The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-13
CYCLING IN The PARK
Proposed Ordinance to Make
WheeImen Use the Cycle
Paths.
The League of American Whee men
Will Oppose 1t if 1t Is Made
Compulsory.

In the news about Golden Gate Park IN
last Mondays CALL an item appeared
stating that the Commissioners were push
ing the work upon the new cycle path and
that when completed the wheelmen would
be required" to ride upon it. a great
many riders use the paths already con-
s,ructed in preference to the main drives,
but from the fact that considerable scorch-
ing is done on the paths, ladies, beginners
and the more careful gentlemen riders
have taken to the drives for the sake
that the Park Commissioners intend
that when the cycle path is compieteo
the wheelmen shall use 1t, and not rlde
upon the drives, and yet the natural in
justice of such rule will appeal to every
one.
Frank H. Kerrigan, chief consul of the
League of American Wheelmen 10 Cantor
MIA, in response to an inquiry has 1or-
wa7ded the following communication TO
HE CALL upon the subject;
The law of the bicycle and its rights on the
road have been stated so often that 1T would
it. even the Commissioners of Golden Gate
Park. San Francisco. In stating 1t again
take the risk of being tiresome.
The bicycle is defined by different lextcog-
raphers to be carriage; the same definition
has been laid down time and again by the
courts OF this country and of England. The
the use OF the street. the same as any other
vehicle; and it is entitled to equal rights with
other carriages to the use of the streets with
out discriminating restrictions. Likely the
strongest exposition of the law was laid down
IN new YORK when 1t was proposed by the
Brooklyn Bridge Commissioners to exclude the
use OF bicycles on the great bridge.
1t was deemed necessary that such a rule
should be passed in view of the fact that there
was an immense amount OF traffic and trayeI
passing over the bridge daily, and also in view
OF the fact that the driveways are only 16 feet
wide. The proposed ordinance by the Com
missioners was submitted to q committee of
some OF the soundest LAWYERS in the city of
New York, and that committee unanimously
agreed that such rule would be illegal ana
no restriction was ever placed upon the bicycle
as to the use OF 1t upon that bridge, and devel-
opments can be shown since that il would have
been unWarranted to have enacted the pro-
1t is high time that the old prejudices against
the bicycle should subside, and in most en-.
1ghtened communities the wheelmen are glad
TO say II is thing OF the past. The bicycle Is
new invention, and as such has built up new
industry, created new market for raw and
manufactured material and has led tc the in
vention of many ingenious mechanical de-
vices in connection with it.
Bicycles carry men to and from their places
of business; they are used for messenger ser
vice and other services; they are Invaluable
for combining exercise and recreation, and
should be treated with consideration.
In 1891 or 1893 the Legislature of this State
attempted to vest the Golden Gate Park Com
missioners with a power TO enact ordinances.
That act by the Legislature is undoubtedly all
unconstitutional delegation of power, and
any ordinance passed by the Golden Gate PARK
Commissioners would be void and of no effect.
The only body in the City and County that
has power to pass an ordinance worthy of con-
sideratlon by wheelmen is the Board OF Super
y1sors, and, as l have stated, not even that
body has power 10 exclude the use of the
wheel on any of the highways. Any attempted
legislation discriminating against the rights
OF the wheelmen will be met by as strong and
persistent resistance as this division OF the
League of American Wheelmen can command,
and since justice must prevail it is safe to say
that the wheelmen will not be denied the
same use OF roads and highways as is accorded
other vehicles. Yours. sincerely,
FRANK Il. KERR1GAN.
Chief Consul North California Division
League of American Wheelmen.
The matter now stands about like this:
When the cycle path is completed the
chances are that nearly all the wheelmen
will use it. But if there should happen to
be few who do not care to they should
not be denied the right to ride where they
please upon the highways, and the League
of American Wheelmen will oppose any
legislation to that end.