New Orleans Bicycling Laws

New Orleans Bicycling Laws

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The following New Orleans Bicycling laws were researched and verified in September 2003. This list was generated by searching for the term "bicycle" using the full-text municipal law search engine: http:www.municode.com. From this search, is included the full text of all laws that applied directly to cyclists. This list is intended to be a guide for bicyclists, and in no way be considered an official legal document.

Sec. 154-1401. Effect of regulations.
It is a violation of this article for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this article. These regulations applicable to bicycles shall apply whenever a bicycle is operated upon any street or sidewalk, subject to those exceptions herein stated.
(Code 1956, § 38-190)

Sec. 154-1402. Responsibility of parent or guardian.
No parent of a child or tutor or curator of a minor or incompetent person shall authorize or knowingly permit any such child, minor or incompetent person to violate any of the provisions of this article.
(Code 1956, § 38-191)

Sec. 154-1403. Registration required.
No person who resides in the city shall ride or propel a bicycle upon any street unless such bicycle has been registered and a registration plate is attached thereto. This section shall be applicable to new residents of the parish at the expiration of 90 days.
(Code 1956, § 38-192)

Sec. 154-1404. Registration application and fee.
(a) Application for a bicycle registration shall be made upon the form provided by and shall be made to the superintendent of police. There shall be a registration fee of $3.00 for all bicycles with a 20-inch wheel size or larger. The dealer shall collect such fee at the time of sale, issue bicycle registration decal, and remit the fee to the superintendent of police along with the application for registration.
(b) This charge becomes effective as of February 1, 1987.
(c) Exemption for the payment of fees shall be for all bicycles under the cost of $100.00.
(Code 1956, § 38-193)

Sec. 154-1405. Issuance of registration; record.
(a) The superintendent of police or any police officer assigned such duty by him, or the superintendent of fire or any employee of the department of fire when assigned such duty in writing by the mayor, upon receiving proper application therefore, may issue a bicycle registration plate to the owner thereof. Each new owner shall register such bicycle in accordance with the provisions of this article. They shall not register any bicycle when they know or have reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant is not the owner of or entitled to the possession of such bicycle.
(b) The superintendent of police and the superintendent of fire shall keep a record of the number of each registration, the date issued, the name and address of the person to whom issued and the number on the frame of the bicycle for which issued and a record of all bicycle registration fees collected by them.
(c) It shall be the duty of the superintendent of fire to forward a true copy of the record of each registration made by him, or any employee of the department of fire, to the superintendent of police.
(d) The superintendent of police may authorize bicycle dealers to register and attach registration plates to bicycles. All such persons authorized to register and attach registration plates to bicycles shall forward immediately to the superintendent of police true copies of such registration. It shall be a misdemeanor to fail to furnish such copies or to furnish false or fraudulent records to the superintendent of police.
(Code 1956, § 38-194)

Sec. 154-1406. Attachment of registration plate.
The superintendent of police or other authorized person upon issuing a bicycle registration shall also issue a registration plate bearing the registration number assigned to the bicycle, and the name of the city. The superintendent of police or other authorized person shall cause such registration plate to be firmly attached to the frame of the bicycle for which it has been issued in such a position as to be plainly visible. No person shall remove a registration plate from a bicycle during the period of ownership for which it is issued except in the event the bicycle is dismantled and no longer operated upon any street in the city.
(Code 1956, § 38-195)

Sec. 154-1407. Inspection of bicycles.
The superintendent of police or other authorized person assigned to such responsibility may inspect each bicycle before registering it and shall refuse to register any bicycle which he determines is in unsafe mechanical condition.
(Code 1956, § 38-196)

Sec. 154-1408. Transfer of ownership.
(Code 1956, § 38-197)

Sec. 154-1409. Rented bicycles to be registered.
A rental agency shall not rent or offer any bicycle for rent unless the bicycle is registered and a registration plate is attached thereto and such bicycle is equipped with the lamp and other equipment required in this article.
(Code 1956, § 38-198)

Sec. 154-1410. Reports of bicycle dealers, and requiring of bills of sale.
(a) Every person engaged in the business of buying or selling new or used bicycles shall keep a record of every bicycle purchased or sold by such dealer, giving the name and address of the person from whom it was purchased or to whom it was sold, a description of such bicycle by name or make, the frame number thereof and the number of the registration plate, if any, found thereon.
(b) In every sale of a bicycle, the seller shall furnish the buyer with a bill of sale showing the information required in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The seller shall attach a registration plate if the bicycle is sold to a resident of the city or if such bicycle is to be used in the city.
(Code 1956, § 38-199)

Sec. 154-1411. Traffic laws applicable to persons riding bicycles.
Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of 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 laws of the city applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except as otherwise provided in this article and except as to those provisions of law which by their nature, can have no application.

