Responsible Office:

For more information on bicycle use at JMU, please visit the Alternative Transportation website.

1. Where to Ride

   • Bicyclists should ride as close as practicable to the right edge of the roadway. Bicyclists have the right to occupy the entire lane when they are overtaking and passing another vehicle, preparing for a left turn, avoiding unsafe conditions, or the lane width is too narrow to share with a motor vehicle.

   • Bicycles may be ridden on sidewalks unless prohibited by local ordinance or traffic control devices. While on the sidewalks, bicyclists must always yield the right of way to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing a pedestrian. Bicyclists must yield the right of way to pedestrians or vehicles when pulling onto a sidewalk or highway from a driveway. When approaching pedestrians or other cyclists from the rear, cyclists should remember they most likely will not be heard.

   • Bicyclists must not ride between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction unless one lane is a separate or mandatory turn lane.  On roadways, bicyclists shall not ride more than two abreast. Bicyclists riding two abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, shall move into a single file formation as quickly as practicable when being overtaken from the rear by a faster moving vehicle. On a laned roadway, bicyclists shall ride in a single file.

2. Passing

   • Bicyclists should overtake and pass another vehicle only when it is safe to do so. Bicyclists may pass another vehicle on the right or left, and they may stay in the same lane, change lanes or ride off the road if necessary for safe passing. Note that passing motor vehicles on the right side may be extremely dangerous if the motorist does not see the bicyclist and attempts a right turn. According to Virginia Law, motorists must approach and pass a bicyclist at a distance of three feet and a reasonable speed.

3. Accidents

   • Bicyclists, motorists, skateboarders, or pedestrians must stop when involved in an accident and make a report. Report accidents involving death, injury or property damage to university police. All persons involved in the accident must give their names and addresses to the police and to any person involved in the accident or the property owner. If unattended property is damaged, the bicyclist must make a reasonable effort to find the owner and give his/her name to the owner. If the owner cannot be located, leave a note in a conspicuous place at the accident site and report the accident to the police within 24 hours.

4. Public Safety Responsibility & Safety Considerations

   • According to Virginia Law, bicyclists traveling on roadways have all the general rights and duties of drivers of motorized vehicles. When traveling on sidewalks, bicyclists should travel near pedestrian speeds, at like a pedestrian, and yield to pedestrians. It is the responsibility of public safety officials to maintain a safe campus environment through enforcement of those provisions. Where breaches in safe operation of bicycles arise, public safety personnel may refer a student to the Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices and a student may be charged with a violation of the Dangerous Practices policy.

   • Motor vehicle operators should remember that a bicycle is a vehicle with the same rights as an automobile. Before opening doors, check for passing bicyclists. Do not overtake a bicyclist and then make a right turn in front of the bike. Give riders at least three feet of leeway at all times. Both motor vehicle operators and bicyclists should signal intentions, especially when turning to the right.

     • Use of a helmet is strongly recommended.

     • Bicyclists must obey all traffic signs, signals, lights and markings as if operating a motor vehicle.

     • Bicyclists must signal intentions to stop or turn.

     • Bicyclists should be predictable and ride in a straight line.

     • According to Virginia law, every bicycle ridden between sunset and sunrise must have a white light on its front with the light being visible at least 500 feet to the front. The bicycle must also have a red reflector on the rear, visible 300 feet to the rear. On streets with speed limits of 35mph or greater, a red light visible 500 feet to the rear shall be used in place of or in addition to the red reflector.

     • Bicyclists should use bright colors, lights, and reflective material to be noticed while riding.

     • A person riding on a bicycle must not attach himself/herself or his/her bicycle to any other vehicle on the roadway.

     • No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number of persons for which it was designed or equipped.

     • Do not carry articles which prevent the operator of the bicycle from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars.

     • According to Virginia law, earphones are prohibited while riding a bicycle.

5. Prohibited Areas for Bicycle Riding

   • Bicyclists are prohibited from riding on the walking trails of the arboretum.

   • Bicyclists are prohibited from riding on athletic playing fields or within Bridgeforth Stadium.

   • Bicyclists are prohibited from riding in residential, academic or administrative facilities on campus with the exception of indoor bike tracks.

6. Registration

   • Per Alternative Transportation at JMU, students should utilize Project 529 to register their bicycles. More information on bicycle registration can be found on the Alternative Transportation website or the following link.

     • https://www.jmu.edu/transportation/project529-bike-registration.shtml 

7. Storage

   • Bicycles may not be kept anywhere inside academic or administrative buildings without written permission from the building coordinator. If all the residents of a living unit concur, bicycles may be stored in student rooms and suites. Storage may occur only within the confines of the prescribed areas. Bikes should never be left in halls, corridors or stairwells or on landings or handicapped ramps.

   • Bicycles improperly placed or stored in campus residences, other campus facilities, hallways, corridors, stairwells, landings, or handicapped ramps will be confiscated by the university and forfeited by the owner. Wall mountings to store bicycles are not permitted; damages caused by the storage or transportation of a bicycle are the responsibility of the bicycle's owner.

   • When possible, lock bicycles to bike racks; do not secure them to trees, railings, lampposts, fences or handicapped ramps. Bicycles are not to be stored in campus bike racks or otherwise left on campus or within university facilities by persons not currently enrolled for classes including the summer sessions. Such bikes are considered abandoned property and are subject to confiscation and subsequent sale as state property.

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