Dothan, AL Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Article VI, Bicycles, applies whenever a bicycle is ridden on a public street or on any public path set aside exclusively for bicycles (§ 98-196), and parents or guardians may not knowingly let a child or ward violate the article. Riders must sit on a permanent, regular seat and may not carry more passengers than the bicycle is designed for (§ 98-197). Section 98-199 is the core street-riding rule: cyclists must follow traffic signs and signals, ride as near the right side of the roadway as practicable while passing standing or same-direction vehicles with due care, and may not ride more than two abreast except on a path or lane set aside exclusively for bicycles.

Critically, subsection (c) makes bicycle-path use mandatory: whenever a usable bicycle path is provided adjacent to a roadway, riders must use it and cannot use the roadway itself. Riders also cannot carry a package or bundle that keeps a hand off the handlebars (§ 98-200); at night, a bicycle needs a front lamp visible from at least 500 feet and a rear red reflector visible from 50 to 300 feet, plus an adequate brake (§ 98-201). On sidewalks, cyclists must yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing (§ 98-202), speed is capped at the same limit as motor vehicles (§ 98-203), and parking is restricted to curbside racks, against a building, or positions that minimize pedestrian obstruction (§ 98-204). Article VI carries no dedicated fine schedule, so Dothan police enforce violations under the Sec. 1-4 general penalty.