Section 14-286 - Use of bicycles, electric bicycles, electric foot scooter, motor-driven cycles and high-mileage vehicles(a) Each person operating a bicycle, an electric bicycle or an electric foot scooter upon and along a sidewalk or across any roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal within a reasonable distance before overtaking and passing a pedestrian. Each person operating a bicycle, an electric bicycle, an electric foot scooter or a motor-driven cycle upon a roadway shall, within a reasonable distance, give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian or another person operating a bicycle, an electric bicycle, an electric foot scooter or a motor-driven cycle. No person shall operate a bicycle, an electric bicycle or an electric foot scooter upon or along a sidewalk or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk if such operation is prohibited by any ordinance of any city, town or borough or by any regulation of the Office of the State Traffic Administration issued or adopted pursuant to the provisions of section 14-298.(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no person shall ride a motor-driven cycle unless that person holds a valid motor vehicle operator's license. No person shall operate a motor-driven cycle on any sidewalk, limited access highway or turnpike.(c)(1) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may issue to a person who does not hold a valid operator's license a special permit that authorizes such person to ride a motor-driven cycle if (A) such person presents to the commissioner a certificate by a physician licensed to practice medicine in this state, a physician assistant licensed pursuant to chapter 370 or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed pursuant to chapter 378 that such person is physically disabled, as defined in section 1-1f, other than blind, and that, in the physician's, physician assistant's or advanced practice registered nurse's opinion, such person is capable of riding a motor-driven cycle, and (B) such person demonstrates to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles that he is able to ride a bicycle on level terrain, and a motor-driven cycle. (2) Such permit may contain limitations that the commissioner deems advisable for the safety of such person and for the public safety, including, but not limited to, the maximum speed of the motor such person may use. No person who holds a valid special permit under this subsection shall operate a motor-driven cycle in violation of any limitations imposed in the permit. Any person to whom a special permit is issued shall carry the permit at all times while operating the motor-driven cycle. Each permit issued under this subsection shall expire one year from the date of issuance.(d) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the Office of the State Traffic Administration shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 determining the conditions and circumstances under which the operation of bicycles, electric bicycles and electric foot scooters may be permitted on those bridges in the state on limited access highways which it designates to be safe for such operation. The operation of bicycles, electric bicycles and electric foot scooters shall not be prohibited on any such bridges under such conditions and circumstances.(e) As used in this section: (1) "Sidewalk" means any sidewalk laid out as such by any town, city or borough, and any walk which is reserved by custom for the use of pedestrians, or which has been specially prepared for their use. "Sidewalk" does not include crosswalks and does not include footpaths on portions of public highways outside thickly settled parts of towns, cities and boroughs, which are worn only by travel and are not improved by such towns, cities or boroughs or by abutters;(2) "bicycle" includes all vehicles propelled by the person riding the same by foot or hand power; and(3) "motor-driven cycle" means any motorcycle other than an autocycle, motor scooter or bicycle with an attached motor with a seat height of not less than twenty-six inches and a motor having a capacity of less than fifty cubic centimeters piston displacement.(f) A person shall operate a motor-driven cycle on any public highway, the speed limit of which is greater than the maximum speed of the motor-driven cycle, only in the right hand lane available for traffic or upon a usable shoulder on the right side of the highway, except when preparing to make a left turn at an intersection or into or from a private road or driveway.(g) Any person who pleads not guilty of a violation of any provision of this section shall be prosecuted within fifteen days of such plea.(h) No person may operate a high-mileage vehicle on any sidewalk, limited access highway or turnpike.(i) A person may park an electric foot scooter on any sidewalk provided (1) such electric foot scooter is parked in a manner that does not impede the reasonable movement of pedestrians and other traffic on such sidewalk, and (2) such parking is not prohibited by any ordinance of any city, town or borough or by any regulations of the Office of the State Traffic Administration issued or adopted pursuant to the provisions of section 14-298.(j) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-286
(1949 Rev., S. 2505; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 75; 1971, P.A. 119; P.A. 75-577, S. 108, 126; P.A. 76-250, S. 1, 4; 76-381, S. 5; P.A. 77-375, S. 1; P.A. 81-394, S. 6; P.A. 82-88; P.A. 96-167, S. 46, 49; P.A. 97-321, S. 2; P.A. 03-171, S. 13; P.A. 06-130, S. 16; P.A. 08-150, S. 16; P.A. 12-132, S. 24; P.A. 13-271, S. 34; P.A. 15-46, S. 5; P.A. 16-39, S. 12.)
Amended by P.A. 21-0196,S. 14 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2021.Amended by P.A. 19-0162,S. 9 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2019.Amended by P.A. 16-0039, S. 12 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2016.Amended by P.A. 15-0046, S. 5 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2015. Care required of a bicycle rider. 90 C. 710. Cited. 9 Conn.App. 686.