Chico Municipal Code Ch. 10.40 Bicycles

This chapter is adopted pursuant to Division 16.7 of the Vehicle Code in order to require bicycles operated or used in the city by city residents to be licensed, and to set forth the procedures for implementing such licensing requirement. In addition, the provisions of this chapter shall govern the operation and use of bicycles by any person riding a bicycle on the public streets, sidewalks and other public ways and places in the city.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2489)

A. No city resident shall operate or use a bicycle on any street within the city without city registration or a license for such bicycle as prescribed by the administrative services director.

B. Businesses within the city which maintain a valid city business license and which also primarily sell, maintain, or trade in bicycles are authorized to register new bicycles purchased by a city resident on the resident’s behalf.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2439 §85, Ord. 2489)

A. A license fee shall be paid for each bicycle at the time the license is issued. The amount of such fee shall be established by the city council by resolution and, when so established, shall be effective forthwith.

B. The city shall provide registration, at no cost to city residents, of any bicycle which maintains a unique, recognizable, and serialized identification number provided by the bicycle manufacturer or any other industry recognized entity providing permanent serial.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2489)

The ownership of a bicycle may be transferred, and the license or registration transferred, upon payment of the license transfer fee as fixed by resolution of the city council. A transfer of registration shall be provided for city residents at no cost and completed utilizing the process established by the administrative services director.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2489)

Any bicycle registered under this chapter shall maintain a bicycle frame with a unique, recognizable, and serialized identification number provided by the bicycle manufacturer or any other industry recognized entity providing permanent serial identification.

If the bicycle frame does not have a unique, recognizable, and serialized identification number, the owner may purchase an adhesive, durable and flexible license indicia showing the license number permanently assigned to such bicycle and shall be affixed to the registered bicycle in a clearly visible location, in the form, material and design as provided by state law and the administrative services director.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2489)

A. Whenever the owner of a bicycle licensed or registered pursuant to this chapter sells or otherwise disposes of said bicycle, the owner shall, within ten days, notify the licensing and registration agency of the city.

B. Any city resident who purchases or otherwise acquires possession of such bicycle shall, within ten days after taking possession, apply for transfer of the license or registration to their name.

C. Whenever the owner of a bicycle licensed or registered pursuant to this chapter changes their place of residence within the city from one place to another place within the city, such bicycle owner shall, within ten days, notify the licensing and registration agency of the city of the old and new address.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2489)

The administrative services director shall maintain a record of each bicycle that is licensed or registered. Such record shall include, but not be limited to, the unique serial number of the bicycle; and the name and address of the licensee or registrant. A copy of such record shall be delivered by the administrative services director to the police department.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2439 §86, Ord. 2489)

No person shall remove, destroy, mutilate or otherwise alter the number of any bicycle frame licensed or registered pursuant to this chapter or remove, destroy, mutilate or otherwise alter any license plate, seal or registration form during the time in which such license plate, seal or form is operative. However, the officer or department designated to issue licenses or registration may authorize stamp numbers on frames of bicycles on which no serial number can be found, or on which the serial number is illegible or insufficient for identification purposes.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2489)

A. No person shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk in that portion of the central business district of the city bounded and described as follows: the area bounded on the north by the northerly property line of First Street; on the south by the southerly property line of Fifth Street; on the east by the center line of Wall Street and on the west by the center line of Salem Street; except that this restriction shall not be deemed to apply to a three-wheel or tricycle-type of bicycle being operated by a physically disabled person nor to any person operating a bicycle and desiring to access the Children’s Playground bicycle path located at West First and Broadway Streets. For the purpose of this exception, “disabled person” shall mean a person disabled by a physical disability or age.

B. No person shall park or place a bicycle upon a sidewalk or parkway between the sidewalk and the adjacent curb, except where bicycle parking racks are provided upon sidewalks or parkways.

C. A person may ride a bicycle on a sidewalk outside of the area described in subsection A, above, provided the person yields the right-of-way to and gives an audible signal before overtaking any person standing, walking, in a wheelchair, or on a tricycle or similar three-wheeled vehicle on the sidewalk.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2200, Ord. 2489)

In addition to the provisions of the Vehicle Code relative to bicycles and the operation thereof upon streets, the following provisions shall apply to the operator or operators of a bicycle upon a street:

A. Where a bicycle lane has been established upon a street, the operator shall operate such bicycle within the confines of such lane, and shall follow all directions as are established by traffic control devices.

B. Where more than one bicycle is traveling in the same direction on the same street, sidewalk, or bicycle lane, such bicycles shall be ridden in single file.

C. The operator of a bicycle shall comply with all directions contained upon traffic control devices for vehicles traveling upon the adjacent street; provided that, in a business district, bicycles shall not be operated upon pedestrian crosswalks between curbs, except in the manner provided for motor vehicles.

(Ord. 2119, Ord. 2489)