Sec. 154-1412. Obedience to traffic control devices.
Any person operating a bicycle shall obey the instructions of official traffic control signals, signs, and other traffic control devices applicable to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer. Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating that no right, left, or "U" turn is permitted, no person operating a bicycle shall disobey the direction of any such signs, except when such person dismounts from the bicycle to make any such turn, such person shall then obey the regulations applicable to pedestrians.
(Code 1956, § 38-201)

Sec. 154-1413. Failure to stop in event of accident.
Any person who, while riding or propelling a bicycle or other vehicle or instrument of that general character, shall run against, upon or over any person upon the public highways or the property of any person in his personal possession or use in such a manner as might do an injury or cause damage to such person or property and shall not stop at once to ascertain the extent of such injury and to render such assistance as may be needed or shall refuse to give his name and residence when asked for by the person so injured or by any other person in his behalf shall be guilty of an offense.
(Code 1956, § 38-202)

Sec. 154-1414. One-handed steering
Every rider of a bicycle, tricycle or other vehicle propelled by hand or foot must keep at least one hand on the handlebars of his machine when riding it.
(Code 1956, § 38-203)
State law references: Similar provisions, R.S. 32:195.

Sec. 154-1415. Riding on roadways and bicycle paths.
Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right-hand side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.
(Code 1956, § 38-204)
State law references: Similar provisions, R.S. 32:197.

Sec. 154-1416. Riding on sidewalks.
No person 15 or more years of age shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk in the city nor will bicycles be allowed on sidewalks in the business district.
(Code 1956, § 38-205)

Sec. 154-1417. Speeding.
No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing.
(Code 1956, § 38-206)

Sec. 154-1418. Right-of-way at alley or driveway.
The operator of a bicycle emerging from an alley, driveway or building shall, upon approaching a sidewalk or the sidewalk extending across any alleyway, yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians approaching upon such sidewalk area and upon entering the roadway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on such roadway.
(Code 1956, § 38-207)

Sec. 154-1419. Manner of riding.
A person propelling a bicycle shall not ride other than astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto. No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.
(Code 1956, § 38-208)
State law references: Similar provisions, R.S. 32:195.

Sec. 154-1420. 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 handlebars or which interferes with the stability of the bicycle or the rider's vision.
(Code 1956, § 38-209)
State law references: Similar provisions, R.S. 32:195.

Sec. 154-1421. Parking bicycles.
No person shall park a bicycle upon a street other than: (1) Upon the roadway against the curb; (2) Upon the sidewalk in a rack to support the bicycle; (3) Against a building; or (4) At the curb; in such a manner as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrian traffic.
(Code 1956, § 38-210)

Sec. 154-1422. Necessary bicycle equipment.
(a) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type which shall be visible from all distances from 50 feet to 300 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlights of a motor vehicle. 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. (b) 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) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(Code 1956, § 38-211)
State law references: Similar provisions, R.S. 32:329.

Sec. 154-1423. Disposition of unclaimed bicycles.
All unclaimed, unidentified, or abandoned bicycles in the possession or custody of the department of police shall be held for a period of not less than 45 days. Thereafter, such bicycles may be sold at a fair price or may be donated to a nonprofit organization or agency serving the children of the parish, upon written authorization by the superintendent of police. All proceeds derived from such sales shall be credited to the police pension fund.
(Code 1956, § 38-212)

Sec. 154-1424. Penalties.
Every person convicted of a violation of any provision of this article shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100.00 and/or imprisonment for not more than 90 days or by removal and detention of the registration plate from such person's bicycle for a period not to exceed 30 days or by any combination thereof.
(Code 1956, § 38-213)

Secs. 154-1425--154-1470. Reserved.

Sec. 154-313. Possession of vehicles with defaced numbers.
No person shall have in his possession any motor vehicle, motorcycle, or bicycle from which the manufacturer's serial number or any other manufacturer's trade or distinguishing number or identification mark has been removed, defaced, covered or destroyed, for the purpose of concealing or destroying the identification of such motor vehicle, motorcycle, or bicycle.
(Code 1956, § 38-157)
State law references: Concealing or misrepresenting identity of motor vehicle or engine, R.S. 32:725;
destruction or alteration of distinguishing number or mark, R.S. 32:726.
(Code 1956, § 38-200)
State law references: Similar provisions, R.S. 32:194

Sec. 154-4. Clinging to moving vehicles.
No person riding upon any bicycle, coaster, sled, roller skates or vehicle shall attach it or himself to any streetcar or moving vehicle upon any roadway.
(Code 1956, § 38-128)

Sec. 106-2. Bicycle speed limit in Audubon Park; lights.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a bicycle at a speed in excess of ten miles per hour in that portion of Audubon Park bounded by Magazine Street, Exposition Blvd., St. Charles Avenue and Walnut Street.
(b) All bicycles operating in the abovementioned area shall possess a working light when used in either pre-sunrise or post-sunset periods.
(Code 1956, § 42-116)

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