[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of
Marple 7-12-1971 as Ch. 30 of the 1971 Code. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch.
285.
For the purpose of this chapter, the terms used herein are defined as
follows:
BICYCLE
Every device propelled by human power upon which any person may ride,
having two tandem wheels, either of which is more than 16 inches in diameter.
No person who resides in the Township of Marple shall ride or propel
a bicycle on any street, road or highway within the township without first
having secured an operator's license as herein provided and without also
having had the bicycle registered and licensed as herein provided.
No person not a resident of the Township of Marple shall ride or propel
a bicycle, ordinarily kept within the limits of the said township, on any
street, road or highway within the township unless such bicycle shall have
been registered and a license plate shall have been attached thereto as provided
herein.
[Amended 6-11-1973 by Ord. No. 73-16]
A. Every resident of the township who is the owner of a
bicycle shall, on or before the first day of January 1974, apply to the Superintendent
of Police for a bicycle registration card and license plate, and if he intends
to operate a bicycle within the township, to apply for an operator's
license. After January 1, 1974, it shall be the duty of any resident of the
township, or any person who rides or propels a bicycle ordinarily kept within
the limits of the township, immediately upon purchasing or acquiring a bicycle,
to apply for a bicycle license, registration card and license plate within
10 days after such purchase or acquisition. Such application shall be made
on a form provided by the township.
B. The registration card and metal tag or license plate
issued pursuant to such application shall be permanent as long as ownership
of the bicycle remains unchanged. The operator's license to ride or propel
a bicycle shall be valid for the duration of residency.
[Amended 6-11-1973 by Ord. No. 73-16]
A. The Police Department shall provide, at the expense of
the township, permanent license tags, together with registration cards, which
tags and cards shall have numbers stamped thereon in numerical order, and
indicating the name of the township and the year of issue. Such tags shall
be suitable for attachment to the frame of the bicycle for which issued in
such position as to be plainly visible. Such tag shall be attached to the
bicycle by the Police Department or persons designated by the Police Department
at the time of issuing the registration, and shall remain attached to the
bicycle for which it is issued for so long as such registration shall remain
in effect. The Superintendent of Police or persons designated by him shall
also keep two records of such registration:
(1) By serial number assigned the bicycle.
(2) By owner's name, in alphabetical order.
B. Upon issuance of a license and attachment to the bicycle,
the Police Department or persons designated by the Police Department shall
furnish to the owner of such bicycle the corresponding registration card.
The operator of a bicycle shall display his registration card or produce satisfactory
proof that the owner has such registration card, upon demand of any officer
of the Township of Marple Police Department.
[Amended 6-11-1973 by Ord. No. 73-16]
The Superintendent of Police or persons designated by him shall inspect
each bicycle before registering the same and shall refuse registration for
any bicycle which he deems to be in an unsafe condition. Inspection periods
shall be held twice a year, in April and September. Dates shall be announced
through the news media.
It shall be the duty of every person who sells or transfers ownership
of any bicycle within the Township of Marple to report such sale to the Superintendent
of Police. If such bicycle had been registered, such person shall at the same
time return to the Superintendent of Police the registration card and license
tag. Such person shall furnish the Superintendent of Police with the name
and address of the person to whom such bicycle was sold or transferred. Such
report and return of the registration card and license tag shall be made by
the person selling or transferring within three days of the date of said sale
or transfer.
It shall be the duty of every person who dismantles, reduces to junk
or takes out of operation any bicycle, whether the same is registered or not
registered, to report the same to the Superintendent of Police and to turn
in to the Police Department the registration card and license tag if such
bicycle was registered.
It shall be unlawful for any person willfully or maliciously to remove, destroy, mutilate or alter the number on any bicycle frame, or to remove, destroy or alter any license tag or registration card during the time when such license tag or registration card is valid, except as provided in §
100-8 hereof. If any bicycle does not have a serial number stamped on the frame thereof, or if such number is illegible, then the Superintendent of Police or persons designated by him shall stamp an identification number on the frame of each bicycle registered.
In case of loss or destruction of any license tag and/or registration
card and/or operator's license, a duplicate tag and/or card shall be
issued to the registered owner of such bicycle upon payment of a fee as set
from time to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners for each tag
or card required, provided that such owner gives satisfactory proof of such
ownership and loss or destruction of such card and/or tag, by affidavit or
otherwise, to the Superintendent of Police.
If any bicycle shall be found on any street or alley of the township
without a license tag as above set forth, or with a mutilated serial number
or no serial number stamped on the frame of the bicycle, it shall be prima
facie evidence that such bicycle is being operated without proper registration.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a bicycle on any street,
road or highway or public alley in the township in violation of any traffic
ordinances of the township which are applicable to motor vehicles.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a bicycle upon any sidewalk
located either in a business district or place of public gathering in the
Township of Marple.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any bicycle, when upon any
street, road or highway, to ride with both hands off the handlebars or to
ride other than upon or astride the permanent and regular seat attached thereto,
or to carry any other person upon such bicycle other than upon a firmly attached
and regular seat thereon; nor shall any person ride upon a bicycle other than
as above provided.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a bicycle upon any street
in such a manner as to interfere with any pedestrian.
It shall be unlawful for any person operating a bicycle upon any street
in the Township of Marple to propel such bicycle abreast of any other person
so propelling a bicycle, except in passing such bicycle.
When necessary to park bicycles on a street or sidewalk, bicycles must
be parked in an upright position and in a manner not to obstruct pedestrian
or vehicular traffic.
[Amended 6-11-1973 by Ord. No. 73-16]
Before issuing an operator's license, the applicant, if 12 years
of age or under, shall be required to demonstrate personally, in such a manner
as the Superintendent of Police or persons designated by him 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 the Superintendent of Police may prescribe.
If an applicant is 13 years or over, an operator's license shall be issued
upon application.
[Amended 6-11-1973 by Ord. No. 73-16]
A. Any person violating any of the licensing provisions
of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine of
not more than $600, plus costs of prosecution, and in default of payment of
such fine and costs by imprisonment for not more than 30 days.
B. Violation of any statutory provisions of the Vehicle
Code (75 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq.) concerning bicycles shall be subject
to the penalty set forth in 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3502.
Any bicycle owned and operated by any resident of any other municipality,
which bicycle is not ordinarily kept within the limits of the township, shall
not be required to be registered hereunder, but shall be subject to all other
provisions of this chapter.