Rules of the Road and Trail - Bicycle Colorado

We envision a Colorado where riding a bicycle is always safe and convenient for everyone

… where bicycling is the top choice for recreation and everyday trips, and where the benefits of bicycling are experienced and valued by all people in our state, and we’ve made great inroads by working with state legislators and regulations staff to change and improve laws to make them more friendly for people on bikes.

Here, we summarize Colorado’s rules of the road and other bicycle-related laws as they apply to people driving motor vehicles and people riding bicycles on roads, paths and mountain bike trails in Colorado. In most cases, bicyclists and motorists have the same rights and responsibilities when using public roads.

This information is provided as a public service. It is not legal advice and should not be interpreted as such. Bicycle Colorado does not provide legal counsel.

Riding a bicycle on the road

Below we’ve bolded state laws that highlight your rights and responsibilities as a bicyclist on the road as well as additional safety practices to keep in mind as a more vulnerable road user. At the bottom of this page, we’ve also included the official language of relevant statutes for bicyclists and drivers interacting with them.

Check out CDOT’s Bilingual Bicycling Manual for more tips for bicyclists.

Bicycles are vehicles and bicyclists have the right to ride on the road.
Obey all traffic signs, signals, and right of way rules. In 2022, the Colorado Safety Stop Law was passed that allows people, 15 years and older, on bikes to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs.
Ride with the flow of traffic, unless you are in a designated contraflow bike lane.
Yield to pedestrians.
Use hand signals 100 ft. before turning, merging or stopping if you can do so while safely operating your bike.
Beginning at dusk or when visibility is poor, use at minimum a white front light, red rear reflector and side reflectors.
Bicyclists may ride side-by-side when not impeding the normal flow of traffic. In some situations, riding two abreast can be helpful to increase your visibility and reduce passing time for drivers.
Ride in the right third of the lane serving your direction of travel when it feels safe. Use the full lane at any time to avoid obstacles, to be more visible, to prepare for a left turn or to discourage drivers from passing when it is not safe. You may also leave the right side of the lane if you are overtaking a slower-moving vehicle or riding on a one-way road.
Check your local ordinances for whether it is legal to ride on sidewalks in your community. Where sidewalk-riding is legal, bicyclists on sidewalks have the same rights and responsibilities as pedestrians and must ride with caution for the safety of pedestrians and to stay alert for drivers when crossing driveways, alleys and crosswalks. Bicyclists riding on the sidewalk where it is legal must yield to pedestrians.
People on bikes have the right of way in a bike lane, and bike lanes extend through intersections, regardless of whether or not they are painted through the intersection.
Ride defensively, stay visible and be prepared to react. It’s important never to assume that a driver sees you.
Scan regularly while riding, particularly before turning, changing lanes and navigating intersections.
Ride in the street where you are most visible and use caution on sidewalks and crosswalks where legal.
Ride in the center of the lane when there are obstacles to the right, to discourage passing in narrow lanes or to increase visibility through intersections.
Ride outside of a bike lane if your safety is compromised by its condition or orientation.
Give yourself space to be seen between and next to cars.
Leave room alongside parked cars and when passing driveways to avoid opening doors or drivers pulling out.
Maintain a straight line as you ride and avoid weaving.
Avoid lane-splitting.
Attempt to make eye contact if conditions allow.
When you feel uncomfortable riding, dismount and walk your bike.
You may choose to go above and beyond to help drivers see you with additional lights, bright colors, reflective gear, mirrors or front/rear cameras.

The legislature may be temporarily closed, but @govofco’s office isn't... Today he signed Senate Bill 061, AKA the bike lane bill, into law!<br />
The bill defines bike lanes into law and establishes that bicyclists have the right-of-way in the lane. This is a big win for bicyclists!</p>
<p>We were proud to work on the bill alongside bill sponsor Senator Mike Foote and Champion @cyclist_lawyer!<br />
Safe riding! #bicyclecolorado

Driving alongside bicyclists

The laws (bolded) and practices shared below recognize the great responsibility we have as drivers and help us look out for others to keep Colorado’s roads safe for everyone. At the bottom of this page, we’ve also included the official language of relevant statutes for bicyclists and drivers interacting with them.

