The Albany City Council is considering major changes to its age-old City ordinances on bicycles. It is currently before the “Laws, Buildings and Code Enforcement Committee.”
The Common Council sponsors are Ginnie Farrel and Deborah Zamer. At the request of Council Person Farrell, ABC reviewed the existing City Code and advocated for many of these changes back in 2022.
We invite your thoughtful comments and we hope you will share your comments with the Common Council. The form for comments to the Common Council is here:
Among the changes the proposal are the following:
- eliminates the 8-mph speed limit for bicycles
- recognizes many forms of active transportation besides bicycles while deleting references to velocipedes – a 19th century predecessor of the modern bicycle
- allows restricted use of bicycles and “human powered devices” on sidewalks, but not e-bikes and e-scooters
- establishes rules to protect pedestrians and their right of way on sidewalks including a 5-mph sidewalk speed limit for bicycles and human powered devices
- eliminates prohibitions on bicycling on park paths
- aligns device definitions with NYS law
- eliminates requirement that bicyclists ring a bell at every intersection
- sets fines and allows impoundment of unregistered “motorized devices” when used on City streets – which apparently would apply to electronic unicycles and e-skateboards
- permits bicyclists to congregate in parks
- allows teaching how to use a bicycle and other non-motorized vehicles in parks
The proposed ordinance appears below.
Albany Bicycle Coalition 