Is It Illegal to Ride a Bicycle on the Freeway in Texas

Riding a bike is a great way to exercise & stay in shape. While every state has various laws on what you can & can not do while riding in town, one law that bicyclists need to know is: "am I allowed to ride on the freeway?". If you live in Texas, the answer is YES. Yes you can. However... before you hop on your bike & start pedaling out on the road, there are some things to know first.

What are the rules of riding on the highway in Texas?

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, they have posted the official rules & regulations on bike safety online; everything on what proper gear to wear while riding, the proper hand signals to give on while riding, and whether you can use the sidewalk.

On page 21, there's a section that's entitled: "Are bicycles permitted on interstate highways in Texas?". Think I-10, I-410, etc...According to the actual text by TXDot, it states:

"The Texas Transportation Commission, by resolution or order recorded in its minutes, may prohibit the use of a limited-access or controlled-access highway under the jurisdiction of the commission by a parade, funeral procession, pedestrian, bicycle, electric bicycle, motordriven cycle or non-motorized traffic"

In other words: yes. It IS legal to currently ride your bicycle on the highway unless there's a function prohibiting people from traveling. In fact, Texas is 1 of 11 states where it IS legal to ride on the interstate; including Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, & Utah.

Even though it's legal to ride on the interstate, SHOULD you do it?

Well the simple answer is: it's entirely up to you  If you DO decide to ride on the freeway, you'll need to use much more caution on everyone driving around you. People travel at least 60 mph on the freeway, sometimes MUCH faster.

You'd be traveling along other cars, trucks, semi trucks and other large vehicles. And the amount of people around is much greater than simply driving around a suburban area or residential area.

So while you ARE allowed to ride a bike on the highway, just keep in mind on your surroundings & use your best judgment while riding.

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