The following sections exerpted from the Texas
Transportation Code are of particular relevance to cyclists.
Chapter 201.902
(a) The department shall designate:
- a statewide bicycle coordinator; and
- a bicycle coordinator in each regional office.
(b) A bicycle coordinator shall assist the department in developing rules and
plans to enhance the use of the state highway system by bicyclists.
(c) The commission shall adopt rules relating to use of roads in the state
highway system by bicyclists, including provisions for:
- the specific duties of the statewide bicycle coordinator and the regional
bicycle coordinators;
- obtaining comments from bicyclists on:
- a highway project that might affect bicycle use;
- the use of a highway for bicycling events; and
- departmental policies affecting bicycle use of state highways;
- the consideration of acceptable national bicycle design, construction, and
maintenance standards on a project in an area with significant bicycle use;
and
- any other matter the commission determines necessary to enhance the use
of the state highway system by bicyclists.
(d) A rule adopted under this seciton may not be inconsistent with Chapter
551.
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Chapter 525.001
(b) The Department of Public Safety shall include motorcycle and bicycle awareness
information in any edition of the Texas driver's handbook published after the
department exhausts the supply of the handbook that the department had on September
1, 1993.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
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Chapter 541.201
In this subtitle:
(2) "Bicycle" means a device that a person may ride and that is
propelled by human power and has two tandem wheels at least one of which is
more than 14 inches in diameter.
(24) "Electric bicycle" means a bicycle that:
- is designed to be propelled by an electric motor, exclusively or in
combination with the application of human power;
- cannot attain a speed of more than 20 miles per hour without the application
of human power; and
- does not exceed a weight of 100 pounds.
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Chapter 541.302
In this subtitle:
(11) "Roadway" means the portion of a highway, other than
the berm or shoulder, that is improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular
travel. If a highway includes at least two separate roadways, the term applies
to each roadway separately.
(15) "Shoulder" means the portion of a highway that is:
- adjacent to the roadway;
- designed or ordinarily used for parking;
- distinguished from the roadway by different design, construction, or
marking; and
- not intended for normal vehicular travel.
(16) "Sidewalk" means the portion of a street that is:
- between a curb or lateral line of a roadway and the adjacent property
line; and
- intended for pedestrian use.
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Chapter 542.202
(a) This subtitle does not prevent a local authority, with respect to a highway
under its juristiction and in the reasonable exercise of the police power, from:
(4) regulating the operation and requiring the registration and licensing
of a bicycle or electric bicycle, including the payment of a registration fee;
except as provided by Section 551.106;
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Driving on Improved Shoulder
Chapter 545.058
(c) A limitation in this section on driving on an improved shoulder does not
apply to:
(1) an authorized emergency vehicle responding to a call;
(2) a police patrol; or
(3) a bicycle.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
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Chapter 545.065
(a) The Texas Transportation Commission by resolution or order recorded in
its minutes may prohibit the use of a limited access or controlled access highway
under the jurisdiction of the commission by a parade, funeral procession, pedestrian,
bicycle, electric bicycle, motor driven cycle, or non-motorized traffic.
(b) If the commission adopts a rule under Subsection (a), the commission shall
erect and maintain official traffic control devices on the portions of the limited
access or controlled access highway to which the rule applies.
(c) A local authority by ordinance may prohibit the use of a limited access
or controlled access roadway under the jurisdiction of the authority by a parade,
funeral procession, pedestrian, bicycle, motor driven cycle, or non-motorized
traffic.
(d) If a local authority adopts an ordinance under Subsection (c), the authority
shall erect and maintain official traffic control devices on the portions of
the limited access or controlled access roadway to which the ordinance applies.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1085, § 7, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
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Chapter 545.302
(a) An operator may not stop, stand, or park a vehicle:
(1) on the roadway side of a vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb
of a street;
(2) on a sidewalk;
(3) in an intersection;
(4) on a crosswalk;
(d) A person may stop, stand, or park a bicycle on a sidewalk if the bicycle
does not impede the normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic
on the sidewalk.
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Chapter 551.101
(a) A person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver
operating a vehicle under this subtitle, unless:
- a provision of this chapter alters a right or duty;
- a right or duty applicable to a driver operating a vehicle cannot by its
nature apply to a person operating a bicycle.
(b) A parent of a child or a guardian of a ward may not knowingly permit the
child or ward to violate this subtitle.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
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Chapter 551.102
(a) A person operating a bicycle shall ride only on or astride a permanent
and regular seat attached to the bicycle.
(b) A person may not use a bicycle to carry more persons than the bicycle is
designed or equipped to carry.
(c) A person operating a bicycle may not use the bicycle to carry an object
that prevents the person from operating the bicycle with at least one hand on
the handlebars of the bicycle.
(d) A person opeerating a bicycle, coaster, sled, or toy vehicle or using roller
skates may not attach either the person or the bicycle, coaster, sled, toy vehicle,
or roller skates to a streetcar or vehicle on a roadway.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
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Chapter 551.103
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person operating a bicycle on a
roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride
as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, unless:
- the person is passing another vehicle moving in the same direction;
- the person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private
road or driveway; or
- a condition on or of the roadway, including a fixed or moving object, parked
or moving vehicle, pedestrian, animal, surface hazard, or substandard width
lane, prevents the person from safely riding next to the right curb or edge
of the roadway; or
- the person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is:
- less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane
adjacent to that lane; or
- too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by
side.
(b) A person operating a bicycle on a one way roadway with two or more marked
traffic lanes may ride as near as practicable to the left curb or edge of the
roadway.
(c) Persons operating bicycles on a roadway may ride two abreast. Persons riding
two abreast on a laned roadway shall ride in a single lane. Persons riding two
abreast may not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic on the roadway.
Persons may not ride more than two abreast unless they are riding on a part
of a roadway set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles.
(d) Repealed by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1085, § 13, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1085, §§ 10, 13, eff. Sept.
1, 2001.
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Chapter 551.104
(a) A person may not operate a bicycle unless the bicycle is equipped with
a brake capable of making a braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(b) A person may not operate a bicycle at nighttime unless the bicycle is equipped
with:
- a lamp on the front of the bicycle that emits a white light visible from
a distance of at least 500 feet in front of the bicycle; and
- on the rear of the bicycle:
- a red reflector that is:
- of a type approved by the department; and
- visible when directly in front of lawful upper beams of motor vehicle
headlamps from all distances from 50 to 300 feet to the rear of the
bicycle; or
- a lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the
rear of the bicycle.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1085, § 11, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
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Chapter 551.105
(a) In this section, "bicycle" means a nonmotorized vehicle propelled
by human power.
(b) A sponsoring organization may hold a competitive bicycle race on a public
road only with the approval of the appropriate local law enforcement agencies.
(c) The local law enforcement agencies and the sponsoring organization may
agree on the safety regulations governing the movement of bicycles during a
competitive race or during training for a competitive race, including the permission
for bicycle operators to ride abreast.
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Chapter 551.106
(a) The department or a local authority may not prohibit the use of an electric
bicycle on a highway that is used primarily by motor vehicles. The department
or a local authority may prohibit the use of an electric bicycle on a highway
used primarily by pedestrians.
(b) The department shall establish rules for the administration of this section.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1085, § 12, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. |
