[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the Borough
of West Chester 3-11-1953. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 104.
The following words, when used in this chapter,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section except in
those instances where the context clearly indicates otherwise:
A device propelled by human power and having two (2) tandem
wheels of a diameter not less than fifteen (15) inches.
The Chief of Police of the Borough of West Chester, or any
member of the Police Department of the borough designated by him to
perform any of the duties or exercise any of the powers herein vested
in the Chief of Police.
Any public street, avenue, road, square, alley, highway or
other public place located in the Borough of West Chester.
It shall be unlawful for any person to ride
or operate a bicycle upon a public highway unless said bicycle shall
first have been properly registered and tagged as hereinafter provided:
A.
Every owner or operator of any bicycle shall, on or
before June 1, 1953, make application for the registration of such
bicycle with the Chief of Police on a form provided for that purpose
and shall annually thereafter, on or before June 1 of each year, make
similar application for renewal of such registration. Every purchaser
or transferee of a bicycle, whether new or used, after June 1, 1953,
shall, within seven (7) days after acquisition, apply to the Chief
of Police for an identification tag and registration card for such
bicycle. In the event that the owner of a bicycle is a minor under
fourteen (14) years of age, the parent, guardian or person having
the care of such minor shall make such application on behalf of such
minor owner.
B.
Registrations of bicycles shall be serially numbered
and kept on file by the Chief of Police in his office as a public
record. Such record shall include the date issued, the name and address
of the person to whom issued, a description of such bicycle by name
or make, the frame number thereof and such other information as shall
be found necessary to carry out the intent of this chapter.
C.
The Chief of Police, upon receiving proper registration
of a bicycle, shall affix or cause to be affixed to the rear mudguard
or frame of the bicycle or other suitable place an identification
tag or plate, serially numbered to correspond to the bicycle's 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.
Such identification tags and registration cards shall be provided
by the borough, and the Borough Secretary is authorized and empowered
to furnish such tags and cards to the Chief of Police in such quantities
as may from time to time be necessary. The operator of a bicycle shall
display his owner registration card or produce satisfactory proof
that the owner has such registration card upon demand of any police
officer.
D.
A fee of fifty cents ($0.50) shall be charged for
the registration and tagging of any bicycle for the whole or any part
of each registration period. Upon application and satisfactory evidence
of loss of a tag, a new tag shall be issued upon payment of twenty-five
cents ($0.25). Upon application and satisfactory evidence of loss
of a registration card, a new card shall be issued upon payment of
ten cents ($0.10). The Chief of Police shall maintain an accurate
record of all such fees and shall promptly pay the same to the Borough
Treasurer for the use of the borough.
E.
Within seven (7) 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 a person may have the registration tag 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.
F.
The Chief of Police shall inspect each bicycle presented
for registration and shall refuse to register any bicycle found to
be in an unsafe mechanical condition or lacking the equipment specified
as necessary under the terms of this chapter.
G.
It shall be unlawful for any person willfully or maliciously
to remove, destroy, mutilate or alter the registration tag or frame
number of the bicycle or the registration card issued to the owner
thereof.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate
or use any bicycle upon a public highway in violation of any of the
following regulations:
A.
The operator of a bicycle shall not ride other than
upon or astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto.
B.
No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at
one (1) time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.
C.
No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater
than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and circumstances
then existing and with undue regard to the safety of the operator
and others.
D.
A bicycle shall be operated only on the roadway, as
near to the right-hand side as possible. Bicycles shall not be operated
on the sidewalks.
E.
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.
F.
The operator of a bicycle emerging from an alley,
driveway or building shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians
on the sidewalk and to all vehicles on the roadway.
G.
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 (2) or more persons.
H.
The operator of a bicycle shall not indulge in any
abnormal or trick riding and shall keep at least one (1) hand on the
handlebars at all times while in use.
I.
Operators of bicycles shall not ride in any manner
other than single file.
J.
The operator of a bicycle shall not cling or hold
on or be fastened to any other moving vehicle, nor tow or draw any
coaster, sled, person on roller skates, toy vehicles or other similar
vehicle.
K.
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 pedestrian or
vehicular traffic.
[1]
Editor's Note: Sections 3 and 4 of the original
ordinance, which immediately preceded this section, were repealed
6-13-1973. Section 3 required retailers to report bicycle purchases
to the Chief of Police, and Section 4 regulated equipment of bicycles.
[Added 5-10-1989 by Ord. No. 11-1989; amended 11-20-2012 by Ord. No. 21-2012]
A.
It shall
be unlawful for any person to use, ride, propel or otherwise operate
a skateboard on the public sidewalks of the following streets within
the Borough of West Chester in the areas set forth below:
|
Street
|
Location
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Church Street
|
Between Chestnut Street and Miner Street
| |
|
Darlington Street
|
Between Chestnut Street and Miner Street
| |
|
Gay Street
|
Between Matlack Street and New Street
| |
|
High Street
|
Between Chestnut Street and Barnard Street
| |
|
Market Street
|
Between Matlack Street and New Street
| |
|
Walnut Street
|
Between Chestnut Street and Miner Street
|
B.
It shall
be unlawful for any person to use, ride, propel or otherwise operate
a skateboard or rollerblades in a public parking garage in the Borough.
[Amended 6-13-1973; 5-10-1989 by Ord. No. 11-1989]
Any person who shall be convicted of a violation
of any of the provisions of this chapter before any District Justice
shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than three hundred dollars
($300.), together with costs of prosecution, or to imprisonment in
the county jail for a term not to exceed thirty (30) days, or both.
[1]
Editor's Note: Sections 6 and 7 of the original
ordinance, which immediately preceded this section, were repealed
6-13-1973. These sections related to suspensions and revocations of
licenses and impoundment and redemption of unlicensed bicycles.