Obey all traffic laws, signs and signals.
When passing a bicyclist, you are required to allow at least 3 ft of space between the widest point of your vehicle and the widest point of the bicyclist, even when they are in a bike lane. You may cross a double yellow center line when oncoming traffic is clear to pass a bicyclist safely.
Only enter the oncoming travel lane to pass a bicyclist when it is fully visible and free of oncoming traffic. If the oncoming travel lane is not fully visible or free of oncoming traffic, wait until it is to pass.
Do not drive, park, idle, open doors without looking for bicyclists, or otherwise obstruct a bike lane. You may maneuver across a bike lane to turn after checking for people on bikes.
Give people on bikes the right of way in a bike lane, including through an intersection regardless of whether or not the bike lane is painted through the intersection.
Treat people on bikes as drivers of vehicles who have a right to the road, and who are also more vulnerable.
Keep your eyes on where you are going and your surroundings. Save texting and phone calls for another time.
Travel at a safe speed to recognize and react to any unpredictable situations.
Take the time to look for people on bikes—and other vulnerable road users—and to accurately judge their speed and distance.
Check all blind spots.
Understand when and why people on bikes take the lane.
Be patient, cautious and give plenty of space while passing bicyclists.
Pay special attention at intersections and driveways.
Utilize mixing zones before turning and turn from close to the curb.
Open your door with your hand closest to the center of the car after checking for people on bikes. This is called the “Dutch Reach.”
Be aware of physical and environmental factors that can put people on bikes in danger.

Learn about our Bicycle-Friendly Driver certification course here.

If a person driving a motor vehicle behaves aggressively or dangerously, dial *CSP (*277) from your cell phone to reach the Colorado State Patrol. You’ll need to provide the vehicle license plate number (mandatory), location and direction of travel, vehicle and driver description and a description of the aggressive behavior.

Riding a bicycle on a multi-use path

Help keep paths a safe and comfortable place for people of all ages and abilities to ride:

Adjust Your Speed: Many multi-use paths have a 15 mph speed limit. Regardless of the speed limit, adjust your speed based on conditions and for the safety of you and other trail users.
Path Use: Yield or stop to look for any cross traffic before entering a trail. Ride to the right and pass others on the left.
Signaling: Give an audible signal with your voice or a bell as you approach others to communicate before passing. Signal as you enter or exit a trail to let others know your intent.
Passing: Give others a comfortable space of a few feet when passing. Do not pass others unless you have a clear view of oncoming trail users to judge when it is safe to pass.

IMBA Rules of the Trail

Photo: RIDE Advisory Board Member Lauren Nagle. Credit: Gritchelle

Most land management agencies have adopted these guidelines provided by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Be aware that some agencies will ticket mountain bikers witnessed not riding within these limits.

Ride Open Trails: Respect trail and road closures — ask a land manager for clarification if you are uncertain about the status of a trail. Do not trespass on private land. Obtain permits or other authorization as required. Be aware that bicycles are not permitted in areas protected as state or federal Wilderness.
Leave No Trace: Be sensitive to the dirt beneath you. Wet and muddy trails are more vulnerable to damage than dry ones. When the trail is soft, consider other riding options. This also means staying on existing trails and not creating new ones. Don’t cut switchbacks. Be sure to pack out at least as much as you pack in.
Control Your Bicycle: Inattention for even a moment could put you and others at risk. Obey all bicycle speed regulations and recommendations, and ride within your limits.
Yield Appropriately: Do your utmost to let your fellow trail users know you’re coming — a friendly greeting or bell ring are good methods. Try to anticipate other trail users as you ride around corners. Bicyclists should yield to other non-motorized trail users, unless the trail is clearly signed for bike-only travel. Bicyclists traveling downhill should yield to ones headed uphill, unless the trail is clearly signed for one-way or downhill-only traffic. In general, strive to make each pass a safe and courteous one.
Never Scare Animals: Animals are easily startled by an unannounced approach, a sudden movement or a loud noise. Give animals enough room and time to adjust to you. When passing horses, use special care and follow directions from the horseback riders (ask if uncertain). Running cattle and disturbing wildlife are serious offenses.
Plan Ahead: Know your equipment, your ability and the area in which you are riding and prepare accordingly. Strive to be self-sufficient: keep your equipment in good repair and carry necessary supplies for changes in weather or other conditions. Always wear a helmet and appropriate safety gear.

