Petaluma, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- Must ride in designated bike lane once one exists
- Parallel path trigger
- Path within 75 ft of roadway edge
- Signage authority
- City traffic engineer, PMC § 11.72.480
- Two-way lanes
- Allowed only where surface arrows mark them
- Flood wall
- Bicycles barred on Payran St. flood wall cap
Summary
Petaluma requires cyclists to ride within a designated bicycle lane once one exists on a roadway, rather than in the general traffic lane. The rule also reaches parallel bike paths within 75 feet of the road, and the city posts regulatory signs that riders must obey.
11.72.440 Bicycle lanes.
A. No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon a roadway adjacent to which or upon which bicycle lanes have been designated, except within such bicycle lane or except as otherwise permitted by the provisions of this chapter.
B. No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon a roadway adjacent to which there is a bicycle path which parallels said roadway and which bicycle path when measured from the edge of the roadway to the edge of the bicycle path nearest the roadway is not more than seventy-five feet distant, except within such bicycle path or except as otherwise permitted by the provisions of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
440 bars a cyclist from riding on a roadway where a bicycle lane has been designated, except inside that lane, once the lane exists. The same section extends to a bicycle path running parallel to the roadway: if the path's near edge sits no more than 75 feet from the roadway edge, a cyclist must use the path rather than the adjacent street lane, unless another chapter provision allows otherwise. 480, and defines a bicycle path as a bikeway paralleling the roadway within that same 75-foot band.
470: a rider must travel the same direction as vehicle traffic on that side of the road, except where the pavement is marked with two-way arrows. ' No bike lane or path may be established at all until the city council approves it by resolution and confirms funding is available. 481: bicycles are barred outright from the flood wall cap along Payran Street near the Petaluma River and along Washington Creek to the Holly Lane Bridge, a separate prohibition from the lane rules.
Violations & Fines
Riding outside a marked bicycle lane, riding against the marked direction of travel, or disobeying a posted regulatory sign is unlawful under PMC § 11.72.190, which makes violation of any of the chapter's rules of the road unlawful. Enforcement runs through the police department; California Vehicle Code Article 4, Chapter 1, Division 11 rules are also expressly applied to Petaluma cyclists under § 11.72.540.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a bike lane if one exists on my street in Petaluma?
Can I ride the wrong way in a Petaluma bike lane?
Who decides where Petaluma puts bicycle lane signs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
California rules heatmap·Compare Petaluma to another location·View the California mobility & curb rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Bike Lane Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle bike lane rules.