Public Safety Committee moves Bill 14 to full council to align Allentown bicycle rules with Pennsylvania Vehicle Code

The Allentown City Public Safety Committee voted to forward Bill 14 to the full City Council after a presentation on proposed changes that would align the city's bicycle ordinances with the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.

Bill 14, read into the record by a committee clerk, would replace the local definition of "bicycle" with the state's definition of a "pedalcycle," explicitly include electric-assist bicycles (e-bikes) under the state definition, defer to state equipment standards for brakes and lights, remove or update obsolete local penalties, and update Hamilton Street regulations that reference "bicycles." The presenter said the changes also recommend police encourage registration of recovered or stolen bicycles in a national database such as BikeIndex.org.

Committee members and public safety staff described the changes as a cleanup to remove contradictions between the 1938/1997 Allentown code and state law. "From the police department, we support this," said Chief of Police Michael Roca, referring to the proposed legislative changes and calling them "best practices." The presenter, Scott Slingerhand, described the work as a collaboration between CAT and Community Bike Works and said the review was intended to "improve public awareness and safety and consistency between local municipal ordinances and Pennsylvania state vehicle code."

The ordinance changes highlighted several specifics discussed during the presentation and public comment: the state definition of an e-bike caps motor-assisted speed at 20 miles per hour and requires the rider to be at least 16 years old on streets; state equipment rules require lamps and reflectors visible from 500 feet and brakes that stop within 15 feet; and the local code previously included a possible penalty of jail time for some bicycle code violations which the presenters said conflicts with state penalties (the state treats many violations as summary offenses with a fine). The presenters recommended adopting the state's language to remove such inconsistencies.

Community Bike Works program manager Adonis Cannon and several youth participants described safety concerns and local conditions, asking for clearer bike lanes and enforcement aimed at reducing conflicts with drivers. Student participant Keishawn said he had been hit by a car twice while riding and urged greater protection and education for riders. Resident Greg Fried and bicyclist Katie Kukan Walker voiced that city streets are not always bike-friendly and urged more driver enforcement and education to reduce unsafe interactions.

The committee also discussed sidewalk rules: presenters and Chief Roca noted that state law generally forbids bicycling on sidewalks in business districts, but allows it in other districts provided bicyclists yield to pedestrians and exercise care; enforcement was described as discretionary for officers.

After discussion, a committee member moved to forward Bill 14 to the full City Council and the motion was seconded. The committee voted in favor to send the bill to the council for further consideration.

The bill will next appear on the full council agenda for a subsequent vote and any further amendments.

Votes at this committee meeting: the committee voice vote to forward Bill 14 was recorded as in favor; no roll-call tally with individual member votes was recorded in the committee transcript.