Many bicycles, electric bicycles, and electric scooters travel through the University of Iowa and Iowa City each day. Whether you’re riding one of these devices or interreacting with them on foot or in your motor vehicle, it’s important to know how to be safe and courteous on the roads.
Register your bike with Bike Index
Faculty, staff, and students are strongly encouraged to register their bicycles. Students and employees can register their bikes with Bike Index for free. The registration creates a record of ownership and can help relocate the bike if it has been stolen. Once you register, you will receive a permit sticker in the mail to place on your bike.
Register your bike and learn more bike safety tips here.
Here are some rules you should be familiar with before heading out on your bike or e-scooter.
If you’re on a bicycle, e-bicycle, or e-scooter:
- Bicycles, e-bicycles, and e-scooters must follow the same traffic laws as motor vehicles, including traffic signs and signals, on public streets.
- In walkways, sidewalks, crosswalks, plazas, patios, parking facilities, loading zones, or similar pedestrian areas, bicycles and e-scooters should follow these guidelines:
- Yield to pedestrians. They have the right of way.
- If you are within five bike lengths of someone walking, biking, skating, skateboarding, or using a wheelchair, slow your speed to match the pace of pedestrian flow.
- You should have a minimum of one bike length separation from others in a pedestrian area. If you are unable to keep that spacing, do not go faster than a slow walk, or dismount and walk, until you can legally pass.
- You should notify others on what side you are passing them and should try to pass people on their left side when it’s safe to do so. Simply say “Coming up on your left!”
- You may not ride bicycles and e-scooters on unpaved areas, such as grass and plant beds, unless there is a designated trail.
- You must have a headlight on your bike or e-scooter if you are riding between sunset and sunrise.
- You should wear a helmet.
- Ride in a straight line and avoid bobbing and weaving across the road.
- Do not use headphones while riding, or at least leave one ear free to listen to your surroundings.
- Ride in the right lane, except when passing another vehicle, turning left, or avoiding hazards.
- Ride with the flow of traffic.
- Stay alert for motorists who may not see you, such as parked vehicles entering traffic or vehicles opening doors in your path.
- On campus, bicycles and e-scooters cannot be parked inside university buildings or attached to trees, shrubs, signs, handrails, parking meters, benches, tables, lamp posts, or trash receptacles. Parking in any of those areas could result in your bike or e-scooter being immobilized, impounded, or assessed a fine.
- If your bicycle or e-scooter is parked where it should not be, UI employees will try to contact you if they are able and ask you to move it in a timely manner. If it is not moved, it will be impounded.
If you’re in a vehicle:
- Bicycles and e-scooters must follow the same traffic laws as cars, so treat them as you would other vehicles.
- Avoid startling bicyclists or people riding e-scooters by honking your horn.
- Use extra caution when passing bicycles or e-scooters, and do not pass if oncoming traffic is near.
- Be mindful when opening your car door — bicycles and e-scooters tend to ride closer to parked vehicles.
- When in doubt, yield to bikes or e-scooters.
If you’re a pedestrian:
- While drivers of bicycles and e-scooters should be following pedestrian right-of-way rules, stay alert when coming across these vehicles in traffic.
- Share walkways with bicycles and e-scooters and be courteous when a driver alerts you that they are passing on your left or right.
- Try to use the right side of a trail or sidewalk and pass on the left.