[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Lockport 2-5-1975. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 183.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BICYCLE
Every device propelled by human power upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels either of which is 20 inches or over in diameter.
A. 
It is a violation of this chapter for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this chapter.
B. 
The parent of any child and the guardians of any ward shall not authorize or knowingly permit any such child or ward to violate any of the provisions of this chapter.
C. 
No person who resides within this City shall ride or propel a bicycle within the City unless such bicycle has been licensed and a license plate or sticker is attached thereto as provided herein.
A. 
Application for a bicycle license and license plate or sticker shall be made in writing upon a form provided by the City and shall be made to the Chief of Police.
[Amended 9-5-1984; 4-20-1994; 2-6-2002; 7-19-2006]
B. 
Where a bicycle is owned by a minor, the father of such minor, if living and if the minor is living with him, or, if he is deceased or the minor is not living with his father, the mother or other person having the custody of such minor, shall be jointly responsible with the minor for the proper licensing of such bicycle and the attachment of a license plate or sticker thereto before it is driven in the City.
A. 
The Chief of Police, upon receiving a proper application therefor, is authorized to issue a properly numbered license plate or sticker. The license, when issued, shall entitle the licensee to operate such bicycle for which said license has been issued in the City of Lockport.
[Amended 4-20-1994]
B. 
The license shall be made of metal, plastic or other substance, bearing the number assigned to the bicycle and the name of the City, and be of such color, style and dimensions as may be prescribed by said Chief of Police.
[Amended 4-20-1994]
C. 
The Chief of Police shall not issue a license for any bicycle when he knows or has reasonable ground to believe that the applicant is not the owner of and entitled to the possession of such bicycle.
D. 
The Chief of Police shall keep a record of the number of each license, the date issued, the name of the person to whom issued and the number on the frame of the bicycle for which issued, and a record of all bicycle license fees collected by him.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection B, dealing with issuance of license plates or stickers, which immediately followed this subsection, was deleted 4-20-1994.
A. 
No person shall remove or cause to be removed any license plate or sticker during the period for which the license plate or sticker is issued, except upon transfer of ownership or in the event that the bicycle is dismantled and no longer operated within the City.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously remove, destroy, mutilate or alter the number of any bicycle frame licenses pursuant to this chapter. It shall also be unlawful for any person to remove, destroy, mutilate or alter any license plate or sticker or registration card during the time in which such license plate or sticker or registration card is operative, provided 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 purpose.
Upon the sale or other transfer of a licensed bicycle, the licensee shall remove the license plate or sticker and shall surrender the same to the Chief of Police or may, on proper application, have the license plate or sticker assigned to another bicycle owned by the applicant, without additional fee.
A. 
Every person engaged in the business of buying or selling new or secondhand bicycles shall maintain a list of every bicycle purchased or sold by such dealer, giving the name and address of the person from whom purchased or to whom sold, a description of said bicycle by name or make, the frame number thereof and the number of any license plate or sticker found thereon. Said list shall be open to inspection by the Chief of Police or his agent at any time, and a copy of the list shall be made available at the year's end for Police Department filing.
B. 
A rental agency shall not rent or offer any bicycle for rent unless the bicycle is licensed and the license plate or sticker is attached thereto.
C. 
No person shall rent or offer any bicycle for rent unless such bicycle is equipped with adequate brakes, steering mechanism in good order, bell or other signaling device and a front and rear reflector as herein provided.
D. 
No person, firm, partnership or corporation engaged in the business of renting bicycles for hire shall rent a bicycle to a minor unless the written consent of the parents or guardians is provided. Said written permission shall remain on file for a period of one year for the purpose of inspection by the Police Department.
A. 
Applicability of traffic laws to persons riding bicycles. Every person operating a bicycle within the City shall also be subject to the provisions of the traffic ordinances of the City and/or state applicable to the driver of a vehicle.
B. 
Obedience to traffic control devices.
(1) 
Any person operating a bicycle shall obey the instructions of official traffic signs, signals and other control devices applicable to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by police officers.
(2) 
Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating that no right or left turn or U-turn is permitted or that vehicular traffic shall be in some manner one-way direction only, no persons operating a bicycle shall disobey the direction of any such sign, except where such person dismounts from the bicycle to make such turn, in which event such person shall then obey the regulations applicable to pedestrians.
