Muncie’s bicycle ‘rules of the road’ updated

MUNCIE – Motorists thinking about harassing Muncie bicyclists or passing within less than three feet: Don’t.

It’s not just a good idea to share the road — it’s the law.

In Monday’s meeting, Muncie City Council voted on the city’s updated bicycle ordinance, defining the responsibilities of both bicyclists and motorists and detailing what’s expected and what won’t be tolerated.

“We wanted to make Muncie a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly town,” said Kyle Johnson of the committee that worked for several months updating the city’s bicycling ordinance.

“The bicycle code was nearly 50 years old,” Johnson said, and didn’t reflect the city’s new emphasis on bicycling not only as a means of exercise and transportation but also as a quality of life feature.

The city has designated bicycle lanes — particularly downtown, but also in other areas — in the past two years and Mayor Dennis Tyler said his plan is to connect bicyclists to area trails.

Johnson, who is also Delaware County’s GIS director, said the ordinance would cover operations of bikes and vehicles around “our new bike lanes.”

“We have two great trails, Cardinal Greenway and White River Greenway, and we need to connect people to those trails,” Johnson said.

Among the provisions of the revised bicycle code are definitions of harassment of bike riders, including “throwing any object at or towards a bicyclist” and “taking any action to aggressively swerve” toward a bike or “engaging in a sharp acceleration for the purpose of creating a greater than normal accumulation of vehicle exhaust.”

Requirements for bicyclists include an audible bell, lights and reflectors and prohibitions of practices like hitching rides on motor vehicles and carrying packages.

An element of the revised ordinance is the three-foot passing rule, which requires motorists to maintain a three-foot distance when passing a bicyclist.

The ordinance establishes fines beginning at $100 for violations of any provisions of the code.

During Monday’s city council meeting, Johnson said the plan going forward was for “education and outreach.”

Monte Hitchcock of Kirk’s Bike Shop said he had read through the ordinance.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Hitchcock said. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.