[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Oil City 5-22-1950 by Ord. No. 1789 (Ch. 67 of the 1986 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Skateboards — See Ch. 259.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BICYCLE
A device having two tandem wheels of a diameter not less than 10 inches and propelled by human power.[1]
STREET
Includes all public highways, boulevards, streets, lanes, alleys and all public places within the City of Oil City.
[1]
Editor's Note: For statutory provisions regulating pedalcycles, see 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3501 et seq.
No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon any public street within the City of Oil City unless said bicycle has been properly registered, tagged and licensed as hereinafter provided.
A. 
Every owner of a bicycle residing within the City of Oil City shall list and register said bicycle with the Police Department of the City of Oil City at police headquarters and shall make application for such registration to the Chief of Police on a form provided for that purpose. If the owner is a minor under the age of 18 years, then his parents, or one of them, or if said minor does not reside with his parents, or either of them, then the adult person having care of said minor or the adult person with whom said minor resides, shall make such listing and registration and the application therefor on behalf of said minor owner.
[Amended 9-8-1986 by Ord. No. 2450]
B. 
Registrations of bicycles shall be serially numbered and kept on file by the Chief of Police in his office as a public record.
C. 
The Chief of Police, upon receiving proper registration of a bicycle, shall affix, or cause to be affixed, to the rear mudguard, frame or other rear portion of the bicycle, an identification tag or plate serially numbered to correspond to the bicycle registration in such position as to be plainly visible from the rear. A registration card shall be issued to the owner of each properly registered bicycle.
D. 
No charge for the registering and tagging of bicycles shall be made. However, a charge of $0.25 shall be made for the issuance of duplicate registration cards and/or plates. Such charges for duplicate registrations shall be paid to the Chief of Police at the time of issuance of duplicate registration.
E. 
It shall be the duty of the owner to see that such tag or plate is attached to the bicycle for which it is issued and that it remains attached thereto during the existence of such license.
F. 
The Chief of Police shall keep a record of the following:
(1) 
The number of each registration.
(2) 
The date issued.
(3) 
The name and address of the person to whom issued.
(4) 
The make and number of each bicycle frame.
(5) 
A record of all bicycle registration fees collected.
G. 
Bicycles registered under the provisions of this chapter shall be registered on or before June 1, 1950, and on or before the 30th day of April of each year thereafter. The Chief of Police shall affix, or cause to be affixed, a new identification tag or plate to each bicycle at the time of such registration.
H. 
Within 10 days after the sale, transfer or dismantling of any registered bicycle, such information shall be reported to the Chief of Police by the person in whose name the bicycle was registered. Such person may have the identification tag or plate of his former bicycle transferred to another bicycle owned by him without payment of an additional fee upon proper registration of such bicycle with the Chief of Police.
I. 
It shall be the duty of any purchaser or transferee of any registered bicycle to make application for new registration of such bicycle and for new tag or plate.
J. 
Every person engaged in the business of buying or selling new or secondhand bicycles shall make a report within five days to the Chief of Police of the following:
(1) 
Of every bicycle purchased or sold by said dealer, giving the name and address of the person from whom purchased or to whom sold.
(2) 
A description of such bicycle by name or make.
(3) 
The frame number thereof.
(4) 
The number of the identification plate, if any, found thereon.
K. 
A rental agency shall not rent or offer any bicycle for rent unless the bicycle is properly registered and tagged and unless such bicycle is provided with the equipment required under the terms of this chapter.
L. 
It shall be unlawful for any person, willfully or maliciously, to remove, destroy, mutilate or alter the identification tag or plate, frame number of the bicycle or the registration card issued to the owner thereof.
M. 
All license cards and registration cards shall expire on the 30th day of April following the date of issue, and all bicycles shall be reregistered and retagged annually and with the same payment as provided for originally.
A. 