C. 
Riding on bicycles.
(1) 
A person operating a bicycle shall not ride other than upon or astride the permanent seat attached thereto, nor carry any other person upon such bicycle except on a seat securely fastened to the bicycle in the rear of the driver and provided with footrests and handle grips, nor shall any person ride upon a bicycle other than as described above.
(2) 
No person riding, propelling or operating a bicycle shall drive the same or coast with his feet off the pedals or with his hands off the guiding apparatus thereof; nor shall any person riding a bicycle stand on one pedal thereof with a foot or feet.
(3) 
No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.
D. 
Riding right. Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near the right-hand side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction, and shall pass said vehicles only on the left side of same.
E. 
Clinging to vehicles. No person riding upon any bicycle shall attach the same or himself to any vehicle upon a roadway.
F. 
Riding in a group. Persons operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride in single file only.
G. 
Carrying articles. No person operating a bicycle shall carry any packages, bundles or articles which prevent the driver from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars.
H. 
Parking. No person shall park a bicycle upon a street other than upon the roadway against the curb or upon a sidewalk, or against a building in such a manner as to afford obstruction to pedestrians.
I. 
Riding on sidewalks.
(1) 
No person over 10 years of age shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk intended for the use of pedestrians, except that in the business district no one shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk.
(2) 
Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.
(3) 
No person shall operate a bicycle in any parade or adjacent thereto unless permission has been granted by the authorities in charge of the parade to so participate.
A. 
Lamps and reflectors on bicycles.
(1) 
Every bicycle when in use during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear at least three inches in diameter and of a type approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of the State of New York, which shall be visible from all distances from 50 to 300 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on motor vehicles. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.
(2) 
Side. Every bicycle shall be equipped with side-facing reflective devices on each side, provided that such devices have the following pattern:
(a) 
White or amber located to the front of the foremost rider.
(b) 
White or red located to the rear of the rearmost rider.
B. 
Audible signals on bicycles. 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.
C. 
Brakes on bicycles. Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
The Chief of Police or his representative shall inspect each bicycle offered for registration and shall provide the necessary forms to attest to this inspection. Any bicycle offered for registration that has not been inspected shall not be registered until such bicycle has been inspected.
In the case of the seizure of a bicycle because it has been found in the possession of a person, firm, partnership or corporation not the legal owner thereof and the bicycle is not reclaimed by the legal owner thereof, it shall be sold at public auction after the expiration of 120 days from the date of seizure. Notice containing a description of the bicycle shall be published at least one week prior to the date of the sale in a newspaper circulating in the City of Lockport. The proceeds of the sale shall be remitted to the Treasurer of the City of Lockport, New York.
A. 
Any person 16 years of age and under who violates any of the provisions of this chapter relating to the vehicle and traffic laws or the bicycle safe-riding rules and regulations and the official police instructions for the safe operation of a bicycle shall be, for the first offense, reprimanded in writing by the Police Department, addressed to the parents or guardian of the offender, stating the nature of the violation and a warning that a repetition of the violation or any other violation must be prevented by the parents or guardian or the offender's registration certificate will be suspended for a period of time at the discretion of the Police Department and during that period of time the offender cannot ride his or her bicycle on the streets. On the second offense, the offender will be summoned to appear at police headquarters with his or her bicycle, accompanied by a parent or guardian, and after a hearing on the violation, if in the discretion of the Chief of Police or his representative it is decided to punish the offender for the violation, the offender's bicycle may be impounded for a period of time not to exceed 30 days at the discretion of the Chief of Police or his representative, with the approval if possible of the parent or guardian.
B. 
It is ordained that no violation of this chapter relating to the vehicle and traffic laws or the safe-riding rules shall be considered a criminal offense or made a matter of a court of record where the offender is under the age of 16. Any person over 16 years of age or any firm, partnership or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by the payment of a fine not to exceed $25.
C. 
In addition, any person over 16 years of age, firm or partnership violating any of the provisions of this chapter, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to forfeiture of the license plate or sticker and the same may be removed from the bicycle and such bicycle may not be relicensed until the expiration of 60 days from the date of such conviction.