I hope you enjoy the Brompton Urban Challenge this weekend - because it's illegal!

Always Be Scofflawing

The 2nd annual Brompton Urban Challenge is coming to DC this Saturday and it sounds like a lot of fun. 

Akin to a two-wheeled scavenger hunt, the Brompton Urban Challenge tests the creativity and ingenuity of its participants as they explore their city, interpreting clues, and completing challenges, all from the seat of their bikes. What better way to end the summer than by joining your fellow DC Bromptoneers and exploring the city on two wheels?

All types of bikes are welcome to participate, but each team of 2-4 riders must have at least 1 Brompton to qualify.

I'm not able to go, because I'll be in Nashville which is not having the BUC that weekend, but even if I were, I wouldn't go because at least I still have respect for the law.

See, even though a Brompton looks, acts and tastes just like a bicycle, it isn't, and so you aren't legally allowed to ride it on the roadway.

Let me explain.

The DC regulations ban bicycling on the sidewalk in parts of the city (basically the Central Business District and any place designated by the Mayor of which I am unaware of any). But, they didn't want to keep kids from being able to ride on the sidewalk downtown because, y'know, they're kids. So they did what any reasonable person would do, they created an exception for children under a certain age. 

Nah, I'm just kidding. They did something insane and created a whole new thing called a sidewalk bicycle and it would be legal to ride a sidewalk bicycle on downtown sidewalks, because... I mean, look, it's got sidewalk right in the name. Duh. Obvs it was meant to be ridden on the sidewalk. But they waned to define this sidewalk bicycle so that it would be something only ridden by kids. So they defined it by wheel diameter.

Sidewalk Bicycle– a device which would be included within the definition of “bicycle” as set forth in this section, except for the fact that such device either has two (2) or more wheels, all of which are less than twenty inches (20. in.) in diameter, or is not designed to be ridden on a roadway. (Reg. No. 71-26)

The Brompton has two wheels and meets the definition of a bicycle, but it's wheels are only 16 inches in diameter, thus it is not a bicycle. 

This means at least two things. 

1. You can legally ride a Brompton (or other small wheeled bike) on a sidewalk in the CBD, because the reg dealing with the ban doesn't specifically call out sidewalk bicycles. 1209.9 "...no person shall ride a bicycle or operate a personal mobility device upon a sidewalk within the Central Business District except on those sidewalks expressly designated by Order of the Mayor, nor shall any person ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk in any area outside of the Central Business District if it is expressly prohibited by Order of the Mayor and appropriate signs to such effect are posted."
2. You can't legally ride a Brompton (or other small wheeled bike) in the street, because the regs specifically say you can't. 1211.1 "No person upon rollerskates, skateboard, or riding by means of a sled, coaster, toy vehicle, sidewalk bicycle, or similar device shall go upon any roadway except when crossing a roadway in a crosswalk."

I'm not sure there are any other rules specific to sidewalk bicycles, like the Brompton, but there may be.

This is a classic case of the law not predicting, and not keeping up, with technology. I suspect it will be widely ignored, until it isn't, and then it will changed. 

Comments

[Steve Palincsar]

I'll bear that in mind the next time I ride my Alex Moulton AM with its 17 x 1 1/4" wheels into the District. As for "predicting and not keeping up with techology," the F frame Moulton, with 16" wheels, came on the market in 1962and the space-frame AM, with its 17" wheels, came out in 1983.

[Chris Slatt]

Does this also mean it's illegal for kids to ride their bikes in a bike lane?

[Dan Rowlands]

It sounds as though this law also bans electric wheelchairs (personal mobility devices) from the sidewalks downtown? Surely that isn't what they intend...I can't imagine using them in the street would be safe, nor that banning them from sidewalks would be consistent with the ADA.

[Uptowner]

Yeah, why can't kids ride in bike lanes? Dumb law. I'm sure WABA was not consulted.

[fongfong]

I remember when you called me out for rollerblading with my son in his running stroller in the 15th Street bike lane. Illegal, yes. What a buzzkill you are (-:

[fongfong]

Also, nice to know that my son (age 7) who has graduated to 24 inch wheels - he's tall for 7 - is violating the law for riding on the sidewalk. He'll soon be in the paper for being arrested, similar to that 2 year old cited for littering in Capitol Hill.

[washcycle]

@Steve, yeah there were adult bikes with small wheels for a while, but it's only been the last 5-10 years that I've seen them on the roads of DC in any real numbers.

@Dan, yes, kids can't ride small-wheeled bikes in bike lanes (according to the law at least).

@Uptowner, the reg defining a "sidewalk bicycle" is from 1971 and I think it comes from the Uniform Traffic Code. WABA was founded in 1972.

[contrarian]

ElliptiGO bikes are also illegal in DC, as DC requires cyclists to ride astride a regular seat.

[DE]

"It's also illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling!" --Chief Wiggum

Outdated and silly laws make people respect the law less.