Lake Charles, LA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Chapter 5, Article III of the city code sets the operating rules for cyclists on Lake Charles streets. Sec. 5-31 requires bicyclists to ride with due regard for the safety of others and to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians on crosswalks. Sec. 5-32 requires bicyclists to obey the same traffic signs and signals as motor vehicles wherever those laws can apply to a bicycle. Sec. 5-35, the roadway-position rule, requires riders to travel single file, in a straight line, hugging the right-hand curb as closely as possible, on every street, highway, parkway, and public place in the city; this is the closest the code comes to a dedicated bike lane rule, since it dictates where in the roadway a cyclist must stay rather than designating separate striped lanes.

Sec. 5-33 bars riding a bicycle without working brakes and police inspection approval, and Sec. 5-34 requires a front light visible 500 feet and a rear reflector or red light visible 300 feet between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise. Sec. 5-37 bars grabbing onto another moving vehicle, Sec. 5-38 bars carrying a second rider on a bicycle built for one, and Sec. 5-39 bars trick riding without keeping both hands on the handlebars except to signal a turn.