Before a bicycle registration is issued, the applicant shall be required to demonstrate personally, in such manner as the Chief of Police shall direct, that he or she is the proper person and is capable of riding a bicycle; further, such applicant shall satisfactorily pass an examination to determine his knowledge of safe riding rules and practices as this chapter and the Chief of Police may from time to time prescribe.
B. 
If the owner of a bicycle is a minor for whom an application is made by an adult, as hereinbefore provided, the minor shall be deemed the applicant for the purpose of this section.
The Chief of Police, or his duly authorized representative, shall inspect each bicycle presented for registration and shall refuse to license any bicycle found to be in an unsafe condition mechanically or lacking the equipment specified as necessary under the terms of this chapter.
A. 
Every bicycle operated upon a public street at any time, during the period of one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise, and at any other time when there is not sufficient light under normal atmospheric conditions to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the street at a distance of 300 feet ahead, shall be equipped with a lighted lamp on the front thereof and shall also be equipped with a red reflector or lamp on the rear, exhibiting or reflecting a red light, visible under like conditions from a distance of at least 300 feet to the rear of such bicycle. Said reflector or lamp on the rear shall be of a diameter of at least 1 1/2 inches.
B. 
No bicycle shall be registered, nor shall any person operate a bicycle upon the public streets of the City of Oil City, unless the same is equipped with a mechanical braking device in good working condition, with a bell, horn or other warning device in good working condition (except sirens of all types which are forbidden and shall be unlawful hereunder), and unless the mechanical parts of the bicycle shall be in good working condition.
A. 
A bicycle shall be operated only on the roadway of streets and as near to the right-hand side as possible. Bicycles shall not be operated on sidewalks in the City of Oil City. This provision shall, however, not apply to a child under 10 years of age operating a bicycle in a purely residential part of the City under the control or guidance of his parent or an adult person.
B. 
The operator of a bicycle shall obey all official traffic signals, signs and other control devices applicable to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
C. 
The operator of a bicycle emerging from a driveway or building shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians on the sidewalk and to all vehicles on the roadway.
D. 
The operator of a bicycle shall not carry any other person upon the handlebar, frame or any part of the bicycle. This provision shall not be construed to prohibit the use of bicycles built to be operated by two or more persons.
E. 
The operator of a bicycle shall not indulge in any abnormal or trick riding and shall keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times when in use.
F. 
Operators of bicycles shall not ride in any manner other than single file, except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
G. 
Operators of bicycles shall not hitch onto vehicles or street cars upon a roadway.
H. 
The operator of a bicycle shall park the same upon the roadway at the curb or upon the sidewalk in a rack to support the bicycle or against a building, except windows or glass doors thereof, in such manner as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrians or vehicular traffic.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of a bicycle to violate any traffic rules or ordinances of the City of Oil City or of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that are applicable to bicycles or to motor vehicles.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for the owner of a bicycle to permit any child to operate his bicycle upon a public street of the City of Oil City, unless such child or person is capable of operating a bicycle with safety to himself and the public generally.
B. 
If a child shall have satisfactorily passed an examination by the Police Department of the City of Oil City to determine his ability to ride a bicycle, and to determine his knowledge of safe riding rules and practices prescribed under this chapter, the passing of such examination shall be prima facie evidence under this chapter of the ability of such child to operate a bicycle with safety.
Any bicycle owned and operated by a nonresident of the City of Oil City shall not be required to be registered under the provisions of this chapter but shall be subject to all other provisions of this chapter.
A. 
If the owner or operator of any bicycle shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter, said bicycle may be taken and impounded by the Police Department of the City of Oil City and so held by said Department for a period not exceeding 15 days, to be determined by the Chief of Police of said Department.
B. 
Any person, firm or corporation violating § 98-2I, J, K or L or § 98-8 shall, upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding, be subject to a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $25, together with the costs of prosecution.
C. 
Any person violating any other provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding, in addition to the penalty provided for in Subsection A, be subject to a fine not to exceed $5, together with the costs of prosecution.