(A) Traffic laws apply. Every person operating a bicycle shall have all of the rights and duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle by this chapter, except in respect to those provisions in this chapter relating expressly to bicycles and in respect to those provisions of this chapter which by their nature cannot reasonably be applied to bicycles.
(B) Manner and number riding. No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped, except: on a baby seat attached to the bicycle, provided that the baby seat is equipped with a harness to hold the child securely in the seat and that protection is provided against the child’s feet hitting the spokes of the wheel; or in a seat attached to the bicycle operator.
(C) Clinging to vehicles. Persons riding upon any bicycle or skateboard shall not attach the same or themselves to any vehicle upon a roadway.
(D) Riding on roadways.
(1) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway 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 vehicle proceeding in the same direction;
(b) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway; and
(c) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including fixed or moving objects, vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or narrow width lanes, that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge.
(2) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast and shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a lane roadway, shall ride within a single lane.
(3) A person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk, or across a roadway on a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal when necessary before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district unless permitted by local authorities. A person lawfully operating a bicycle on a sidewalk, or across a roadway on a crosswalk, shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances.
(E) Carrying articles. No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the driver from keeping at least one hand upon the handle bars or from properly operating the brakes of the bicycle.
(F) Bicycle equipment.
(1) No person shall operate a bicycle at nighttime unless the bicycle or its operator is equipped with a lamp which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety which is visible from all distances from 100 feet to 600 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle.
(a) No person may operate a bicycle at any time when there is not sufficient light to render persons and vehicles on the highway clearly discernible at a distance of 500 feet ahead unless the bicycle or its operator is equipped with reflective surfaces that shall be visible during the hours of darkness from 600 feet when viewed in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle.
(b) The reflective surfaces shall include reflective materials on each side of each pedal to indicate their presence from the front or the rear and with a minimum of 20 square inches of reflective materials on each side of the bicycle or its operator. Any bicycle equipped with side reflectors as required by regulations for new bicycles prescribed by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission shall be considered to meet the requirements for side reflectorization contained in this division (F)(1)(b).
(2) No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(3) No person shall operate upon a highway any bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate the hands above the level of the shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.
(4) No person shall operate upon a highway any bicycle which is of such a size as to prevent the operator from stopping the bicycle, supporting it with at least one foot on the highway surface and restarting in a safe manner.
(G) Turning and lane changes. An arm signal to turn right or left shall be given continuously during the last 100 feet traveled by the bicycle before turning, unless the arm is needed to control the bicycle, and shall be given while the bicycle is stopped waiting to turn.
(H) Bicycle parking
(1) A person may park a bicycle on a sidewalk. A bicycle parked on a sidewalk shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic.
(2) A bicycle may be parked on a roadway at any location where parking is allowed if it is parked in such manner that it does not obstruct the movement of a legally parked motor vehicle.
(Ord. 180, passed 9-8-1987) Penalty, see § 10.99