The Safety Stop

As of April 13, 2022, bicyclists and users of “low speed conveyances” in Colorado may perform the Safety Stop.

When an intersection is clear and they already have the right of way, bicyclists ages 15 and older may now treat stop signs as yield signs and treat stop lights as stop signs. Younger bicyclists may perform the maneuver if an adult is present.

Additional details of the new law include:

Bicyclists can yield and then proceed through stop sign-controlled intersections at up to 10 miles per hour.
Intersections where bicyclist-specific lights or signs are present that prohibit the maneuver are exempt from the new law.
The bill defines “low speed conveyances” in Colorado law. These are small profile, low-speed vehicles that people use for transportation and recreation, including bicycles and electric bicycles, electric scooters (not including mopeds), and wheelchairs.

The Safety Stop does not impact the current right-of-way. People on bicycles can proceed straight, right, or left at a reasonable speed of no more than 10 miles per hour only when the coast is clear.

Riding an eBike in Colorado

In 2017, Bicycle Colorado helped pass a law that clarified eBike standards and classifications statewide, which improved labeling and enforcement. eBikes in Colorado are defined as:

a vehicle having two or three wheels, fully operable pedals, and an electric motor not exceeding seven hundred fifty watts of power. Electrical assisted bicycles are further required to conform to one of three classes as follows:
- (a) “Class 1 electrical assisted bicycle” means an electrical assisted bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of twenty miles per hour.
- (b) “Class 2 electrical assisted bicycle” means an electrical assisted bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance regardless of whether the rider is pedaling but ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of twenty miles per hour.
- (c) “Class 3 electrical assisted bicycle” means an electrical assisted bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of twenty-eight miles per hour.

(C.R.S. 42-1-102 (28.5))

EBikes are also required to be labeled appropriately by their manufacturer or distributor.

Additional rules surrounding eBikes in Colorado include:

In general, individuals are allowed to ride Class 1 and 2 eBikes wherever a standard bicycle can be ridden. However, local Colorado governments have ultimate control over where eBikes can be ridden, so be sure to check your local ordinances if you are unsure.
In general, Class 3 eBikes are only allowed to be ridden on roads, including in bike lanes and designated infrastructure within roads. Class 3 eBikes are not allowed to be ridden on bike paths or multiuse trails unless the trail is within the street, or a local government has explicitly allowed this. Check your local ordinances to learn more.
Individuals under 16 years of age are not allowed to ride Class 3 eBikes unless they are riding as a passenger on an eBike with that intended purpose.
Individuals under 18 must wear a helmet when riding a Class 3 eBike, either as the operator or a passenger.
Electric-assist mountain bikes (eMTBs) are allowed on trails in all 42 Colorado state parks that allow mountain biking (please check which ones before you go). Rules for city and county trails vary greatly. Always check with the land manager before you attempt to ride an eMTB on dirt trails/singletrack. Do NOT ride your eMTB on a dirt trail if the rules are unclear. Always follow IMBA’s Rules of the Trail (above) and ride courteously.
eBikes are currently allowed on nearly 40% of trails in national forests and grasslands. These vehicles are also allowed on thousands of miles of roads on national forests and grasslands at maintenance level 2, 3, or 4. Check with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or other governing agency before you attempt to ride an eMTB on public trails.

