Every city and town may by ordinance regulate and license the riding of bicycles and other similar vehicles upon or along the streets, alleys, highways, or other public grounds within its limits and may construct and maintain bicycle paths or roadways within or outside of and beyond its limits leading to or from the city or town. The city or town may provide by ordinance for reasonable fines and penalties for violation of the ordinance.
[ 1965 c 7 § 35.75.010; 1899 c 31 § 1; RRS § 9204. 1899 c 31 § 2; RRS § 9205; ]
It shall be unlawful for any person to lead, drive, ride, or propel any team, wagon, animal, or vehicle other than a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or similar vehicle upon and along any bicycle path constructed within or without the corporate limits of any city or town excepting at suitable crossings to be provided in the construction of such paths. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
[ 2002 c 247 § 8; 1965 c 7 § 35.75.020; 1899 c 31 § 3; RRS § 9206; ]
Every city and town by ordinance may establish and collect reasonable license fees from all persons riding a bicycle or other similar vehicle within its respective corporate limits, and may enforce the payment thereof by reasonable fines and penalties.
[ 1965 c 7 § 35.75.030; 1899 c 31 § 4; RRS § 9207; ]
The license fee to be paid and the rules regulating the riding of bicycles or other similar vehicles within any city or town shall be fixed by ordinance, and the rules regulating the use of such bicycle paths or roadways constructed or maintained within its limits and the fines and penalties for the violation of such rules shall be fixed by ordinance.
[ 1965 c 7 § 35.75.040; 1899 c 31 § 5; RRS § 9208; ]
The city or town council shall by ordinance provide that the whole amount or any amount not less than seventy-five percent of all license fees, penalties or other moneys collected under the authority of this chapter shall be paid into and placed to the credit of a special fund to be known as the "bicycle road fund." The moneys in the bicycle road fund shall not be transferred to any other fund and shall be paid out for the sole purpose of building and maintaining bicycle paths and roadways authorized to be constructed and maintained by this chapter or for special police officers, bicycle tags, stationery and other expenses growing out of the regulating and licensing of the riding of bicycles and other vehicles and the construction, maintenance and regulation of the use of bicycle paths and roadways.
[ 2007 c 218 § 69; 1965 c 7 § 35.75.050; 1899 c 31 § 6; RRS § 9209; ]
Any city or town may use any funds available for street or road construction, maintenance, or improvement for building, improving, and maintaining bicycle paths, lanes, roadways, and routes, and for improvements to make existing streets and roads more suitable and safe for bicycle traffic: PROVIDED, That any such paths, lanes, roadways, routes, or streets for which any such street or road funds are expended shall be suitable for bicycle transportation purposes and not solely for recreation purposes. Bicycle facilities constructed or modified after December 31, 2012, shall meet or exceed the standards adopted by the design standards committee under RCW 35.78.030.
[ 2012 c 67 § 2; 1982 c 55 § 1; 1974 ex.s. c 141 § 10; ]
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Any city or town may adopt, by ordinance, a requirement for a bicycle tour permit for the use and enjoyment of public roads, trails, and paths within the city or town by groups of six or more bicyclists that are not family members and who do not reside in the same household. In adopting a bicycle tour permit requirement, the city or town may:
Require the group applying for the permit to designate the roads, trails, or paths that the group will be using as well as the date and time of the ride. The city or town may reject a proposed route, or propose an alternative route, if the original proposed route would delay or hinder road construction or other prescheduled activities planned on a public road;
Require that a sheriff's deputy or other law enforcement official, if determined by the city or town to be necessary for public safety or an orderly transit by the group, escort the group while using county roads;
Charge a fee for the permit. The fee can be based upon the size of the group and the route that will be taken. The city or town may not set the fee for the permit at a rate greater than that reasonably necessary to recover the costs of administering and enforcing the permit and of providing the public services, including, if necessary, a sheriff's deputy or other law enforcement escort, that are available during the tour to the group;
Require a damage deposit before the issuance of a permit for groups of more than 50 persons. The damage deposit may be used by the city or town to repair, replace, or otherwise remedy any physical damage caused by the bicycle group. The damage deposit required for a permit may not exceed $20 per person in the group. Any portion of the damage deposit not reasonably used to repair, replace, or otherwise remedy physical damage must be returned to the person, or persons, that made the deposit within 30 days of the permitted group's use of the permit;
Establish dates and times for which the permit is valid;
Provide either a paper permit, or an electronic permit that can be displayed on a cellular phone or portable electronic device, that is to be in the possession of the permittee when using the designated roads, trails, or paths;
Establish a civil penalty for violating bicycle tour permit requirements, or for lacking a bicycle tour permit when required, provided that any such penalty not exceed $250 per individual violator for each violation; and
Adopt a presumption that any bicyclists that are not family members and who do not reside in the same household, who are riding in a group of six or more with a guide or other person paid to lead a group of riders, present are subject to the bicycle tour permit requirements.
A city or town adopting a bicycle tour permit requirement may enter into an interlocal agreement with a county for the county's bicycle tour permit requirements to apply to roads, trails, and paths owned or maintained by the city or town. The interlocal agreement must include an agreed division of revenue from any permits applied for within the city or town, and the fee charged for a bicycle tour permit for use within a city or town may not exceed that charged elsewhere in the county.
A city or town may waive the bicycle tour permit fee, as may be provided in the enacting ordinance.
For the purposes of this section, "family members" means children, stepchildren, grandchildren, great grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents, great grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and those legally married to or in a state registered domestic partnership with one another.
[ 2021 c XXX § 2; ]**