[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Raritan 5-9-1978 (Ch. 10 of the 1966 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 82.
Bicycles and vehicles on sidewalks — See Ch. 320, Art. I.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BICYCLE
Any two-wheeled vehicle having a rear drive which is solely human-powered and having a seat height of 25 inches or greater when the seat is in the lowest adjustable position.
On and after the effective date hereof, it shall be unlawful for any person residing in the Borough of Raritan to operate a bicycle upon any public highway, public street or other public place within the Borough of Raritan, unless such bicycle first has been registered with the Police Department of the Borough of Raritan and unless there is a license tag attached to such bicycle as herein provided.
Application for bicycle registration and license tags shall be made to the Police Department of the Borough of Raritan on a form approved by the Chief of Police and shall set forth the name and address of the owner or owners, a description of the bicycle, including the name of the maker or manufacturer and the serial number appearing on the frame of the bicycle.
Upon receiving an application for registration, the Chief of Police, or such police officer as shall be designated by the Chief of Police, shall cause an inspection to be made of such bicycle, and, if he shall determine that said bicycle is in an unsafe condition, he shall refuse to issue a registration certificate and license tag for such bicycle. Registration and inspection will be valid for a period of two years.
Upon receiving a proper application therefor and after having determined that the bicycle is in a safe mechanical condition, the Chief of Police, or any other officer of the Police Department of the Borough of Raritan designated by the Chief of Police, shall issue to the owner or owners of said bicycle a registration certificate and a license tag. A fee of $0.50 for a two-year period shall be paid for each registration.
Registration certificates shall be numbered consecutively, and each certificate shall contain the date of issue, the expiration date, the name and address of the owner or owners of the bicycle and the serial number appearing on the frame of the bicycle.
Each license tag shall bear such legend as shall be prescribed by the Chief of Police, including the date of expiration of the registration. License tags shall also be numbered in sequence and shall be issued so that the number thereon shall correspond to the number appearing on the registration certificate issued for each bicycle.
The license tag shall be firmly attached or affixed to the rear mudguard or frame of the bicycle for which it was issued, in such position as to be plainly visible from the rear. In addition, the Police Department may stamp, engrave or otherwise permanently mark numbers on the frames of bicycles for identification purposes and may also affix reflective tape to bicycles, without cost to the owner.
The Police Department shall keep a record of the registration of all bicycles, including the number of each registration certificate and license tag issued, the date of issuance, the name and address of the person or persons to whom issued and the name or make and the serial number on the frame of the bicycle for which issued.
Every person who sells or transfers ownership or permanently dismantles any bicycle registered in accordance with the provisions of this chapter shall make a report of such sale, transfer or dismantling and surrender the registration certificate and license tag to the Police Department of the Borough of Raritan within 10 days thereafter and, where such bicycle has been sold or ownership transferred, shall include in the report the name or names of the persons to whom such sale or transfer of ownership was made.
Upon application therefor, the person or persons surrendering a registration certificate and license tag under the provisions of § 101-10 may have said registration certificate and license tag transferred to another bicycle owned by him or them for the balance of the unexpired registration period without the payment of any additional fee.
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, destroy, mutilate or alter any license tag attached to any bicycle registered under this chapter during the period for which it was issued, except that a license tag may be so removed for the purpose of surrendering same to the Police Department in the event of sale or transfer of ownership or dismantling of the bicycle for which the license tag was issued.
No person or persons engaged in the business of renting bicycles for hire in the Borough of Raritan shall rent or offer for rent any bicycle which has not been registered and which does not have attached thereto a valid license tag pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
Every person engaged in the business of selling new or secondhand bicycles in the Borough of Raritan shall make a report to the Police Department of every bicycle purchased or sold by him from or to a resident of the Borough of Raritan within 10 days after such purchase or sale, giving the name and address of the person or persons from whom purchased or to whom sold, a description of said bicycle by name or make, the frame number thereof and the number of the license tag, if any, found thereon.
A. 
Any person of the age of 18 years or older who is charged with a violation of a provision of this chapter may, upon conviction thereof, suffer suspension of registration or impoundment of the bicycle and may further be subject to a fine not to exceed $25.
B. 
Any person under the age of 18 years who is charged with a violation of a provision of this chapter shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court for hearing and disposition, as authorized by law.
Police officers of the Borough of Raritan may inspect any bicycle on any public way or place at any time to ascertain whether it is in conformance with the requirements of this chapter. In the event that a bicycle is being used or operated without the aforesaid license tag in legible condition, is in such condition as to be unfit for safe operation or fails to comply with the provisions of this chapter, said bicycle may be impounded.
Any bicycle impounded for failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter as aforesaid shall be stored at the Raritan Police Headquarters, in an area provided for such storage, for a period of one week, and, at the expiration thereof, said bicycle shall be released only to the registered owner if of the age of 18 years or older or to the parent or guardian of such registered owner if such registered owner is under the age of 18 years. Such release from impoundment shall be effected by such member of the Police Department as is designated by the Chief of Police.
All persons riding or operating bicycles upon any street or other public highway or place in the Borough of Raritan shall observe and comply with all applicable statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations of the State of New Jersey, County of Somerset and Borough of Raritan and shall be bound by the penalties provided therein. A compendium of the applicable New Jersey statutes is attached hereto in Schedule A and incorporated herein by reference.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is on file in the Borough offices.
Throughout this chapter, the masculine, feminine and neuter genders shall be deemed interchangeable and shall include each other, where applicable.