State of Colorado bicycling laws

We do our best to keep the information below as up-to-date as possible.

Operation of bicycles and other human-powered vehicles

(1) Every person riding a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall have all of the rights and duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under this article, except as to special regulations in this article and except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Said riders shall comply with the rules set forth in this section and section 42-4-221, and, when using streets and highways within incorporated cities and towns, shall be subject to local ordinances regulating the operation of bicycles and electrical assisted bicycles as provided in section 42-4-111.

(2) It is the intent of the general assembly that nothing contained in House Bill No. 1246, enacted at the second regular session of the fifty-sixth general assembly, shall in any way be construed to modify or increase the duty of the department of transportation or any political subdivision to sign or maintain highways or sidewalks or to affect or increase the liability of the state of Colorado or any political subdivision under the “Colorado Governmental Immunity Act”, article 10 of title 24, C.R.S.

(3) No bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed or equipped.

(4) No person riding upon any bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall attach the same or himself or herself to any motor vehicle upon a roadway.

(5) (a) Any person operating a bicycle or an electrical assisted bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic shall ride in the right-hand lane, subject to the following conditions:

(I) If the right-hand lane then available for traffic is wide enough to be safely shared with overtaking vehicles, a bicyclist shall ride far enough to the right as judged safe by the bicyclist to facilitate the movement of such overtaking vehicles unless other conditions make it unsafe to do so.

(II) A bicyclist may use a lane other than the right-hand lane when:

(A) Preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private roadway or driveway;

(B) Overtaking a slower vehicle; or

(III) Upon approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right-turn lane, a bicyclist may ride on the left-hand portion of the dedicated right-turn lane even if the bicyclist does not intend to turn right.

(b) A bicyclist shall not be expected or required to:

(I) Ride over or through hazards at the edge of a roadway, including but not limited to fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or narrow lanes; or

(II) Ride without a reasonable safety margin on the right-hand side of the roadway.

(c) A person operating a bicycle or an electrical assisted bicycle upon a one-way roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near to the left-hand curb or edge of such roadway as judged safe by the bicyclist, subject to the following conditions:

(I) If the left-hand lane then available for traffic is wide enough to be safely shared with overtaking vehicles, a bicyclist shall ride far enough to the left as judged safe by the bicyclist to facilitate the movement of such overtaking vehicles unless other conditions make it unsafe to do so.

(II) A bicyclist shall not be expected or required to:

(A) Ride over or through hazards at the edge of a roadway, including but not limited to fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or narrow lanes; or

(B) Ride without a reasonable safety margin on the left-hand side of the roadway.

(6) (a) Persons riding bicycles or electrical assisted bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

(b) Persons riding bicycles or electrical assisted bicycles two abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a laned roadway, shall ride within a single lane.

(7) A person operating a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.

(8) (a) A person riding a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle intending to turn left shall follow a course described in sections 42-4-901 (1), 42-4-903, and 42-4-1007 or may make a left turn in the manner prescribed in paragraph (b) of this subsection (8).

(b) A person riding a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle intending to turn left shall approach the turn as closely as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. After proceeding across the intersecting roadway to the far corner of the curb or intersection of the roadway edges, the bicyclist shall stop, as much as practicable, out of the way of traffic. After stopping, the bicyclist shall yield to any traffic proceeding in either direction along the roadway that the bicyclist had been using. After yielding and complying with any official traffic control device or police officer regulating traffic on the highway along which the bicyclist intends to proceed, the bicyclist may proceed in the new direction.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection (8), the transportation commission and local authorities in their respective jurisdictions may cause official traffic control devices to be placed on roadways and thereby require and direct that a specific course be traveled.

