Hey MA Riders. Menino is looking to make motorized bikes illegal

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nonservitus

New Member
..in Boston city limits. This article can't get its mind made up if they are talking motorized bicycles or scooters or what. I guess it was thought that the scumbags who shot a 4 year old in a park got away on 'motorized bikes'. that wasn't true but Mumbles has a ball and now he's rolling with it. Hope this doesn't get passed but it probably will. http://westroxbury.patch.com/articles/mayor-menino-wants-to-crackdown-on-illegal-mohttp://motorbicycling.com/images/smilies/Waa.giftorized-scooters:-||
 
nonservitus said:
..in Boston city limits. This article can't get its mind made up if they are talking motorized bicycles or scooters or what. I guess it was thought that the scumbags who shot a 4 year old in a park got away on 'motorized bikes'. that wasn't true but Mumbles has a ball and now he's rolling with it. Hope this doesn't get passed but it probably will. http://westroxbury.patch.com/articles/mayor-menino-wants-to-crackdown-on-illegal-mohttp://motorbicycling.com/images/smilies/Waa.giftorized-scooters:-||
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Heres the Law within the article:

The existing laws (specifically M.G.L. c. 90 §1B-E) regulate motorized bicycles mandate that the vehicle/its operator must:

Have a registration sticker affixed to it;
Be registered with the MA RMV (motorized bicycles are classified as “motor vehicles”);
Carry a valid driver’s license/learner’s permit;
Wear a safety helmet;
Drive at speeds 25 mph or lower;
Avoid driving on (a) roadways where bicycles are prohibited or (b) off-street recreational paths;

I may be wrong, but I think the article was referring to UNREGISTERED gas MBs.

Your MA defined laws are much better than FL's for sure.

Ride That Thing!!!

:)

:)
 
Worksman is right, from the article:

The Boston Police Department and the city’s Transportation Department have begun “Operation Kickstand” a Menino missive to tow all illegal motorized bicycles, specifically:

  1. Missing a registration decal or not properly registered;
  2. Being operated on parkland, off-street recreational paths or any other prohibited paths;
  3. Being operated in an illegal fashion (e.g., reckless driving, driving under the influence).
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Mass does have well defined moped laws that were updated in July 09.
Menino is pushing a home rule here. This is the same guy who outlawed super-soaker water guns in the city limits a few summers back.
 
I agree that the current MA laws are fine. What grabbed my attention was this:
The Mayor's hope is the home rule petition will extend the law and ban the illegal vehicles within the city limits. Similar laws are in place in New York, Philadelphia and the District of Columbia, said Boston officials.
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and

"information gathered does highlight the need for a stronger city policy on the use and operation of motorized bicycles within city limits."

“I will continue to fight for the protection and quality of life of our residents,” said Menino via press release. “These types of loud, dangerous vehicles are allowing individuals to intimidate our residents and cause disruption in our neighborhoods – andit must stop.”
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Lets hope things stay the same.
 
The wording is confusing. 'Illegal' motorized bicycles would of course be ones not registered or otherwise operating outside the current law. Wouldn't the answer to this be enforcement of the current law such as issuing tickets/ fines not 'banning' anything? If its the New York model (the article indicates that) they want to imitate it means no motorized bikes allowed...period. Thats why the article is confusing. Less confusing is Meninos written statement reported today
In a written statement, Menino said the vehicles pose a public safety hazard and announced that his office would file another homerule petition meant to extend the motorized bike ban from city parks to all of Boston.

“These types of loud, dangerous vehicles are allowing individuals to intimidate our residents and cause disruption in our neighborhoods – and it must stop,” Menino said in a written statement.
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link

I guess on the local news they ended up confiscating like 17 of those 'minibikes' that go for around $300 bucks from one house. Bunch of ghetto punks have been causing issues riding in parks, sidewalks, etc. in this particular neighborhood. Sad to see if that effects us all. The answer isn't banning bikes anyways, its actually policing the neighborhoods and confronting these punks when they are causing problems that will stop this kind of stuff from going on. Enforce the current law and allow those of us who abide by it to continue to enjoy our chosen mode of transport. My 2 cents.
 
It wouldn't matter..
If there is no state law, then yes, they can pass any law they wish...
However, a local ordinance can NOT conflict with a state law, when one exists.. The point of a "state law" is to make a particular "thing", uniform throughout the entire state. The mayor can not just decide he wants to make a law that conflicts with a law generated by the Attorney General and his cabinet.
 
What I found interesting in that document was the fact that it stated a moped could not be able to achieve faster than 30mph, BUT it's not allowed to be OPERATED at a speed greater than 25... That's actually pretty interesting/cool, because most people usually say, "Well, why is a car allowed to be capable of speeds greater than most posted speed limits, but our bikes can't...". Well there it is for other states to learn from. :)

The other thing it stated was that it was allowed (as long as it is legal) on any and all public roadways..
So basically, (it seems to me) the Mayor can NOT pass (legally speaking) the legislature he is wanting to have put on the books and enforced.
 
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Unless Hizzonor can get the state law changed, which I doubt but it's Mass so count that as a hope on my part. The reason I say that is the state moped laws got changed and went into effect in July, 2009. It ended up a good thing IMO for moped/motored bikes because it created 3 classes instead of 2 of two, motorcycles, scooters and mopeds.

However, the reason the law got changed in the first place was largely to satisfy Menino's vendetta against scooters in Boston.
 
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menino needs to do us all a favor an suck on the barrel of a loaded shotgun oh wait in mass it is illegal to put ammunition in a firearm lol if i remember he also wanted to ban t shirts that said stop the snitchin a while back an i hate to do it but in a few months i will be back in the people communist republic of massachussetts fml
 
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I've been checking on this through Google and after the initial couple days it looks like this is back off the radar. Like one person was quoted "It's not the bikes causing the problems its the people riding them." Plus this all stems from hood rats on those little mini bikes from what I understand.
 
Right, that's enough to get crap started. One pic I saw had BPD loading up a truck with what looked like a bunch of pocketbikes.
 
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