Chapter 10-16
REGULATIONS FOR BICYCLES AND MOTOR-DRIVEN CYCLES

Sections:

10-16-010    Certificate of registration required.

10-16-020    City to provide registration plates, seals and cards.

10-16-030    Duty of police department to provide plates.

10-16-040    Register of registrations.

10-16-050    Registration plate to be attached to bicycle.

10-16-060    Transfer of ownership.

10-16-070    Reports of secondhand dealers.

10-16-080    Mutilation, etc., of plates, numbers and cards.

10-16-090    Registration fee.

10-16-100    Impounding.

10-16-110    Violation of chapter a misdemeanor.

10-16-120    Traffic laws to apply to persons riding bicycles.

10-16-130    Speed of bicycles.

10-16-140    Emerging from alley, driveway or building.

10-16-150    Riding bicycles on sidewalks.

10-16-160    Riding bicycles on boulevards, streets and bicycle paths.

10-16-170    Clinging to moving vehicles, bicycles.

10-16-180    Carrying articles on bicycles.

10-16-190    Parking.

10-16-200    Lighted lamps and audible signaling devices on bicycles.

10-16-210    Riding on bicycles.

10-16-220    Obedience to traffic-control devices.

10-16-230    Effect of bicycle regulations.

10-16-240    Relative to traffic.

10-16-010 Certificate of registration required.

It is unlawful for any person to operate or use a bicycle propelled wholly or in part by muscular power upon any of the streets, alleys or public highways of the city without first obtaining a certificate of registration from the police department and attaching to such bicycle a metallic or other suitable registration plate. (Ord. 2046 § 1, 1975)

10-16-020 City to provide registration plates, seals and cards.

A.    The city shall provide metallic or other suitable registration plates or seals, together with registration cards to those persons who have presented proof, satisfactory to the police department, of their ownership of the bicycle.

B.    Metallic or other suitable registration plates and registration cards are to be numbered in numerical order beginning with number one, the design and identification lettering thereon to be approved by the chief of police. (Ord. 2046 § 2, 1975)

10-16-030 Duty of police department to provide plates.

It is the duty of the police department to see that the metallic or suitable registration plate provided for in this chapter is attached to the frame of each bicycle and to issue a corresponding registration card to the owner of such bicycle upon payment of the registration fee herein required. (Ord. 2046 § 3, 1975)

10-16-040 Register of registrations.

The police department shall keep a permanent register in which shall be entered the name, address and age of the owner of each registered bicycle, the date of registration and sufficient information to identify such bicycle. (Ord. 2046 § 4, 1975)

10-16-050 Registration plate to be attached to bicycle.

The metallic registration plate provided for in this chapter shall remain attached to the bicycle for which it was issued during the period such bicycle is operated within the city. (Ord. 2046 § 5, 1975)

10-16-060 Transfer of ownership.

It is unlawful for any person to sell or transfer ownership of any bicycle without reporting to the police department within forty-eight (48) hours from the time thereof, full and complete information relative to such transfer, so that such bicycle may be registered in the name of the transferee. The purchaser or transferee of any bicycle shall apply for a transfer of registration therefor within five days from the time the same is acquired by him. (Ord. 2046 § 6, 1975)

10-16-070 Reports of secondhand dealers.

All persons engaged in the business of buying secondhand bicycles or any parts of secondhand bicycles, are required to report to the police department of the city within forty-eight (48) hours after acquiring any secondhand bicycle or parts thereof; such report to include the registration number of such bicycle, a description of each bicycle acquired and the frame 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. (Ord. 2046 § 7, 1975)

10-16-080 Mutilation, etc., of plates, numbers and cards.

It is unlawful for any person to wilfully or maliciously remove, destroy, mutilate or alter the number of any bicycle frame registered pursuant to this chapter. It is also unlawful for any person to wilfully or maliciously remove, destroy, mutilate or alter any registration plate or registration card issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter during the time in which such registration card or plate is in effect; provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the police department from stamping a number on the frame of the bicycle on which no serial number can be found or on which such number is illegible or insufficient for identification purposes. (Ord. 2046 § 8, 1975)

10-16-090 Registration fee.

The registration fee to be paid for each bicycle registered shall be one dollar ($1.00). Once a bicycle has been registered in a given name, the registration thereon may be transferred from one owner to another without payment of an additional fee. The fee above required shall cover all charges incident to registering and issuance of registration plates and cards. All fees collected shall be turned over to the city treasurer and accounted for in the same manner as other general fund revenue. (Ord. 2046 § 9, 1975)

10-16-100 Impounding.

