rule is processed as a civil traffic infraction, not a criminal charge, consistent with how Pierce County handles every other RCW-adopted Rules of the Road violation in Chapter 10.12 PCC (the same chapter that separately sets DUI penalties for motor vehicles). Monetary penalties for traffic infractions arising under a Chapter 10.12 PCC adoption are assessed per the statewide infraction schedule in RCW Chapter 46.63, the same framework the County applies to its adopted speeding and following-too-closely infractions elsewhere in Title 10 PCC. There is no jail exposure for a riding-position infraction; it is contested the same way as any other traffic infraction, through a written response or a contested hearing before the Pierce County District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pierce County require cyclists to use a bike lane if one exists?
Can two cyclists ride side by side in a Pierce County bike lane?
What happens if a driver blocks a marked bike lane in unincorporated Pierce County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pierce County
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