Fort Walton Beach Ordinance — 381 - Bicycle License — reading text

ORDINANCE NO. 381 AN ORDINANCE LICENSING BICYCLES; PROVIDING TRAFFIC REGULATIONS AND CERTAIN SAFETY DEVICES; PROVIDING PENALTIES AND THE EFFECTIVE DATE HEREOF. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA: SECTION 1. License required. No person, who resides within this City, shall ride or propel a bicycle on any street or upon use of bicycles any public path set aside for the exclusive unless such bicycle has been licensed and a license plate is attached thereto as provided herein. SECTION 2. License application. Application for a bicycle license and license plate shall be made upon a form provided by the City, and shall be made to the Chief cr Police or his designee. An annual license fee of twenty- five ( 25) cents shall be paid to the City before each license or renewal thereof is granted. SECTION 3. Issuance of license. ( The Chief of Police upon a) to issue receiving proper application therefor is authorized a bicycle license which shall be effective until the next succeeding first day of January each year. b) The Chief of Police shall not issue a for any license bicycle when he knows or has reasonable ground to believe that the applicant is not the owner of or entitled to the possession of such bicycle. c) The Chief of Police shall keep a record of the number of each license, the date issued, the name and address of the per- son whom issued, and the number on the frame of the to bicycle for which issued, and a record of all bicycle license fees collected by him. SECTION 4. Attachment of license plate. a) The Chief of Police upon issuing bicycle license shall also issue a license plate bearing the license number assigned to the bicycle, the name of the City, and the expiration date thereof. b) The Chief of Police shall cause such license plate to be frame of the bicycle firmly attached to the rear mudguard or for which issued in such position as to be plainly visible from the rear. c) Noperson shall remove license plate from a bicycle during the for which issued except a transfer of ownership period upon or in the event the bicycle is dismantled and no longer operated upon any street in this City. SECTION 5. Inspection of bicycles. The Chief of Police, or an officer assigned such responsibility, shall inspect each bicycle before licensing the same and shall refuse a license for any bicycle which he determines is in unsafe mechanical condition. SECTION 6. Renewal of license. Upon the expiration of any and pay- bicycle license the same may be renewed upon application ment of the same fee as upon an original application. SECTION 7. Transfer of ownership. Upon the sale or o~ her trans- fer of a licensed bicycle the licensee shall remove the: license  and shall either to the Chief of surrender the same plate Police may upon proper application or but without payment of additional fee have said plate assigned to another bicycle owned by the applicant. SECTION 8. Rental agencies. A rental agency shall not rent oroffer any bicycle for rent unless the bicycle is licensed and alicense plate is attached thereto as provided herein and such bicycle is equipped with the lamps and other equipment required in this Article. SECTION 9. Bicycle dealers. Every person engaged in the business of buying or selling new or second- hand bicycles shall make a report to the Chief of Police of every bicycle purchased or sold by such dealer; giving the name and address of the a description of person from whom purchased or to whom sold, such bicycle by name or make, the frame number thereof, and the number of license plate, if any, found thereon. SECTION 10. Traffic laws persons riding bicycles. apply to Every shall be granted roadway all of person riding bicyclea upon a the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by the laws of this State declaring rules of the road applicable to vehicles or by the traffic ordinances of this City applicable to the driver of the vehicle, except as to special regulations in this Article and except as to those provisions of laws and ordinances which by their nature can have no application. SECTION 11. traffic- control devices. ( Obedience to a) Any bicycle shall obey the instructions of official person operating a traffic- control signals, signs, and other control devices applic- able to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer. b) Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating that no right or left or nun turn is permitted, no person operating a bicycle shall disobey the direction of any such sign, except where such person dismounts from the bicycle to make any such turn, in which event such person shall then obey the regulations applicable to pedestrians. SECTION 12. Riding on bicycles. ( a) A person propelling a ride other than astride a permanent and regular bicycle shall not seat attached thereto. b) No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped. SECTION 13. Riding on roadways and bicycle paths. ( a) Every roadway shall ride as near to person operating a bicycle upon a the right hand side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. b) bicycles upon roadway Persons riding shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. c) Whenever a path for bicycles has been provided ad- usable jacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway. SECTION 14. Speed. No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing. SECTION 15. Emerging from alley or driveway. The operator of a bicycle emerging from an alley, driveway or building, shall upon approaching a sidewalk or the sidewalk area extending across l' any alleyway, yield the right of way to all pedestrians approach- ing on said sidewalk or sidewalk area, and upon entering the roadway shall yield the right of way to all vehicles approaching on said roadway. SECTION 16. Clinging to vehicles. No person riding upon any bicycle shall attach the same or himself to any street car or vehicle upon a roadway. SECTION 17. Carrying articles. No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the rider from keeping at least one hand upon the handle bars. SECTION 18. Parking. No person shall park a bicycle upon a street other than upon the roadway against the curb or upon the sidewalk in a rack to support the bicycle or against a building or at the curb, in such manner as to afford the least obstruct- ion to pedestrian traffic. SECTION 19. Riding on sidewalks. ( a) No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district. b) The Chief of Police is authorized to erect signs on any sidewalk or roadway prohibiting the riding of bicycles thereon by any person and when such signs are in place, no person shall disobey the same. c) 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. SECTION 20. Lamps and other equipment on bicycles. ( a) Every bicycle when in use at night time shall be equiRP~ d with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a dis- tance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type which shall be visible from all distanc~ 9 from 50 feet to 300 feet to the rear whep directlY~ n front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a mot-~t: vehicle- ~< , k 'p';lamp ,~ a red isible a dist'ance of 500 fe:et ~ to the:. emitting light ~ frpm rear may be used in addition to the red reflector. b) No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving signal audible for a dist~nce of at least 100 feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with nor shall any persons use upon a bicycle any siren or. whistle. c) Every :bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make a braked wheel skid on ' dry, level, clean pavement. 1"\ I/ i SECTION 21. Penalties.Every person convicted of a violation of any provision of this Article shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty ($50. 00) Doilars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty ( 30) days, or by removal and detention of the license plate from such person' s bicycle for a per1odnot to exceed thirty (30) days or by impounding of such person' s bi cycle for a period not to exceed thirty ( 30) days, or by any combination thereof. SECTION 22. This ordinance shall take effect thirty ( 30) days after its passage and approval by the Mayor. ADOPTED: ATTEST: APPROVED: dJ,lJ. t'v~ City Clerk