Champaign, IL Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Section 33-32, titled Bicycle lanes, is short but absolute: no person may operate any vehicle except a non-motor-driven bicycle upon a posted and marked bicycle lane. The provision traces back to Code 1975 Section 22-37 and gives Champaign a clean legal hook against cars, mopeds or motor scooters that drift into or park in a striped bike lane. It works alongside Section 33-31, Riding on roadways and bicycle paths, which requires bicyclists on an ordinary roadway to ride as near the right side as practicable, exercise due care passing standing vehicles, and ride single file except on lanes set aside exclusively for bicycles.

Section 33-31(c) goes further: whenever a usable bicycle path has been provided adjacent to a roadway, cyclists must use that path and are barred from the roadway itself, flipping the usual rule once a dedicated facility exists. Section 33-31(d) separately allows bicycles on sidewalks citywide except within business districts as defined in Section 33-1, where only on-duty Champaign Police bike patrol officers may ride on the sidewalk. Together the sections draw a clear line: motorized vehicles cannot use marked bike lanes, and cyclists themselves must use a dedicated lane or path over open roadway once the City has built one, with sidewalk riding curtailed downtown.