No person under 17 years of age residing within
the Borough shall ride a bicycle on a public street, highway, thoroughfare,
roadway, automobile parking area or wherever vehicular traffic is
customarily expected in the Borough without having an operator's license
in good standing as hereinafter provided.
No person, regardless of age, residing within
the Borough, shall ride a bicycle on a public street, highway, thoroughfare,
roadway, automobile parking area or wherever vehicular traffic is
customarily expected in the Borough without a proper registration
tag attached to the bicycle, together with the required safety equipment.
Application for an operator's license and registration
tag shall be made to the Police Department or other designated agent
appointed by the Council on forms approved by the Council. Licenses
and tags shall be issued by the Police Department or other designated
agent appointed by the Council.
A license shall be issued to the applicant after
payment of the required fee if the applicant meets the requirements
regarding his ability to ride safely and his knowledge of rules and
regulations. Applicants shall be examined by the Police Department
or other designated agent appointed by the Council.
A registration tag shall be issued to the applicant
after payment of the required fee if his bicycle meets the requirements
regarding safe mechanical condition. The applicant's bicycle shall
be inspected by the Police Department or other designated agent appointed
by the Council.
A record shall be made and maintained by the
Police Department or other designated agent appointed by the Council
of all licenses and registration tags issued.
An operator's license and a registration tag
shall not be transferable. An operator's license shall be effective
and valid only for the person to whom it is issued. A registration
tag shall be effective and valid only for the bicycle for which it
is issued and shall be issued only to the owner of the bicycle. A
licensed operator may use a properly registered bicycle with the permission
of the owner.
It shall be the duty of a person who sells or
transfers ownership of a bicycle to report the sale or transfer by
returning to the Police Department or other designated agent appointed
by the Council the registration tag issued to the person, together
with the name and address of the person to whom the bicycle was sold
or transferred. The report and return of the registration tag shall
be made within one week after the date of sale or transfer.
Before riding a bicycle the purchaser, if a
resident of the Borough, shall obtain a registration tag.
A registration tag shall be attached to the
frame of the bicycle in a conspicuous position. Removal of the tag
except by the authority of the Police Department or other designated
agent appointed by the Council shall be a violation of this article.
Once issued, a license and registration tag
shall not expire but may be suspended as herein provided.
The Police Department or other designed agent
appointed by the Council may inspect a bicycle at any time to ascertain
whether it has a registration tag properly displayed or whether it
is in proper mechanical condition.
The Police Department or other designated agent
appointed by the Council shall cause to be issued and delivered to
each applicant a printed copy of the following safety rules and regulations
for the use of a bicycle:
A. Bicycle riders shall:
(2) Turn only at street intersections.
(4) Ride on the right-hand side of the traffic lane.
(5) Pass to the left when overtaking a vehicle.
(6) Pass to the right when meeting other vehicles.
(8) Have required lights lit when riding 1/2 hour
before sunrise and 1 1/2 hour after sunset, in foggy weather
or when vision is not clear 100 feet ahead.
B. Bicycle riders shall not:
(1) Hold on to any moving vehicle.
(2) Coast with both feet off the pedals or do trick riding.
(3) Carry passengers on a bicycle built for one rider.
(5) Ride more than two abreast.
The following safety equipment is required for
all bicycles:
A. A front light visible 100 feet at night on any bicycle operated during the hours provided for in §
76-36A(8).
B. A rear red taillight or tape or other material which reflects a red light when light is flashed upon it on any bicycle operated during the hours provided for in §
76-36A(8).
C. A bell or other sound device, excluding a siren, audible
at a distance of 50 feet.
D. A brake in good condition.
A fee of $0.25 shall be due and payable with
each application for an operator's license. A fee of $0.25 shall be
due and payable with each application for a registration tag. If an
operator's license and registration tag are applied for at the same
time, only one fee of $0.25 shall be due and payable. Fees shall be
returnable to unsuccessful applicants.
All violations of the provisions of this article
shall be reported to the Police Department or other designated agent
appointed by the Council. When a charge is made and a person has been
cited to appear, the hearing shall be before the Police Department
or other designated agent appointed by the Council. The penalty may
be the confiscation and impounding of the bicycle for not more than
90 days or the suspension of the operator's license for not more than
90 days or the suspension of the registration tag for not more than
90 days. The bicycle shall be returned at the expiration of the period
named on payment of a fee of $1. A continued willful refusal by persons
under 17 years of age to comply with the requirements of this article
may subject the offenders to the authorities having jurisdiction over
juvenile matters. Persons 17 years of age and older who violate the
provisions of this article, in addition to the foregoing, may be charged,
cited and heard before the Municipal Judge and may, upon conviction,
be subject to a fine not exceeding $5, in the discretion of the Judge,
for each offense.
The intention of this article is not the prosecution
of children but the education and training of them for their own and
the community's welfare. It is not meant to place a handicap on any
individuals who ride bicycles for business or pleasure, but to provide
safe and sane requirements in an endeavor to save life and limb in
competition on the highways with vehicular traffic.