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LOCAL MUNICIPAL BICYCLE ORDINANCES

The following are excerpts from the Johnson City and Jonesborough Municipal Codes regarding bicycle use. There are no ordinances specific to bicycles found in the current Elizabethton or Unicoi Municipal Codes. The full municipal code for all local jurisdictions can be found online at http://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/public/web.nsf/Web/View+Codes.
Please note that these ordinances are current as of July 2010. These laws could be changed at any time or new laws enacted and added to the municipal code.

15-1505. Operating a bicycle on a roadway. (1) When a bicycle lane is not available, all persons operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride on the right side of the road, moving in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic. All persons operating bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two (2) abreast when in traffic. (2) When a bicycle lane is available, all persons operating a bicycle shall ride in the bicycle lane in the same direction as vehicular traffic; providing however, that the operator may move out of the bicycle lane to make a left or right turn, or to avoid a hazardous condition. All persons entering a bicycle lane shall yield the right-of-way to all bicycles already in the bicycle lane. (Ord. #3443, Jan. 1997)

15-1506. Operating a bicycle on a bikeway. All persons operating a bicycle on a bikeway shall ride on the right side of the bikeway; providing however, that the operator may move left to make a left turn, to avoid a hazardous condition, or to pass a pedestrian or slower moving bicycle. Due care shall be taken and an audible signal given when passing a pedestrian or slower moving bicycle. (Ord. #3443, Jan. 1997)

15-1507. Operating a bicycle on a sidewalk. (1) No person over the age of sixteen (16) shall operate a bicycle on a sidewalk located on a local street unless that person is supervising a child while riding. All persons may operate a bicycle on an arterial or collector street. (2) All persons operating a bicycle on a sidewalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before passing said pedestrian. (Ord. #3443, Jan. 1997)

9-119. Clinging to vehicles in motion. It shall be unlawful for any person traveling upon any bicycle, motorcycle, coaster, sled, roller skates, or any other vehicle to cling to or attach himself or his vehicle to any other moving vehicle upon any street, alley, or other public way or place. [Ord. of April 19, 1977, § 1-120]

9-126. Bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, skateboards, etc.

• Every person riding or operating a bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, or any motor driven cycle, skateboard, go cart, or any wheeled vehicle designed for recreation or transportation shall be subject to the provisions of all traffic ordinances, rules, and regulations of the town applicable to the driver or operator of other vehicles except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application to bicycles, motorcycles, or motor driven cycles.

• No person operating or riding a bicycle, motorcycle, or motor driven cycle shall ride other than upon or astride the permanent and regular seat attached thereto, nor shall the operator carry any other person upon such vehicle other than upon a firmly attached and regular seat thereon.

• No bicycle, motorcycle, or motor driven cycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.

• No person operating a bicycle, motorcycle, or motor driven cycle shall carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the rider from keeping both hands upon the handlebar.

• No person riding or operating a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, go cart or other wheeled vehicle shall operate such vehicle in a manner that interferes with motor vehicular traffic or causes a hazard to any pedestrian.

• No person under the age of sixteen (16) years shall operate any motorcycle or motor driven cycle while any other person is a passenger upon said motor vehicle.

• All motorcycles and motor driven cycles operated on public ways within the corporate limits shall be equipped with crash bars approved by the state's Commissioner of Safety.

• Each driver of a motorcycle or motor driven cycle and any passenger thereon shall be required to wear on his head a crash helmet of a type approved by the state's Commissioner of Safety.

• Every motorcycle or motor driven cycle operated upon any public way within the corporate limits shall be equipped with a windshield of a type approved by the state's Commissioner of Safety, or, in the alternative, the operator and any passenger on any such motorcycle or motor driven cycle shall be required to wear safety goggles of a type approved by the state's Commissioner of Safety for the purpose of preventing any flying object from striking the operator or any passenger in the eyes.

• It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or ride on any vehicle in violation of this section, and it shall also be unlawful for any parent or guardian knowingly to permit any minor to operate a motorcycle or motor driven cycle in violation of this section. (Ord. of April 19, 1977, as amended by ord. of October 9, 1989)

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