(9) (a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (9), every person riding a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall signal the intention to turn or stop in accordance with section 42-4-903; except that a person riding a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle may signal a right turn with the right arm extended horizontally.

(b) A signal of intention to turn right or left when required shall be given continuously during not less than the last one hundred feet traveled by the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle before turning and shall be given while the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle is stopped waiting to turn. A signal by hand and arm need not be given continuously if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle.

(10) (a) A person riding a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle upon and along a sidewalk or pathway or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian. A person riding a bicycle in a crosswalk shall do so in a manner that is safe for pedestrians.

(b) A person shall not ride a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle upon and along a sidewalk or pathway or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk where such use of bicycles or electrical assisted bicycles is prohibited by official traffic control devices or local ordinances. A person riding a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall dismount before entering any crosswalk where required by official traffic control devices or local ordinances.

(c) A person riding or walking a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle upon and along a sidewalk or pathway or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances, including, but not limited to, the rights and duties granted and required by section 42-4-802.

(d) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2005, p. 1353, § 1, effective July 1, 2005.)

(11) (a) A person may park a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle on a sidewalk unless prohibited or restricted by an official traffic control device or local ordinance.

(b) A bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle parked on a sidewalk shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic.

(c) A bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle may be parked on the road at any angle to the curb or edge of the road at any location where parking is allowed.

(d) A bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle may be parked on the road abreast of another such bicycle or bicycles near the side of the road or any location where parking is allowed in such a manner as does not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.

(e) In all other respects, bicycles or electrical assisted bicycles parked anywhere on a highway shall conform to the provisions of part 12 of this article regulating the parking of vehicles.

(12) (a) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense; except that section 42-2-127 shall not apply.

(b) Any person riding a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle who violates any provision of this article other than this section which is applicable to such a vehicle and for which a penalty is specified shall be subject to the same specified penalty as any other vehicle; except that section 42-2-127 shall not apply.

(13) Upon request, the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction shall complete a report concerning an injury or death incident that involves a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle on the roadways of the state, even if such accident does not involve a motor vehicle.

(14) Except as authorized by section 42-4-111, the rider of an electrical assisted bicycle shall not use the electrical motor on a bike or pedestrian path.

Bike lanes

42-1-102. Definitions

(10.3) “Bicycle lane” means a portion of the roadway that has been designated by striping, signage, or pavement markings for the exclusive use of bicyclists and other authorized users of bicycle lanes. “Bicycle lane” includes an intersection if the bicycle lane is marked on opposite sides of the intersection.

42-4-714. Bicyclist or other authorized user in bicycle lane

(1) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a bicyclist or other authorized user of a bicycle lane in a bicycle lane.
(2)

(a) Except as provided in subsection (2)(b) of this section, any person who violates subsection (1) of this section commits a class A traffic infraction.
(b)

(I) If a person violates subsection (1) of this section and the person’s actions are the proximate cause of a crash, the person commits careless driving and shall be punished as described in section 42-4-1402 (2)(a).
(II) If a person violates subsection (1) of this section and the person’s actions are the proximate cause of bodily injury to another person, the person commits careless driving and shall be punished as described in section 42-4-1402 (2)(b).

Overtaking a vehicle on the left

(1) The following rules shall govern the overtaking and passing of vehicles proceeding in the same direction, subject to the limitations, exceptions, and special rules stated in this section and sections 42-4-1004 to 42-4-1008:

(a) The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left of the vehicle at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.

(b) The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicyclist proceeding in the same direction shall allow the bicyclist at least a three-foot separation between the right side of the driver’s vehicle, including all mirrors or other projections, and the left side of the bicyclist at all times.

(c) Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, the driver of an overtaken vehicle shall give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle on audible signal and shall not increase the speed of the driver’s vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.

(2) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class A traffic infraction.

