Allentown, PA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Section 177-4, part of the pedalcycle ordinance City Council adopted April 2, 2025 as Ordinance No. 16113, sets the baseline riding rules for every highway in Allentown. Subsection A makes pedalcycles subject to the same rules of the road as other vehicles unless Subsections B or C carve out an exception. Subsection B lets a rider use the shoulder of a highway, but only traveling in the same direction the roadway's traffic moves, and any turn off the shoulder must still follow § 3331's required-position-and-method-of-turning rule.

Subsection C covers a pedalcycle moving slower than the prevailing traffic speed: it must keep to the right under § 177-3 (driving on the right side of the roadway) unless doing so would be unsafe, in which case the rider may use more of the lane. Subsection D is the one-way-street exception: on a one-way roadway with two or more marked lanes, a rider may hug the left curb instead of the right, but must exercise due care passing a standing or same-direction vehicle. Subsection E limits group riding: pedalcycles on a roadway may not ride more than two abreast, a cap that lifts only on paths or roadway sections set aside exclusively for pedalcycle use, functioning as Allentown's rule for shared-use paths and marked bike lanes.

Because Chapter 177's 'pedalcycle' definition in § 177-1 covers both muscle-powered bikes and qualifying electric-assist bikes, § 177-4's lane and path rules bind e-bike riders exactly the same way they bind traditional cyclists.