Additional Information
Loading your Bicycle onto iShuttle or OCTA Bus
How to use the bike racks
As the bus approaches, have your bike ready to go. That means removing water bottles, pumps and other loose items that might fall off.
Tell the bus driver you're going to use the bike rack. Then load your bike from the curbside in front of the bus while other passengers are boarding.
If the bike rack is folded, release it by pulling it down with one hand. There's no need to lean your bike against the bus.
Lift your bike onto the bike rack, fitting the wheels into the proper slots, which are clearly labeled for the front and rear wheel.
Raise the rack's support arm over the front tire. A spring will pull the arm back to securely latch your bike.
Now you're ready to board the bus, sit back and enjoy the ride!
Unloading Your Bike
Before the bus approaches your stop, tell the driver you'll be removing your bike.
Standing on the curbside in front of the bus, raise the support arm off the tire.
Lift your bike out of the rack.
If yours is the only bike on the rack and there are no others to be loaded, fold up the bike rack. It will automatically lock into place.
Step away from the bus with your bike. You're on your way!
Have a Safe Ride!
Remember, never walk or stand in front of oncoming traffic while loading and unloading your bike.
For safety reasons, the bus driver may not leave the bus to help load or unload bicycles.
Bike racks are available on a first come, first served basis. Each rack can accommodate two bicycles of any size or type. The bike rack for buses is easy to use and fast too. You can load or unload your bike in under 20 seconds.
It is not necessary to unload the bike in front to unload the one nearest the bus.
The bike rack is safe for your bike - it won't damage or scratch it. The bike rack touches only the rubber tires, keeping your bike away from the bus and other bikes.
There's nothing to get caught - no straps, cords or bungee.
Loading your Bicycle on a Metrolink
Each train car is designed to hold three bikes. Bicycles must be secured in the designated area using the Velcro strips provided. Many of the trains also have a Bike Car designed to hold 18 bikes on the lower level. Check the Metrolink schedule to find which trains have a Bike Car.
Laws Applicable to Bicycle Use
Riding or operating a bicycle on any street within the City is permitted in accordance with the California
Vehicle Code unless specifically prohibited by action of the City Council (Sec. 4-7-303, City Code).
Every person riding a bicycle upon a street or sidewalk shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by the laws of the State pertaining to the rules of the road. (Sec. 4-7-201, City Code).
It shall be unlawful for any person operating a bicycle to fail to obey the instructions of official traffic-control signs and other traffic-control devices applicable to vehicles and bicycles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer (Sec. 4-7-202, City Code).
Riding Bicycle under the influence of Alcohol or Drugs
It shall be unlawful for any person operating a bicycle to fail to obey the instructions of official traffic-control signs and other traffic-control devices applicable to vehicles and bicycles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer (Sec.4-7-202, City Code). It is unlawful for any person to ride a bicycle upon a highway while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug, or under the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and any drug. (Sec. 21200.5, CVC).
Equipment Requirements
A person under 18 years of age shall not operate a bicycle, or ride upon a bicycle as a passenger, upon a street, bikeway or any other public bicycle path or trail unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z 90.4 bicycle helmet standard), the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling, or the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM F-1447 standard). This requirement also applies to a person who rides upon a bicycle while in a restraining seat that is attached to the bicycle or in a trailer towed by the bicycle (Sec. 21212(a), CVC).
No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake, which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement (Sec. 2 12 01 (a), CVC).
No person shall operate on the highway any bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate his hands above the level of his shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area (Sec. 21201(b), CVC). No person shall operate upon any highway a bicycle which is of such a size as to prevent the operator from safely stopping the bicycle, supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner (Sec. 2 12 01 (c),CVC).
Every bicycle operated upon any highway during darkness shall be equipped
- With a lamp that illuminates the highway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle;
- With a red reflector on the rear which shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet;
- With a white or yellow reflector on each pedal visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet; and
- With a white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and with a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle. Bicycles which are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors, provided they are of a type meeting the requirements established by the California Highway Patrol (Sec. 21201(d), CVC).
Speed
No person shall operate a bicycle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under prevailing conditions then existing, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property (Sec. 4-7-205, City Code).
Bicycle Operated on Roadway or Highway Shoulder
A bicycle operated on a roadway, or the shoulder of a highway, shall be operated in the same direction as vehicles are required to be driven upon the roadway (Sec. 21650.1, CVC).
Operating on Roadways and Bicycle Lanes
Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except:
- When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
- When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
- When reasonably necessary to avoid hazardous conditions that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge (Sec. 4-7-204(a), City Code).
Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway or bike lane shall not ride more than two abreast. (Sec. 4-7-204(c), City Code).
No person operating a bicycle shall allow more persons at one time than the number for which the bicycle is designed and equipped (Sec. 4-7-203, City Code).
Hand Signals
All required signals given by hand and arm shall be given from the left side of a bicycle in the following manner:
- Left turn – hand and arm extended horizontally beyond the side of the bicycle.
- Right turn – hand and arm extended upward beyond the side of the bicycle, except that a bicyclist may extend the right hand and arm horizontally to the right side of the bicycle.
- Stop or sudden decrease of speed signal – hand and arm extended downward beyond the side of the bicycle (CA Vehicle Code Section 22111).
Hitching Rides
No person riding upon any motorcycle, motorized bicycle, bicycle, coaster, roller skates, sled, or toy vehicle shall attach the same or himself to any streetcar or vehicle on the roadway (Sec. 21203, CVC).
Carrying Articles
No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the operator from keeping at least one hand upon the handlebars (Sec. 21205, CVC).
Motorized Bicycles: Prohibited Operation
No motorized bicycle may be operated on a bicycle path or trail, bikeway, bicycle lane, equestrian trail, or hiking or recreational trail, unless it is within or adjacent to a roadway or unless the City of Irvine permits such operation (Sec. 21207.5, CVC).
Motorized Skateboard: Prohibited Operation
No motorized skateboard may be propelled on any sidewalk, roadway, or any other part of a highway or on any bikeway, bicycle path or trail, equestrian trail, or hiking or recreational trail (Sec. 21968, CVC).
Permitted Movement from Bicycle Lanes
The operator of a bicycle shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians and upon entering a bicycle lane or roadway, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles or bicycles on the roadway (Sec. 4-7-207, City Code).
No person operating a bicycle within a bicycle lane shall leave such lane until movement can be made with reasonable safety, and then only after giving the appropriate hand signal (Sec. 4-7-208(b), City Code).
Riding of bicycles on any sidewalk or roadway is permitted unless prohibited by appropriate signs (Sec. 4-7-210(a), City Code).
No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon any playground, park or school ground not designated as a bicycle path or route, where children are playing without having first secured the permission of the persons having supervision of the playground, park or school ground. (Sec. 4-7-210(c), City Code).
Bicycle Parking
No person shall leave a bicycle lying on its side on any sidewalk, nor shall park a bicycle upon the public right-of-way or the sidewalk rack to support the bicycle or against a building or at a curb, except in such a manner as to afford the least obstruction to pedestrian traffic (Sec. 4-7-209, City Code).
No person shall place or park any bicycle, vehicle, or any other object upon any bikeway or bicycle path or trail, which impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement of any bicyclist unless the placement or parking is necessary for safe operation or is otherwise in compliance with the law. (Sec. 21211(b), CVC).
License Requirements
No resident of the City shall operate a bicycle on any street, road, highway or other public property within the City unless such bicycle is licensed under the provisions of this chapter and bears a current bicycle plate attached thereto in accordance with this chapter. Nonresidents of the City are not bound by this section (Sec. 4-7-401, City Code).
The Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police or any officer assigned such responsibility, may inspect each bicycle before licensing the same, and shall refuse a license for any bicycle which he or she determines is in an unsafe mechanical condition (Sec. 4-7-404, City Code).
Upon receipt of a proper application and payment of the required fee, the City of Irvine shall issue a license receipt bearing the owner's name, address, telephone number, bicycle plate number, the bicycle manufacturer, type and frame number and any other descriptive material concerning the bicycle deemed necessary by the Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police (Sec. 4-7-407, City Code).
Whenever any person sells, trades, disposes of, or transfers any bicycle licensed in the City of Irvine, he or she shall endorse upon the license receipt previously issued for such bicycle a written transfer of the license and shall deliver the registration certificate to the City of Irvine within ten days. The transferee shall, within ten days after such transfer, apply to the City of Irvine for a transfer of the license receipt (Sec. 4-7-411, City Code).
Whenever any bicycle licensee changes his or her place of residence, he or she shall notify the City of Irvine of such change of address within ten days (Sec. 4-7-413(a), City Code).
Whenever any bicycle plate or registration form is lost, stolen or mutilated, the licensee shall immediately notify the City of Irvine and shall apply for a duplicate bicycle plate or registration form within ten days after such notification (Sec. 4-7-413(b), City Code).
Sources:
City of Irvine Municipal Code, Title IV, Division 7, "Bicycles."
California Vehicle Code (2000), Division XI, Chapter 1, Article 4, "Operation of Bicycles."