Law enforcement officials will be on the lookout for reckless bicycle riders failing to obey bike-related traffic laws during Sunday’s Fiesta Cruiser Ride.
The annual bicycle ride traditionally begins from the base of Stearns Wharf on the Santa Barbara waterfront, traveling along State Street to Isla Vista and returning to the waterfront area by midafternoon. In previous years, the unsanctioned round-trip excursion has drawn throngs of beach-cruising cyclists to streets that aren’t always closed off.
Over the years, the flash mob of riders has resulted in traffic citations and safety concerns.
Officials with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Barbara Police Department and the California Highway Patrol will be out in force to enforce bicycle traffic laws and will issue fines to those caught in violation, according to sheriff’s office spokeswoman Kelly Hoover.
In past years, Santa Barbara police received complaints from the public about disorderly and hazardous conduct by bicyclists participating in the ride, police spokesman Anthony Wagner said, adding that extra officers along the route will monitor the event.
“Bicyclists are legally required to obey all traffic laws, and violators will be cited as appropriate,” Wagner said. “In the past, some of the participants have disobeyed traffic laws, resulting in unsafe conditions for themselves and motorists.”
Wagner said that some of the most common bicycle-related code violations include failure to ride as close as practicable to the righthand curb, which carries a $196 fine; failure to obey a stop sign, which carries a $237 fine; and failure to obey a red signal light, a $490 fine.
“In addition, riding a bike under the influence of alcohol or drugs carries the same legal consequences of driving a vehicle under the influence,” Wagner said.
Riding under the influence can lead to a fine of $10,000 or more, according to Wagner.
The California Vehicle Code states that any person younger than age 18 must wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, Sgt. Joshua Morton said.
“It would carry a fine … that is up to the court,” Morton said.
The Fiesta Cruiser Ride has been an unofficial Fiesta tradition since the late 1970s. Cyclists set out Sunday morning of the Old Spanish Days weekend.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
