A. Due Care: Traffic laws apply to persons on bicycles and other human powered conveyances.
1. Rights And Duties: Every person operating a vehicle propelled by human power or riding a bicycle shall have all of the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle, except as otherwise provided in this chapter and except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application.
2. Exercise Due Care: Every operator or rider of a bicycle or human powered vehicle shall exercise due care.
3. Use Of Human Powered Conveyances Restricted: It shall be unlawful for any person upon roller skates, rollerblades, or riding any other human powered conveyance to go upon any roadway within the Business District.
B. Riding On Bicycles:
1. A person propelling a bicycle shall not ride other than upon or astride an attached permanent and regular seat.
2. No bicycle or human propelled conveyance shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.
3. An adult rider may carry a child securely attached to his person in a backpack or sling or in a child carrier attached to the bicycle.
C. Speed: It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a bicycle or other human powered vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing.
D. Clinging To Or Following Vehicles: No person riding upon any bicycle, coaster, roller skates, skateboard, sled or toy vehicle shall attach it or themselves to any vehicle upon a highway. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the attachment of a bicycle trailer or bicycle semitrailer to a bicycle, if that trailer or semitrailer has been designed for that attachment. No person riding upon any bicycle or human powered vehicle shall follow a vehicle so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard to the rider.
E. Position On Highway:
1. Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway, except under any of the following situations:
a. When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction; when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway; when reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to continue along the right hand curb or edge. Any person operating a bicycle upon a one-way roadway with two (2) or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near the left hand curb or edge of the roadway as practicable.
F. Riding Two Abreast: Persons riding bicycles upon a highway shall not ride more than two (2) abreast, except on paths or parts of highways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two (2) abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and on a laned roadway shall ride within a single lane.
G. Carrying Articles: No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the operator from using at least one hand in the control and operation of the bicycle.
H. Stopping; Turn And Stop Signals:
1. A person operating a bicycle or human powered vehicle approaching a stop sign shall slow down and, if required for safety, stop before entering the intersection. After slowing to a reasonable speed or stopping, the person shall yield the right of way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another highway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time the person is moving across or within the intersection or junction of highways, except that a person after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right of way, if required, may cautiously make a turn or proceed through the intersection without stopping.
2. A person operating a bicycle or human powered vehicle approaching a steady red traffic control signal shall stop before entering the intersection, except that a person after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right of way, if required, may cautiously make a right hand turn without stopping or may cautiously make a left hand turn onto a one-way highway without stopping.
3. A signal of intention to turn right or left shall be given during not less than the last one hundred feet (100') traveled by the bicycle before turning, provided that a signal by hand and arm need not be given if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle.
I. Bicycles Or Human Powered Conveyances On Sidewalks:
1. If posted, pursuant to Idaho Code section 49-721(2), it shall be unlawful for any person to ride and/or operate a bicycle or other human powered conveyance upon a sidewalk within the business district of the city. In addition, it is unlawful to leave a bicycle or other human propelled conveyance lying on or over a sidewalk.
2. Within the "business district", as is defined herein, the public works director is authorized to order and erect signs prohibiting the riding of and operation of bicycles and human powered conveyances thereon.
3. In addition, it shall be unlawful to ride and/or operate a bicycle or ride and/or operate a human propelled conveyance at or within any of the following locations, including the sidewalk surrounding any of those areas, unless the city council shall specifically authorize, by motion or resolution, an exception: Pioneer park, Lions park, Jaycees park, Heritage square, or city hall complex. In addition it shall be unlawful to enter and utilize the facility known as the Skate Board park, in violation of the rules, established by the city council.
4. A person operating a vehicle by human power upon and along a sidewalk or across a highway upon and along a crosswalk shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances.
J. Bicycle Racing:
1. Bicycle racing on the highways is prohibited, except as authorized in this section.
2. Bicycle racing on a highway shall not be unlawful when a racing event has been approved by the department or local law enforcement authorities on any highway under their respective jurisdictions. Approval of bicycle highway racing events shall be granted only under conditions which assure reasonable safety for all race participants, spectators, and other highway users, and which prevent unreasonable interference with traffic flow that would seriously inconvenience other highway users.
3. By agreement with the approving authority, participants in an approved bicycle highway racing event may be exempt from compliance with any traffic laws otherwise applicable, provided that traffic control is adequate to assure the safety of all highway users. (Ord. 832, 9-4-2007)