§ 21-54. Owner protection and identification; finding and declaration of necessity.

It is hereby found that the number of bicycles owned by the citizens and residents of the Town of Chapel Hill and the operation of bicycles on the public streets have greatly increased in recent years; that the number of accidents involving bicycles while being operated on the public streets has been growing; that larceny of bicycles has risen to many hundreds in recent years with consequent monetary losses formerly in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) per year, and now more than double, and that the rate of monetary loss is steadily increasing; that many of the accidents have occurred by reason of improperly maintained, equipped, or operated bicycles and that the operators thereof have lacked proper personal identification; that theft of bicycles is being encouraged by reason of a lack of registration and proper identification and their recovery is unlikely; that proper identification of bicycles temporarily the subject of unauthorized use and subsequently recovered as abandoned has not been possible, and proper notification to owners has been impeded by lack of sufficient information; that a comprehensive program of inspection, operator education, registration and identification of all bicycles owned and operated in the Town of Chapel Hill as a means of owner protection and identification is necessary and that it is in the public interest that such program be instituted as soon as possible and that the necessity for the provisions hereinafter ordained is hereby declared as a matter of legislative determination to be in the public interest.

(Ord. No. O-78-59, 9-11-78)