From California Traffic Control Device Committee member John Ciccarelli, who says these come from the Caltrans signage design staff. These aren’t the officially approved designs (yet) but will be similar to what will eventually appear in the California edition of the MUTCD, which should be published within the next few months.
The sign committee chose the “PASS” wording on purpose to clue motorists in that they should drive as if they’re passing another vehicle when they pass a cyclist.
No Federal sign exists as of yet. As I noted last week, Utah and Florida also have three foot law signs of their own.
“Bicycles May Use Full Lane / Change Lanes To Pass” or nothing. This just tells people to pass closely.
Signs are useless. They’ve become invisible to the modern road user. If I had $1 for every time I get honked at for being in the middle of the lane where Homestead bike lane disappears – next to the great big yellow sign clearly showing a bicyclist in the middle of the lane in front of a car – I could pay for proper driver and bicyclist education classes across the entire state.
How many people I wonder who are changing lanes to pass will now try and estimate how close 3 feet is instead. Many of the ones already passing within 3 feet are mostly doing it on purpose just to be nasty and unlikely to be influenced by a sign or some remote chance of a tiny fine. Repeal that FTR nonsense, only used for harassment, and replace with ‘bikes may position in a way they judge to be the safest’, or ‘bikes may position for safety’.
The CA law is awful. It even allows for giving less than 3 feet when there isn’t enough room. What’s the point of a completely unenforceable law, that allows for buzzing anyway? The only helpful law/sign would say “Bicycles May Use Full Lane / Change Lanes To Pass”