This past fall the City of Chesapeake, citing concerns over bicycle racing without a special event permit on certain roads in the city, drafted a proposed ordinance to further ban the practice. Below is the language of the draft law as of Feb. 8, 2013.
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AN ORDINANCE ENACTING SECTION 74-359 ENTITLED “BICYCLE AND OTHER SELF-PROPELLED OR MOTORIZED VEHICLE RACING OR TIME TRIALS” OF CHAPTER 74 ENTITLED ”TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES” TO PROHIBIT RACING AND TIME TRIALS ON PUBLIC HIGHWAYS EXCEPT IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, that Section 74-21 of the Chesapeake City Code be amended and reenacted as follows:
Sec. 74-359. – Bicycle and Other Self-Propelled or Motorized Vehicle Racing or Time Trials.
(a)
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection:
A race refers to a head-to-head contest of speed or competition on bicycles or self-propelled or motorized vehicle inclusive of a starting line of massed riders and in which two or more riders ride abreast on a highway. The course may be point-to-point, a large circuit, or repeated laps of a shorter circuit. A race includes but is not necessarily limited to an organized event such as a road race, criterium, or portion of a duathlon, triathlon, or other multisport event.
A time trial is a comparative contest of speed or competition in which individuals or small teams of riders, separately ride the same route and distance for elapsed time. Time trials are generally started at preset intervals and held on an out-and-back or circuit course. A time trial includes but is not necessarily limited to an organized event in a single day or series of days which results in rankings or comparative time result monitoring by officials, awards, or qualification for other time trial competitions or events.
A race or time trial excludes training or recreational activity which does not have competition as a primary purpose and in which two or more riders travel a common route in single file and clock their own individual times, but such assemblies or gatherings are subject to other applicable law.
(b)
Bicycle, handbike, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle or moped racing or time trials on the highways is prohibited except as authorized in this subsection.
(c)
Bicycle, handbike, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle or moped racing or time trials on a highway shall not be unlawful when a racing or time trials event has been approved by the City Manager or designee on any highway under the jurisdiction of the City. Approval of bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle or moped highway racing or time trials events shall be granted only under conditions (including but not necessarily limited to closure of designated travel lanes and/or shoulders to other vehicular traffic) which assure reasonable safety for all race participants, spectators and other highway users, and which prevent unreasonable interference with traffic flow which would seriously inconvenience other highway users.
(d)
By agreement with the approving authority, participants in an approved bicycle, handbike, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard, motorized scooter, low-speed vehicle and moped highway racing or time trials event may be exempted from compliance with any traffic laws otherwise applicable thereto, provided that traffic control is adequate to assure the safety of all highway users.
(e)
Such racing or time trial events of ten or more participants are also subject to City Code Section 74-21.
ADOPTED by the Council of the City of
Chesapeakethis ____ day of ________________, 20__.
APPROVED:
_______________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Clerk of the Council
