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. 316.1995 – Driving 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.
Presumably gravity is an acceptable alternative to human power when going downhill 🙂
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.