Legal status of a minor riding in the street

After last month's excellent Hyde Park Kidical Mass, my 7-year old daughter and I were cycling home in the bike lane along 55th Street. A motorist stopped to inform me that it was illegal for my daughter to be riding in the street. I understand that it is legal for my daughter to ride on the sidewalk (since she is under 10). Does that make it illegal for her to ride in the street? Is it legal only in the presence of an adult?

While I'm asking for advice, our interaction with the motorist occurred after we had moved out of the bike lane to the left-hand side of the street in preparation to make a left turn. What is the safest and most legal way to turn left on a street with a bike lane running along the right-hand side? I do not regularly face this circumstance, but with the growing number of bike lanes in the city, I hope to start facing it more frequently!

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Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on December 5, 2012 at 8:56am

It is not illegal for your 7 year old daughter to ride in the street. She need not be accompanied by an adult, but of course use your best judgment with that.

There are two safe and legal ways to make a left turn on a bicycle. One is to do it just like a car would, in the farthest left lane in your direction of travel. The second is to make a box turn which is illustrated below:

You can read more about how to make safe and legal left turns here:http://www.mybikeadvocate.com/2009/09/two-options-for-left-turning-....