[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Steelton 6-24-1974 by Ord. No. 74-6, approved 6-24-1974. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BICYCLES
Includes every device propelled by human power upon which any person might ride, having two or more tandem wheels, either one or both of which is of a diameter of 16 inches or more.
BOROUGH
The Borough of Steelton, Pennsylvania.
LICENSE
A metallic plate and/or sticker having numbers stamped thereon in numerical order.
MINOR
Any person under the age of 18 years.
PERSON
Includes any individual person, firm, association or corporation.
STREET
Includes public streets, highways, thoroughfares, boulevards and alleys.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or use a bicycle upon any of the streets, alleys or public highways of the Borough of Steelton, Pennsylvania, without first obtaining a license therefor from the Police Department of the Borough of Steelton, Pennsylvania.
Application for a bicycle license and license plate and/or sticker shall be made upon a form provided by the Borough and shall be made to the Police Department or to the person designated by the Chief of Police. The license fee shall be $0.50 for each new license or replacement license issued, and this fee shall be paid to the Borough before each license is issued. Minors shall be accompanied by parents or parent or provide a bill of sale to prove ownership when applying for a license. Where more than one owner or user of a bicycle is involved within a family unit, the application shall be made for a family registration, wherein all members of the family unit owning or using the bicycle shall be listed.
The Borough shall provide metallic license plates and/or stickers, together with ownership certificates, both of which shall be numbered or have numbers stamped thereon in numerical order. The Chief of Police, under the supervision of the Mayor of the Borough of Steelton, upon receiving a properly executed application, is authorized to issue a license plate and/or sticker and certificate which shall be effective as long as the applicant retains ownership and possession of the bicycle licensed. In the event a license is lost or destroyed, a new license may be acquired upon application and payment of the fee set forth in § 40-3 above.
The Chief of Police shall not issue a license for any bicycle when he knows or has reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant is not the owner of or entitled to the possession of such bicycle.
The Police Department, under the supervision of the Mayor, shall keep a record of each license issued, showing thereon the date of issuance, the name of the person to whom issued and the identification number of the bicycle for which issued, together with a record of the fees collected for such licenses.
The license plate and/or sticker issued shall be attached to the frame of the bicycle for which it is issued so that the same is visible at all times, and shall remain so attached during the period that the licensed bicycle is owned by the person procuring the license.
The Chief of Police of the Borough of Steelton shall have each bicycle inspected before licensing the same and shall provide for the annual inspection of each bicycle after it is licensed. The Chief of Police of the Borough of Steelton shall refuse a license for any bicycle which is determined to be in an unsafe mechanical condition and not equipped with proper braking devices, and the Chief of Police of the Borough shall have the authority to remove the license plate and/or sticker of any bicycle, upon annual inspection, which bicycle is deemed to be in an unsafe mechanical condition and not equipped with proper braking devices.
If any person to whom a license has been issued for a bicycle sells or transfers said bicycle, the license plate and/or sticker shall be removed and surrendered to the Police Department of the Borough of Steelton. Such person may, upon proper application, without any charge or an additional fee, have the said license transferred to another bicycle owned by such person.
No person shall lend any bicycle or offer the bicycle for rent unless the same is duly licensed, the plate and/or sticker attached to said bicycle and the bicycle equipped in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Within 15 days after the date of the sale or transfer of any bicycle, it shall be the duty of the seller to report said sale or transfer to the Police Department, and the purchaser or transferee shall apply for a registration card in his name. The Chief of Police shall issue said card upon the payment of the fee herein provided.
Any person who dismantles or reduces to junk any bicycle shall report same to the Police Department.
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, destroy, mutilate or alter the number of any bicycle frame of any bicycle licensed pursuant to this chapter. It also shall be unlawful for any person to remove, destroy, mutilate or alter any license plate and/or sticker or license certificate issued under the authority of this chapter; provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the Police Department from stamping numbers on the frames of bicycles on which no serial number can be found or on which said number is illegible or insufficient for identification purposes.
All persons operating bicycles upon any public street, alley or highway within the Borough of Steelton shall be subject to the provisions of the traffic regulations of the Borough of Steelton as the same are applicable to the operator of any motor vehicle, except as otherwise herein provided; and all such persons operating bicycles within the Borough of Steelton shall obey instructions of official traffic signals, signs and other traffic control devices, unless otherwise provided herein, and shall be subject to the following regulations:
A. 
All persons operating a bicycle shall ride only upon the regular seat provided thereon, and shall not permit any other person to ride said bicycle at the same time, except upon a regular seat provided in tandem.
B. 
No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.
C. 
No person shall operate a bicycle at any time unless both hands are upon the handlebars.
D. 
No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or other article which in any way prevents the operator from keeping both hands upon the handlebars.
E. 
All persons operating bicycles upon any public street, alley or highway within the Borough of Steelton shall operate said bicycle as close to the right-hand side of said street, alley or highway as practicable under the circumstances, exercising due care when passing standing vehicles or passing one proceeding in the same direction.
F. 
All operators of bicycles when emerging from an alley, driveway or hidden entrance shall, upon approaching a sidewalk or crosswalk, yield the right-of-way to all pedestrian traffic and, upon entering the traveled portion of the street, alley or highway, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching thereon.
G. 
All persons operating bicycles upon any public street, alley or highway within the Borough of Steelton shall not ride with more than two bicycles abreast at any one time, except in such areas or upon such portions of said highways, streets or alleys as may be set aside for the exclusive use and operation of bicycles.
H. 
No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk in the Borough of Steelton.
I. 
No person riding upon any bicycle shall attach the same or himself or herself to any vehicle upon a roadway.
J. 
No person shall park a bicycle upon a street, other than upon the roadway against the curb or upon a 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.
A. 
Bells. 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 100 feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with, nor shall any person use upon a bicycle, any siren or whistle.
B. 
Brakes. Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheel skid on a dry, level, clean pavement.
C. 
Lights. Every bicycle when in use at night shall be equipped with a lamp on the front exhibiting a headlight visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear except that an approved reflector meeting the minimum requirements of the State Uniform Highway Traffic Act may be used in lieu of a rear light.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter may, in lieu of conviction thereof, have the license plate and/or sticker and certificate suspended for a period not to exceed 30 days. In such event, the license plate and/or sticker shall be removed by the Police Department under the supervision of the Mayor of the Borough of Steelton, and subsequent operation of said bicycle during the period of said suspension shall constitute a violation of this chapter. The Chief of Police of the Borough of Steelton shall notify the parent, parents or guardian of any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter of such violation and shall furnish to said parent or guardian information relative to the specific portions of the chapter violated. Such a parent or guardian shall then undertake to correct any mechanical deficiency found that constituted an infraction of this chapter. Failure of a parent or guardian to correct any mechanical deficiency shall constitute a violation of this chapter. In the event that a violation occurs where the license involves a family registration, neither the license plate and/or sticker nor certificate shall be suspended totally; however, the person violating the provisions of this chapter shall be suspended from operating said bicycle or any other bicycle for a period not to exceed 30 days.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof before the Mayor or any Justice of the Peace[1] of the Borough, or any district magistrate, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $5 and costs of prosecution.
[1]
Editor's Note: Now Magisterial District Judge.