Chapter 8

BICYCLES*

*Cross reference - Traffic, Ch. 16.

Art. I. In General, §§ 8.1--8-15

Art. II. Equipment and Operation, §§ 8-16--8-24

 

ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL

Sec. 8-1. Violations of article.

Unless otherwise specifically provided, a violation of any provision of this article shall constitute a Class 4 misdemeanor.

Cross reference - Penalty for Class 4 misdemeanor, § 1-10.

Sec. 8-2. Registration with police department.

(a) Any person owning a bicycle in the city may register the serial number of the same with the police department.

(b) Any owner wishing to do so may go to the police department and have the serial number of his bicycle entered in a permanent register maintained by the department. In addition to the serial number, such register shall show the type, model and other identifying information concerning the bicycle and the name and address of the owner.

(c) Upon the request of an owner registering a bicycle pursuant to this section, the police department may stamp a number on the frame of the bicycle, if no serial number can be found or if such number is illegible or insufficient for identification purposes. (Code 1964, §§ 15-35, 15-38, 15-41)

Cross reference - Police department, § 20-12 et seq.
State law reference - Provisions similar to subsection (a) above, Code of Virginia, § 46.2-908.

Sec. 8-3. Removal, alteration, etc., of serial or frame number.

It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously remove, destroy, mutilate or alter the serial or frame number of any bicycle in the city. (Code 1964, § 15-41)

Sec. 8-4. Reports by dealers in secondhand bicycles.

All persons engaged in the business of buying secondhand bicycles or any parts of secondhand bicycles are hereby required to report to the police department within forty-eight (48) hours after acquiring any secondhand bicycle or parts thereof, such report to include the registration number, if any, of such bicycle, a description of the bicycle and the frame or serial number thereof, together with the name and address of the person from whom the same was acquired. In case of the purchase of any parts of bicycles, the report shall describe each part and give the name and address of the person from whom the same was acquired. (Code 1964, § 15-40)

Sec. 8-5. Consent of owner prerequisite to use.

No person shall operate or use any bicycle upon any street in the city without the consent of the owner of the bicycle.

Secs. 8-6-8-15. Reserved.

 

 

ARTICLE II. EQUIPMENT AND OPERATION*

*Cross reference - Application of traffic regulations to persons riding bicycles, § 16-4.

Sec. 8-16. Violations of article generally.

A violation of any provision of this article shall constitute a traffic infraction and, unless otherwise provided, shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).

Sec. 8-17. Removal from streets of bicycle operated in violation of article.

Any bicycle operated by the owner or other person lawfully in custody thereof in violation of any of the provisions of this article may, by any police officer of the city, be ordered removed from the streets of the city and the person so operating the same in violation of this article shall not be permitted to operate the bicycle on the streets of the city for such period of time, not exceeding thirty (30) days, as the police officer issuing such order determines. Any person who has been so ordered not to operate a bicycle over the streets of the city may appeal the order to the district court which has appropriate jurisdiction. (Code 1964, § 15-48)

Sec. 8-18. Warning device.

Every bicycle shall be equipped with an ordinary bicycle bell or other warning device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred (100) feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with, nor shall any person use upon a bicycle, any siren or whistle.

Sec. 8-19. Riders and passengers to use seats.

The transporting of persons on the handlebars of bicycles is hereby prohibited. Persons shall be permitted to ride bicycles or to be transported on bicycles only on seats specifically designed for and provided for the purpose of accommodating human passengers or riders. (Code 1964, § 15-45)

Sec. 8-20. Operator to have hands on handlebars.

Operators of bicycles shall have one hand on the handlebars at all times and both hands on the handlebars, except when it becomes necessary to execute hand signals, to operate mechanical devices of the bicycle or at other times when it is necessary to remove one hand momentarily from the handlebars. (Code 1964, § 15-45)

State law reference - Operator carrying package, bundle, etc., preventing him from keeping at least one hand on handlebars, Code of Virginia, § 46.2-906.

Sec. 8-21. Operator to have feet on pedals; trick riding.

It shall be unlawful for any person operating a bicycle on any street in the city to coast upon such bicycle by permitting it to proceed by inertia or momentum with his feet removed from the pedals and such person shall, at all times, keep his feet upon the pedals, so as to have the same under proper control to avoid accidents. No operator of a bicycle shall practice any trick or fancy riding on any street in the city.

Sec. 8-22. Reckless operation; speed.

No person shall operate a bicycle recklessly or at a speed greater than is reasonable and proper or so as to endanger the property or life or limb of the rider or of any other person.

Sec. 8-23. Riding on sidewalks.

(a) No person shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk, whether paved or unpaved, in a district of the city zoned commercial.

(b) Whenever any person shall ride a bicycle on the sidewalks, whether paved or unpaved, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian, and shall ride in single file.

State law reference - Authority for subsection (a) and provisions similar to subsection (b) above, Code of Virginia, § 46.2-904.

Sec. 8-24. Parking in downtown or other commercial areas.

(a) In downtown and other commercial areas of the city, it shall be unlawful for a person operating a bicycle to park such bicycle on the streets. In moving a bicycle off the streets to a suitable parking area, operators shall dismount and proceed on foot so as not to endanger pedestrians.

(b) A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than five dollars ($5.00) nor more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00). (Code 1964, § 1547)