When lighted lamps are required

(1) Every vehicle upon a highway within this state, between sunset and sunrise and at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of one thousand feet ahead, shall display lighted lamps and illuminating devices as required by this article for different classes of vehicles, subject to exceptions with respect to parked vehicles.

(2) Whenever requirement is declared by this article as to distance from which certain lamps and devices shall render objects visible or within which such lamps or devices shall be visible, said provisions shall apply during the times stated in subsection (1) of this section in respect to a vehicle without load when upon a straight, level, unlighted highway under normal atmospheric conditions, unless a different time or condition is expressly stated.

(3) Whenever requirement is declared by this article as to the mounted height of lamps or devices, it shall mean from the center of such lamp or device to the level ground upon which the vehicle stands when such vehicle is without a load.

(4) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class A traffic infraction.

Bicycle and personal mobility device equipment

(1) No other provision of this part 2 and no provision of part 3 of this article shall apply to a bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or EPAMD or to equipment for use on a bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or EPAMD except those provisions in this article made specifically applicable to such a vehicle.

(2) Every bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or EPAMD in use at the times described in section 42-4-204 shall be equipped with a lamp on the front emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front.

(3) Every bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or EPAMD shall be equipped with a red reflector of a type approved by the department, which shall be visible for six hundred feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle.

(4) Every bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or EPAMD when in use at the times described in section 42-4-204 shall be equipped with reflective material of sufficient size and reflectivity to be visible from both sides for six hundred feet when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle or, in lieu of such reflective material, with a lighted lamp visible from both sides from a distance of at least five hundred feet.

(5) A bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or EPAMD or its rider may be equipped with lights or reflectors in addition to those required by subsections (2) to (4) of this section.

(6) A bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall not be equipped with, nor shall any person use upon a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle, any siren or whistle.

(7) Every bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall be equipped with a brake or brakes that will enable its rider to stop the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle within twenty-five feet from a speed of ten miles per hour on dry, level, clean pavement.

(8) A person engaged in the business of selling bicycles or electrical assisted bicycles at retail shall not sell any bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle unless the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle has an identifying number permanently stamped or cast on its frame.

(9) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class B traffic infraction.

Pedestrians' right-of-way in crosswalks

(1) When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply under the conditions stated in section 42-4-803.

(3) No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and ride a bicycle, ride an electrical assisted bicycle, walk, or run into the path of a moving vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.

(4) Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.

(5) Whenever special pedestrian-control signals exhibiting “Walk” or “Don’t Walk” word or symbol indications are in place, as declared in the traffic control manual adopted by the department of transportation, such signals shall indicate and require as follows:

(a) “Walk” (steady): While the “Walk” indication is steadily illuminated, pedestrians facing such signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal indication and shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles.

(b) “Don’t Walk” (steady): While the “Don’t Walk” indication is steadily illuminated, no pedestrian shall enter the roadway in the direction of the signal indication.

(c) “Don’t Walk” (flashing): Whenever the “Don’t Walk” indication is flashing, no pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal indication, but any pedestrian who has partly completed crossing during the “Walk” indication shall proceed to a sidewalk or to a safety island, and all drivers of vehicles shall yield to any such pedestrian.

(d) Whenever a signal system provides for the stopping of all vehicular traffic and the exclusive movement of pedestrians and “Walk” and “Don’t Walk” signal indications control such pedestrian movement, pedestrians may cross in any direction between corners of the intersection offering the shortest route within the boundaries of the intersection while the “Walk” indication is exhibited, if signals and other official devices direct pedestrian movement in such manner consistent with section 42-4-803 (4).

(6) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class A traffic infraction.

Powers of local authorities

(1) This article shall not be deemed to prevent local authorities, with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction and within the reasonable exercise of the police power, except those streets and highways that are parts of the state highway system that are subject to section 43-2-135, C.R.S., from:

(h) Regulating the operation of bicycles or electrical assisted bicycles and requiring the registration and licensing of same, including the requirement of a registration fee, consistent with the provisions of this article