Everything to know about Bicycle Riding in Waltham

BICYCLE DO'S:

• If you are 16 years old or younger, you must wear a helmet that meets U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements on any bike, anywhere, at all times. The helmet must fit your head and the chin strap must be fastened.
• You may ride your bike on any street except where signs specifically prohibit bikes.
• You may ride on sidewalks outside business districts.
• You must obey all Massachusetts and Waltham traffic laws and regulations.
• You must use hand signals to let people know you plan to stop or turn.
• You must give pedestrians the right of way and audible signals before overtaking or passing them.
• You may ride two abreast (side by side) but must move to single file when traffic needs to pass.
• You must ride with a leg on each side of a regular, permanent seat that is attached to your bike.
• You must keep one hand on your handlebars at all times.
• Children or other passengers carried inside an enclosed trailer or other device that adequately restrains them and protects their heads in a crash need not wear helmets.
• You may have as many lights and reflectors on your bike as you wish.

BICYCLE DON'TS:

• You may not carry a passenger anywhere on your bike except on a regular seat permanently attached to the bike or on a trailer towed by the bike.
• You may not carry any child between the ages of 1 to 4, or weighing 40 pounds or less, anywhere on a single-passenger bike except in a baby seat attached to the bike. The child must be able to sit upright in the seat and must be held in the seat by a harness or seat belt. The child’s hands and feet must be out of reach of the wheel spokes.
• You may not carry any child under the age of 1 on your bike even in a baby seat, but the child may sit in a trailer.
• You may not use a siren or whistle on your bike to warn pedestrians.
• You may not park your bike on a street, road, bikeway, or sidewalk where it will be in other people’s way.
• You may not carry anything on your bike unless it is in a basket, rack, bag, or trailer designed for the purpose.
• You may not modify your bike so that your hands are higher than your shoulders when gripping the handlebars or alter the fork of your bike to extend it.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:

• Your bike must have a permanent, regular seat attached to it.
• Your brakes must be in good enough condition to allow you to stop quickly and safely.
• At night, your headlight must emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet and your taillight must be red and visible from a distance of at least 600 feet.
• At night, your rear and side reflectors must be visible in the low beams of a car’s headlights from a distance of at least 600 feet.

Penalties for violation of bike laws include fines and impounding of your bike. Parents & guardians are responsible for cyclists under the age of 18.

Ref: M.G.L. c. 85, § 11B; Waltham General Ordinances, Article I, Sec. 17-27, 17-28.