Does Maine law prohibit riding a bicycle on the sidewalk? | Fact brief

No.  Maine law doesn’t prohibit riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, but municipalities [may adopt local restrictions](https://www.maine.gov/dot/sites/maine.gov.dot/files/docs/bikeped/docs/MaineBicyclingLaws.pdf), according to the Maine Department of Transportation. Portland, Maine’s largest city, does not have a blanket prohibition in its traffic code. The City Council [may ban bicycle riding](https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/me-portland/303e2f8f-6d69-41ab-9ef8-664527be814a?cache=1800) on particular sidewalks, streets or public property where needed for safety, with signs marking the restriction and any hours it applies. Other Maine cities are stricter. Biddeford prohibits riding a bicycle [on any public sidewalk](https://ecode360.com/15150049) in the city; violators can be fined up to $10. Westbrook also [bans bicycle riding on sidewalks](https://ecode360.com/33909518) in every district. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine [advises riders](https://www.bikemaine.org/education/biking-basics/) to travel with traffic, obey signs and signals, use hand signals, and yield to pedestrians; it also recommends wearing bright clothing and reflective gear. State law requires a headlight, a rear reflector, and pedal or foot reflectors when riding at night. _This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/portlandme/comments/1ucyfif/bicycles_on_sidewalks/ot7rp2x/)._ _The Maine Trust for Local News partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/) to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our [methodology](https://gigafact.org/guidelines-principles-and-methodologies/) to learn how we check claims._ Sources * Maine Department of Transportation: [Maine Bicycling Laws](https://www.maine.gov/dot/sites/maine.gov.dot/files/docs/bikeped/docs/MaineBicyclingLaws.pdf) * City of Portland: [Chapter 28: Traffic and Motor Vehicles (Pg. 80)](https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/me-portland/303e2f8f-6d69-41ab-9ef8-664527be814a?cache=1800) * City of Biddeford: [Article III: Sidewalks](https://ecode360.com/15150049) * City of Westbrook: [Chapter 117: Bicycles](https://ecode360.com/33909518) * Bicycle Coalition of Maine: [Biking Basics](https://www.bikemaine.org/education/biking-basics/) Copy the Story Link Tagged: [bicycle coalition of maine](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/bicycle-coalition-of-maine/), [bicycling](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/bicycling/)