Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1896-05-13

bOdlulueit dllCIHOOu anu ouuudN WtIt
lively occasions for those who violated
the bicycle law by riding upon the side
walks. For sometime past the practice
has been growing one, and finally
assumed such proportions that the
Mayor and Council instructed the
Marshal and bis aids to strictly enforce
the ordinance relating to the subject. 1t
may be said right here that probably
five out OF six of all the wheeimen who
ride on the sidewalks are gentlemen, and
deserve by their behavior to be classed
as such; but the other fellow is an i'll
hammered hog wherever you find him.
with no regard for law and no respect
for his associates. This is why the la "
must be enforced and why the innocent
are compelled to suffer with the guilty.
People have been knocked down upon
the sidewalks, and nervous women and
timid children greatly frightened by a
few reckless riders who have neither
manners nor decency. When politely
warned by citizens and officials that
they were violating the law By riding
upon the sidewalks at all, they have
only been insolent and repeated the
oflense. In the majority of such cases
the offenders have been out-of-town
riders-principaly from Atlantic City !:
but some of our own wheelmen have not
been blameless. Let the law be enforced
impartially-no matter who it hits; and
let the vast majority of all those who
ride the wheeI-who are gentlemen
uphold the authorities in enforcing the
law against those who are not gentle
men. Then we shall have no further
trouble. Only good common sense is
needed to arrange everything sarisfac-
torily. AS bearing directly upon this
matter we print in full the new State
law, approved by the Governor, March
3, 1896, which is as follows
An Act to regulate the use OF bicycles,
| tricycles and similar vehicles and TO
require uniformity OF ordinances affect
ing the same.
/. BE it enacted by the Senate and
| General Assembly Of the State OF New
| Jersey, That the several cities, towns,
boroughs, villages, townships and other
municipalities of this state shall have
power to pass ordinances regulating
the use OF bicycles, tricycles and similar
vehicles on the public highways, streets,
squares and parks within their limits
in accordance with the provisions OF
this act, that is to say:
I. To require all bicycles, tricycles
| and similar vehicles, when in use on
such public highways, stseets or places,
| to have a lamp OF such Illuminating
| power as to be plainly seen one hundred
yards ahead, attached thereto and kept
lighted between one hour after sunset
and sunrise;
II. To require all such bicycles, tricy-
Cles or similar vehicles to carry a suit
able alarm bell, attached to thehandie-bar
OF sucn machine, which when rung may
be heard one hundred feet distant !;
III. To regulate the rate OF speed
at which it may be lawful to ride such
machine, provided that no ordinance
or regulation respecting such rate OF
speed shall be made to apply exclusive
! " to bicycles, tricycles or similar vehic-
les, but the same limitations shall apply
to the rate OF speed of carriages and
all other vehicles on said public roads
and streets.
w. To permit the authorities OF such
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the public
highways, streets, squares or parks,
in their discretion, upon any special
occasion, to grant permits to any person
or persons to ride such machines during
a specified time, upon specified portions
OF the public ways OF such city, town,
borough, village, township or other
municipality, at any rate OF speed, and
may annex such other rea sonable condi-
tions to SUCH permits as they shall deem
proper; and the said authorities OF such
municipality may also, under such cOndi-
tions as they shall de m proper, permit
the use OF velocipedes OF other similar
machines.by children on any sidewalk
in any public way, square or park in
such municipality;
V. To regulate or prohibit the riding
OF any bicycle, tricycle. or similar machine
upon the sidewalks within the limits
OF any city, town, borough, village,
township OF other municipality; the
term Sidewalk" as used in this act,
meaning any sidewalk laid out as such
by any city, town, borough, village,
township OF other municipality, which
is reserved by custom for the use OF pedes-
trians and which has been specially pre-
pared for their use, but not including
loot paths or portions dip ublic roads
lying outside of the thickly settled parts
OF cities and towns which are worn only
by travel and are not improved by the
public authorities or by the abutting
owners.
vi. To provide that every violation
OF any such ordinance shall render the
offender subject to a fine not exceeding
the sum OF five dollars for each offence,
and that by such ordinance it shall be
provided that the Justice, police Judge,
recorder OF other magistrate who may
have jurisdiction over such offences in
violation OF any such ordinance, may
impose such fine in his discretion as ne
may think proper, not exceeding the
sum OF five dollars for each offence.
2. No city, town, borough, village,
township or other municipality shall
have any power to make any ordinance.