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Borough of Wilson, PA
Northampton County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (7) Index
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Wilson 9-14-1970 by Ord. No. 459, approved 9-14-1970. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 162.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BICYCLE
A device having two tandem wheels of a diameter not less than 16 inches and propelled by human power.
No person who resides within this municipality shall ride a bicycle or operate it upon any street or public place within this municipality unless said bicycle has been properly registered and tagged in accordance with the following regulations:
A. 
Every owner or operator of any bicycle within the Borough of Wilson shall make application for the registration of said bicycle to the Chief of Police on a form provided for that purpose.
B. 
Registrations of bicycles shall be serially numbered and kept on file by the Chief of Police on a form in his office as a public record.
C. 
The Chief of Police shall then issue an identification tag or plate serially numbered to correspond to the bicycle registration. This identification tag or plate must then be affixed to the rear mudguard or frame of the bicycle in such a position as to be plainly visible from the rear. A registration card shall be issued to the owner of each properly registered bicycle.
D. 
A charge of $0.50 per registration shall be made for the registering and tagging of any bicycle and paid into the Borough treasury. A charge of $0.25 shall be made for issuing a duplicate registration card.
E. 
The Chief of Police shall keep a record of:
(1) 
The number of each registration.
(2) 
The date of registration and the date of inspection.
(3) 
The name, age and address of the person to whom issued.
(4) 
The make, color and serial number of each bicycle frame.
(5) 
The bicycle fees collected.
F. 
Bicycles registered under the provisions hereof shall be registered on or before January 1,1971, and annually on April 1 thereafter. A general registration may be applied for on the morning of the first Saturday of each month, at 9:00 a.m., at police headquarters, Public Safety Building. A temporary registration for a new bicycle may be obtained from the Chief of Police and shall be valid until the first Saturday of the succeeding month, when the vehicle shall be inspected and the registrant required to pass an examination.
G. 
Within 10 days after the sale 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 person in whose name the bicycle was registered may have the identification tag or plate of his former bicycle transferred to another bicycle owned by him upon payment of a fee of $0.25 upon the registration of such bicycle with the Chief of Police.
A. 
Every person engaged in the business of buying and selling new or secondhand bicycles shall make a report within five days to the Chief of Police of every bicycle purchased or sold by such dealer, giving:
(1) 
The name and address of the person from whom purchased or to whom sold.
(2) 
A description of such bicycle by name or make.
(3) 
The frame number thereof.
(4) 
The number of the identification plate, if any, found thereon.
B. 
A rental agency shall not rent or offer any bicycle for rent unless the bicycle is properly registered and tagged and unless such bicycle is provided with the equipment required under the terms of this chapter.
C. 
It shall be unlawful for any person willfully or maliciously to remove, destroy, mutilate or alter the identification tag or plate or frame number of the bicycle or the registration card issued to the owner thereof.
Before the issuance of a bicycle registration, the applicant shall be required to demonstrate personally, in such a manner as the Chief of Police shall direct, that he or she is a proper person and is capable of riding a bicycle. Further, such applicant shall satisfactorily pass such examination to determine his knowledge of safe riding rules and practices as the Chief of Police may reasonably prescribe.
A. 
A bicycle shall be operated only on the roadway as near to the right-hand side as possible. Bicycles whose wheel diameter is 16 inches or over shall not be operated on the sidewalks. The operator of a bicycle shall obey all official traffic signals and other control devices applicable to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
B. 
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 or more persons.
C. 
The operator of a bicycle emerging from a driveway or building shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians on the sidewalk and to all vehicles on the roadway.
D. 
Operators of bicycles shall not ride in any manner other than single file except on paths or parts of the roadway set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
E. 
The operator of a bicycle shall not indulge in any abnormal or trick riding and shall keep at least one hand on the handlebar at all times while in use.
F. 
Operators of bicycles shall not hitch onto vehicles or buses upon a roadway.
G. 
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 a manner as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrians or vehicular traffic.
The Chief of Police or his duly authorized representatives shall inspect each bicycle presented for registration and shall report to the Chief of Police any bicycle found to be in unsafe mechanical condition or lacking the equipment specified as necessary under the terms of this chapter. The Chief of Police shall refuse to register such bicycle until and unless it is brought into conformance with the requirements of this chapter.
[Amended 1-22-1996 by Ord. No. 654, approved 1-22-1996]
A. 
Every bicycle operated upon a street or public place at any time during the period one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise and at any other time when there is not sufficient light under normal atmospheric conditions to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the street or public places at a distance of 500 feet ahead shall be equipped on the front with a lamp which emits a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the Department of Transportation which shall be visible from all distances from 100 feet to 600 feet to the rear and with an amber reflector on each side. 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. A lamp worn by the operator of a bicycle shall comply with the requirements of this subsection if the lamp can be seen at the distance specified. All lamps and reflectors shall be of a type approved by the Department of Transportation.
B. 
Every bicycle shall be equipped with a device capable of giving a signal audible from a distance of at least 100 feet, provided that no bicycle shall be equipped with, nor shall any person use upon a bicycle, any siren.
C. 
Every bicycle shall be equipped with a braking system which will stop the bicycle in 15 feet from an initial speed of 15 miles per hour on a dry, level and clean pavement.
[Amended 1-22-1996 by Ord. No. 654, approved 1-22-1996 ]
Any person violating any provision of this chapter is guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $10.
Any bicycle owned and operated by any resident of any other municipality shall not be required to be registered hereunder but shall be subject to all other provisions of this chapter.