Any bicycle operated by the owner or other person lawfully in custody thereof in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter may be, by any police officers of the city, ordered removed from the streets of the city and impounded until the ownership of the bicycle can be verified, provided such period of impoundment cannot exceed thirty (30) days. The person operating the same in violations of this chapter shall not be permitted to operate the bicycle on the streets of the city for a period not exceeding thirty (30) days in the discretion of the recorder. (Ord. 2046 § 10, 1975)

10-16-110 Violation of chapter a misdemeanor.

It is a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this chapter. (Ord. 2046 § 11, 1975)

10-16-120 Traffic laws to apply to persons riding bicycles.

Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all 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 mad applicable to vehicles or by the traffic ordinances of this city applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except as to those provisions of laws and ordinances which by their nature can have no application. (Ord. 1668 § 11.1, 1964)

10-16-130 Speed of bicycles.

No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing. (Ord. 1668 § 11.2, 1964)

10-16-140 Emerging from alley, driveway or building.

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. (Ord. 1668 § 11.3, 1964)

10-16-150 Riding bicycles on sidewalks.

A.    No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district.

B.    No person twelve (12) or more years of age shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk in any district.

C.    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. (Ont.

1668 § 11.4, 1964)

10-16-160 Riding bicycles on boulevards, streets and bicycle paths.

A.    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, at all times giving the right-of-way to other moving vehicles.

B.    Bicycles shall not be operated upon any boulevard where the operation of bicycles has been prohibited and signs have been erected indicating such prohibition.

C.    Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride other than single file except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

D.    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. (Ord. 1668 § 11.6, 1964)

10-16-170 Clinging to moving vehicles, bicycles.

Any person riding upon any bicycle, motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, coaster, sled, roller skates, or any toy vehicle shall not attach the same or himself to any moving vehicle upon any roadway. (Ord. 1668 § 11.6, 1964)

10-16-180 Carrying articles on bicycles.

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. (Ord. 1668 § 11.7, 1964)

10-16-190 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. (Ord. 1668 § 11.8, 1964)

10-16-200 Lighted lamps and audible signaling devices on bicycles.

A.    Every bicycle, when upon a street or highway, during the period from sunset to sunrise, shall be equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting a white light, or light of a yellow or amber tint, visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the bicycle and with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear.

B.    No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other 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.

C.    Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement. (Ord. 1668 § 11.9, 1964)

10-16-210 Riding on bicycles.

A.    A person propelling a bicycle shall not ride other than astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto.

B.    No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped. (Ord. 1668 § 11.10, 1964)

10-16-220 Obedience to traffic-control devices.

A.    Any person operating a bicycle shall comply with official traffic-control signals, signs and other control devices applicable to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.

B.    Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating that no right or left turn or a turn in the opposite direction 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 then obey the regulations applicable to pedestrians. (Ord. l668 § 11.11, 1964)

10-16-230 Effect of bicycle regulations.

A.    The parent of any child and the guardian of any ward shall not authorize or knowingly permit any such child or ward to violate any of the provisions of this title applicable to bicycles.

B.    The regulations in this title applicable to bicycles shall apply whenever a bicycle is operated upon any street or public sidewalk or upon any public path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles, subject to those exceptions stated herein. (Ord. 1668 § 11.12, 1964)

10-16-240 Relative to traffic.

A.    Definition. For the purpose of this section, motorized vehicles including, but not limited to, “go-carts,” “mini-bikes,” “motorcycles,” “mopeds,” “self-powered motorized scooters,” “electric personal assistive mobility device” or “motorized recreational off-road vehicle” refer to a motor-driven vehicle propelled by an internal combustion or battery-powered motor which the state of Illinois does not issue an affixable license plate and cannot be lawfully driven on a highway or public street.

B.    Operation Prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to operate or drive, nor shall any owner permit to be operated or driven, any motorized go-cart, mini-bike, recreational off-road vehicle, motorcycle, moped, self-powered motorized scooter, electric personal assistive mobility device, or any unlicensable vehicle driven by an internal combustion or battery-powered motor upon any highway, street, alley, sidewalk or public property within the city.

C.    1. The parent or legal guardian of any person under the age of sixteen (16) years who operates any vehicle in violation of city ordinance shall be liable for any and all damages resulting from that individuals operation of said vehicle. Additionally, the parent or legal guardian of any person under the age of sixteen (16) years who operates any vehicle in violation of city ordinance shall be liable for any and all fines for violation of the ordinance codified in this chapter.

2.    Any vehicle operated by any persons in violation of city ordinances shall be seized by the arresting officer and held as evidence in the trial or adjudication of a person charged with violating the ordinance codified in this chapter and shall not be released to the owner, parents or legal guardian until the completion of the trial or hearing of the cause arising out of the violation of the ordinance codified in this chapter.

D.    Penalty. Any person violating any provision of this section may be charged with a violation of this code and be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) but not more than the maximum allowed by the State Statutes for each offense. (Ord. 3141 §§ 1-4, 2004)