Charleston, SC Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Charleston City Code § 19-124, rewritten by Ordinance No. 2026-089 on May 12, 2026, sets who can ride where. Section 19-120(c) defines on-road bike facilities as infrastructure inside the street right-of-way that supports and separates bicyclists using striping, barriers or signage, and names bike lanes, buffered lanes, paved shoulders and bicycle boulevards as the types. Under § 19-124(a), e-bikes and any similar devices are allowed on all of them, and subsection (f) gives bicycles the same access to on-road bike facilities and to shared-use and multi-use paths.

Sidewalks are the restricted space. Subsection (b) says e-bikes and similar devices are not allowed on sidewalks anywhere in the city. For ordinary bicycles, subsection (f) bars sidewalk riding except in three cases. Children aged 12 and under can ride a bicycle with a wheel diameter of 24 inches or less on any sidewalk. A sidewalk that the Traffic and Transportation Department has designated a shared-use path at least 8 feet wide is open to riders, but the elevated sidewalk sections of Murray Blvd. and East Battery Streets, the battery seawall, stay closed to bicycles. Under (f)(3), adults and children can ride the adjacent sidewalk where the highway has a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or more, unless that highway has a dedicated bicycle lane, in which case the rider belongs in the lane.

Other users have their own rules. E-bikes are allowed on multi-use and shared-use paths except on Daniel Island. Assistive technology devices such as wheelchairs are allowed on sidewalks and paths. Pedicabs are barred from every sidewalk, on-road bike facility and path. Police and code enforcement officers can use a sidewalk when they determine in good faith that it is necessary to do their job. Subsection (h) applies to everyone the section permits: no reckless operation, due care at all times, and yield to pedestrians and other vehicular traffic.