Vehicles on Bike Paths and Sidewalks

Question

Nicodemus asked: Let’s say I have my moped, and I turn off both the gas motor AND the electric motor, meaning the vehicle is now propelled exclusively by human power. Now is my moped allowed on the sidewalk/bike path?

Answer

Sidewalks are for the use of pedestrians.

s. 316.003 – Definitions

(47) Sidewalk—That portion of a street between the curbline, or the lateral line, of a roadway and the adjacent property lines, intended for use by pedestrians.

Persons operating human powered vehicles may use a sidewalk unless prohibited by local ordinance.

s. 316.2065 – Bicycle Regulations

(9) A person propelling a vehicle by human power upon and along a sidewalk …. has all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances.

Bicycle paths are roadways open for the use of bicyclists and are frequently used by pedestrians.

(63) Bicycle Path – Any road, path, or way that is open to bicycle travel, which road, path, or way is physically separated from motorized vehicular traffic by an open space or by a barrier and is located either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way.

Except for a few limited exceptions, such as motorized wheelchairs, vehicles on sidewalks and bike paths may be propelled only by human power.

s. 316.1995Driving Upon Sidewalk or Bicycle Path

(1) …. a person may not drive any vehicle other than by human power upon a bicycle path, sidewalk, or sidewalk area ….

Seemingly, the only restriction to use of your vehicle on a sidewalk or bike path is that it must be propelled only by human power.

6 Comments on “Vehicles on Bike Paths and Sidewalks

  1. Gravity acting on the human on the bike is the power. If the bike is operated by a dog or monkey, it would not be legal.

  2. I don’t understand his question…
    I mean, I know what he’s saying..
    But there seems to be an underlying question that he has, yet is afraid to actually ask it, OR the op has a rationale behind the question…

  3. The op asked a rhetorical question.. he obviously knew the answer. (Its been siscussed at length in many places…
    What stood out to me was the fact, that I don’t know of any “mopeds” that have both an electric and has motor.
    There’s something else the op REALLY wants to know.

  4. I had mentioned the electric motor because I remembered reading that a “bicycle” can be propelled by human power PLUS a 750 watt electric assist motor, so I was sorta hoping to ask if I could use the electric motor on a bike path or sidewalk since it would be a “bicycle” then. But right after I asked this question I read that sidewalks are for vehicles propelled by exclusively human power, so I figured the electric part was out and modified my question.

  5. Forget the 750w part, wattage has nothing to do with an electric bicycle.
    A moped is a 2-3 wheeled vehicle propelled by a gas engine of 50cc displacement or less and has a top sped of 30.
    An (electric) bicycle is a 2-3 wheeled vehicle propelled by human power or an (electric motor) that is NOT CAPABLE of propelling the bicycle more than 20mph.

    I have never seen a “moped” with a gas AND an electric engine.. It IS possible to have a moped that consists of an electric motor that has a top speed of 30mph.

    I have seen a bicycle with BOTH a gas and an electric motor, but that’s extremely rare…
    (As use of the gas motor for propulsion is allowed only on private property.

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