IOWA CITY ORDINANCES FOR BICYCLES

BICYCLES (City Code 9-4-1)

Park and secure bicycles only in designated bike racks. Bikes chained to poles, meters, trees, and other structures may be impounded.

Traffic Rules

A. Observation of Traffic Rules:

All persons riding bicycles upon any street or sidewalk within the City shall obey all traffic ordinances and rules as to traffic lights and highway and street stop signs and shall be required to signal any change of direction or course of travel in the same manner as such signals are required under the law governing the use of motor vehicles and shall not turn to the right or left in traffic except at regular intersections of streets, alleys or driveways.

All persons riding bicycles upon any street, sidewalk or bike lane within the City shall observe all ordinances and rules as to traffic limits and shall make full and complete stops at official stop signs.

In addition, all persons riding bicycles shall be subject to the provisions of ordinances applicable to the driver of a motor vehicle, except as to those provisions which, by their very nature, can have no application.

B. Method of Riding:

A bicycle rider shall not ride other than astride a permanent and regular bicycle seat.

No rider of a bicycle intended for one person shall carry a second person on any part of the bicycle, except infants may be carried when a suitable and proper seat is provided.

No person riding a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which would prevent the rider from keeping both hands on the handlebars.

C. Riding On Roadways: Persons riding bicycles on the roadway shall ride single file, and every person riding a bicycle on the roadway shall ride as near to the right-hand side of the roadway as practicable, except for turning movements or where bike lanes so designate.

D. Careful Riding: No person shall ride or propel a bicycle upon any sidewalk or roadway except in a prudent and careful manner.

E. Riding on Sidewalk:

No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk in the Central Downtown Business District. The Central Downtown Business District is the area bounded by and including Capitol Street to the west, Burlington Street to the south, Gilbert Street to the east, and Jefferson Street to the north.

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.

F. Riding On Bikeways: No person shall ride or operate a bicycle within a bicycle lane or path in any direction except that permitted by vehicular traffic traveling on the same side of the roadway, provided bicycles may proceed either way along a lane or path where arrows or signs designate two-way bicycle traffic.