Riding Two Abreast in Illinois and Chicago: The Rule

Riding next to a friend is legal in Illinois, with limits. In Chicago the same habit has a tighter default. The rules are short and they turn on one test: whether the pair impedes traffic. This page gives each text and how they differ.

The Illinois statute

The state rule sits in its own section, 625 ILCS 5/11-1505.1.¹ The core of it:

“Persons riding bicycles or motorized pedal cycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than 2 abreast, except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for their exclusive use.” — 625 ILCS 5/11-1505.1¹

The next sentence sets the condition. Persons riding two abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, and on a laned roadway shall ride within a single lane, subject to section 11-1505.¹ The Secretary of State’s booklet puts it in plain words: two abreast is permitted as long as the normal and reasonable movement of traffic is not impeded, and more than two abreast is prohibited except on paths or roadway parts set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.⁴

The Chicago ordinance

Chicago’s Municipal Code section 9-52-050 reverses the default.² Its text:

“Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall ride single file except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles or except when riding two abreast does not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.” — Municipal Code of Chicago 9-52-050²

A pair may ride two abreast when it does not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.² Persons riding two abreast shall ride within a single lane, subject to section 9-52-040.²

The two rules agree on the result and differ in emphasis. The state sets a ceiling of two abreast. The city sets single file as the baseline and treats two abreast as the exception. Inside Chicago, treat single file as the default.

Where the lane position comes from

Both rules point to the right-edge rule. Section 11-1505 says a rider going slower than normal traffic shall ride as close as practicable and safe to the right-hand curb or edge.⁵ Chicago’s section 9-52-040 repeats it.⁶ The exceptions are the same in kind:

Exception	State, 11-1505(a)	Chicago, 9-52-040(c)
Overtaking and passing	Yes, a bicycle or vehicle going the same way5	Yes6
Preparing for a left turn	Yes, at an intersection or into a driveway5	Yes6
Hazards or a substandard-width lane	Yes, when reasonably necessary5	Yes6
Approaching a place where a right turn is authorized	Yes5	Yes6

Both texts define a substandard-width lane as one too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.^5,6 On a one-way road with two or more marked lanes, a rider may ride as near the left edge as practicable.^5,6

Chicago also lets a rider pass on the right of a slower-moving or standing vehicle or bicycle, with due care. A Class 3 e-bike rider may not.⁶

How drivers pass

A pair of riders sits inside the same lane that drivers use. The Secretary of State describes the lane geometry: most lanes are less than 14 feet wide, too narrow to legally pass a bicycle within the same lane, so drivers must usually merge at least partially into the next lane.⁴ The same booklet requires at least 3 feet of space when a driver passes a bicyclist.⁴

It also tells riders when to take space: if there is no room to pass open car doors safely, take the full lane.⁴ It advises riding at least 4 feet from parked cars.⁴ And it notes that bicyclists may need to ride outside a bike lane, and that motorists should be prepared to move safely around them.⁴ The City’s transportation department adds that a cyclist may use the adjacent travel lane when moving at the speed of traffic.⁷

Paths, kids and the fine

On trails and paths set aside for bicycles, the two-abreast ceiling does not apply.¹ The Park District still requires riders to keep to the right-hand side of its paths.⁸ Read Lakefront Trail rules before you ride the lake.

Chicago’s penalty for violating the bicycle chapter is a fine of $50 to $200 per offense, unless another fine is provided.³ Section 9-52-050 contains no separate penalty.² Riders also hold every right and duty of a vehicle driver on the road.^9,3

With children, follow the booklet: always ride in a single file line, adults behind and slightly to the left.⁴ See kids biking rules in Chicago. Passing rules are in the three-foot passing law, and the rest of the rulebook starts at the laws hub and Chicago bike laws.