14 Feb ABKLaw BLOG: The Law on Bicycles on the Sidewalk in New York City
BLOG from our #ABKLaw Partner Michael Jaccarino, Esq.:
The Law on Bicycles on the Sidewalk in New York City
The next time you are thinking of riding your bike on the sidewalk – think twice, or make sure there are not any police officers around. Indeed, you may be surprised to learn that it is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk. It is! Specifically, it is a violation of the New York City Administrative Code, Section 19-176. It is normally a non-criminal violation, usually returnable by summons to the SAP Part. However, it can also be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 20 days in jail, should the officer observe the conduct and allege that it was so reckless that it endangered the lives or property of others. See our earlier blog post regarding Summons v. Arrests and the huge implications and the amount of discretion the individual officer has when making this determination. No matter if an individual has been issued a summons, a DAT, or is arrested, there are still a variety of defenses that an experienced criminal defense attorney can assert to rebut this charge.