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Council flags 1969 bicycle‑registration ordinance for repeal or rewrite
Summary
Councillors reviewed a decades‑old ordinance that requires bicycle registration and contains prescriptive rules (no bags, no zigzagging, two hands on bars). Staff and council described it as outdated and directed staff to draft repeal/amend language that retains sensible safety provisions like reflectors and lights.
Oakmont councilors on Nov. 3 reviewed an outdated 1969 ordinance that required residents to register bicycles at the police station and imposed detailed requirements such as keeping both hands on handlebars, not carrying bags on a bicycle and restrictions on sidewalk movement.
A councilor said police officers were unaware the ordinance still existed and recommended repeal or rewrite. The police chief (speaking generally on enforcement capability) said some provisions once made sense when bike‑theft prevention relied on local serialization, but modern bicycles often carry manufacturer serial numbers and enforcement resources are limited. Council discussed options to repeal the old ordinance and replace it with a compact safety‑oriented rule set that focuses on reflectors, lights for dusk/night riding and keeping riders predictable, while removing impractical archival requirements.
Council asked staff to work with the borough solicitor and police to draft a repeal and replacement that preserves safety rules consistent with current state law and best practice and to present proposed language at a future meeting.
