(A) Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles. Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by the laws of this state declaring rules of the road applicable to vehicles or by the traffic ordinances of this city applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except as to special regulations in this chapter and except as to those provisions of law and ordinances which by their nature can have no application.
(B) Obedience to traffic control devices.
(1) Any person operating a bicycle shall obey the instructions of official traffic control signals, signs and other control devices applicable to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
(2) Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating that no right or left or U-turn is permitted, no person operating a bicycle shall disobey the direction of any such sign, except where such person dismounts from the bicycle to make any such turn, in which event such person shall obey the regulations applicable to pedestrians.
(C) Riding on bicycles.
(1) A person propelling a bicycle shall not ride other than astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto.
(2) No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designated and equipped.
(3) Bicycle riders under the age of 16 shall be required to wear a safety helmet.
(D) Riding on roadways and bicycle paths.
(1) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right-hand side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.
(2) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast.
(3) Whenever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway.
(E) Speed. No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing.
(F) Emerging from alley or driveway. The operator of a bicycle emerging from an alley, driveway or building, shall upon approaching a sidewalk or the sidewalk area extending across any alleyway, yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians approaching on said sidewalk or sidewalk area, and upon entering the roadway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on said roadway.
(G) Cling to vehicles. No person riding upon any bicycle shall attach the same or himself or herself to, or otherwise cling to, any vehicle upon any street or roadway.
(H) Carrying articles. No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the rider from keeping at least one hand upon the handle bars.
(I) Parking. No person shall park a bicycle upon a street other than upon the roadway against the curb or upon the sidewalk in a rack to support the bicycle or against a building or at the curb, in such manner as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrian traffic.
(J) Riding or skating on sidewalks.
(1) No person shall ride a bicycle, skateboard, scooter, rollerblade or similar recreational-use wheeled devices, except wheelchairs or personal mobility scooters, upon a sidewalk within a business district.
(2) The Police Department is authorized to determine the placement of signs on any sidewalk or roadway prohibiting the riding of bicycles, skateboards, scooters and rollerblades thereon by any person and when such signs are in place, no person shall disobey the same.
(3) Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.
(K) Parents and guardians not to authorize or permit chapter violations. The parent of any child or the guardian of any ward shall not authorize or knowingly permit any such child to violate any of the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior Code, § 5-A-04) (Ord. 1219, passed 11-2-2020) Penalty, see § 10.99