Stricter Bike Rules Proposed in Mamaroneck Village

Bike advocates showed up at Monday night's village board meeting to respond to proposed changes to a local law that can fine cyclists for leaving their bikes anywhere other than a designated bike rack.

The ordinance currently allows for fines up to $250, 15 days in jail, or impoundment of the bike if it is left anywhere other than a designated rack.

David Wilson, president of the 1500-member Westchester Cycle Club and president of the Bike Walk Alliance of Westchester and Putnam, was invited to speak at the meeting. He said enforcing the ordinance would discourage people from biking in the village.

"You don't make a town or village bike-friendly by fining cyclists $250, or throwing them in jail for 15 days," said Wilson.

Village Manager Richard Slingerland stated at the meeting that the law is not yet finalized. "We have been trying to get public comments," he said, "We urge the public to e-mail us with suggestions. It's important to the community."

Slingerland noted in an e-mail that many of the changes being proposed will make Mamaroneck a more bike-friendly village. The new law proposes to eliminate the registration requirement on bicycles and to limit situations in which a bicycle may be impounded due to unsafe operation.  A bicycle was impounded last year, and that prompted the board to re-visit the old laws.

"The old law contains the provisions about fine, impoundment or imprisonment," he wrote,  "To date, the Board has not made a decision to delete those provisions, although they may be softened."

The old law prohibits the riding of bicycles on any sidewalk in the village. The new law prohibits the riding of bicycles on the sidewalk only in the downtown commercial areas where retail stores operate, and expands it to skateboarders and scooter riders.

"I personally have received several verbal complaints made in passing to me by residents and merchants that bicyclers, skateboarders and scooter-riders riding down Mamaroneck Avenue are riding too fast to be on the sidewalks and they could get into an accident with and severely injure a pedestrian," wrote Slingerland. "The original proposal was to prohibit bicycles on the sidewalks in the Downtown, and to respond to comments on the original draft we proposed to change it to all commercial areas where retail establishments operate.  However, that may be too general and we may need to amend it to be specific."

Designating parking locations for bikes is, according to Slingerland, intended to prevent damage to downtown trees and light posts caused by bicycles being locked to them. The village has already installed four such racks, and 24 others have been proposed.

Karin Weisburgh, an avid cyclist, bikes 20 miles a day from her home in Mamaroneck to her job at Consumer Reports in Yonkers. She spoke out against requiring parking at the bike racks. She noted, soaked from the rain outside, that in the rain or snow, it would be especially difficult to have to walk to a destination after leaving the bike at a rack.

Nearby Larchmont just installed many bike racks to encourage cycling.

Overall, Wilson thought Tuesday night's meeting was productive. "They were responsive. They realize that they need to take another look at it and we are looking forward to working with them and sending them our ideas."

The next public hearing will be on Aug. 16.