Memorandum

Lawrence-Douglas County

Metropolitan Planning Organization (L-DC MPO)

TO:	David L. Corliss, Lawrence City Manager
FROM:	Jessica Mortinger, L-DC MPO Transportation Planner
CC:	Scott McCullough, Lawrence, Douglas County Planning and Development Services Director Todd Girdler, L-DC MPO Senior Transportation Planner
DATE:	February 15, 2011
RE:	City Ordinance 17-702– BAC Recommendations

On September 21, 2010, the Bicycle Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend changes to Ordinance 17-702.

Enacted in 1979, Ordinance 17-702 states:

“It shall be unlawful for any person to ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk within any business district within the City or upon any sidewalk within a distance of 100 feet from any store or business place or place of assembly or where specifically prohibited by posted sign. It shall not be unlawful for police officers or other law enforcement personnel assigned to bicycle patrol units to ride upon sidewalks while in the performance of their official duties.”

The BAC discussed the existing ordinance and determined the following:

· The translation of business district to today’s defined spaces changes the intention of the ordinance. When written, the central business district (downtown) was referred to as the business district. However, today there are more business districts within the city, and some of those districts are on arterials where riding on the sidewalk may be the most comfortable way for cyclists to travel (e.g. along 6^th & Iowa Street). Where it appears the original code intended to prohibit bicycle travel on sidewalks in Downtown Lawrence, where pedestrians should have priority, the code currently prohibits it in all business districts.  BAC members acknowledged it would still be important for the new ordinance to prohibit bicycles from traveling on Downtown sidewalks.

· The ordinance specifies that riding a bicycle on a sidewalk within 100’ of a storefront is illegal. This means that in some areas (e.g., 23^rd Street) sidewalks would be illegal to traverse by bicycling and in order to follow this law cyclists would need to ride in the travel lanes of this busy street or dismount the bicycle and walk it along the sidewalk in these locations. These clarifications should reflect the reality of what is being enforced on the sidewalks around town.

· The BAC agreed that a change in this ordinance would create a more bicycle friendly community and would greater reflect the behavior of bicyclists and the enforcement of the current city code.