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Port Townsend, WA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Rules of road
RCW 46.61.750–.780 (incorporated)
Sidewalk ban
10 named downtown street segments
First infraction
$10 (unscheduled violations)
Third infraction (1 yr)
$50

Summary

Port Townsend adopts state rules of the road for bicycles and bans riding on ten named downtown sidewalks, both enforced as traffic infractions.

Bicycles shall be operated on public rights-of-way in compliance with the rules of the road as set forth in RCW 46.61.750 through 46.61.780, which state statutes are by this reference incorporated in this section and made a part of this section, the same as though fully set out in this section.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).

Full Breakdown

PTMC 10.32.050 incorporates RCW 46.61.750 through 46.61.780 wholesale, so the state rules of the road, including keeping to bike lanes and travel lanes as those statutes require, govern every bicyclist on a Port Townsend right-of-way. PTMC 10.32.060 separately bans bicycle riding on ten specific downtown sidewalk segments (Water, Washington, Taylor, Adams, Quincy, Lawrence, 12th, Madison, and Sheridan Streets), pushing riders into the street or marked bike lane on those blocks. Uniformed and plainclothes bicycle patrol officers on duty are exempt.

Violations & Fines

Violations are traffic infractions under RCW 46.64, fined per the state's monetary penalty schedule for infractions or $10 first offense/$25 second/$50 third under the city's unscheduled-infraction schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I ride my bike on the sidewalk in downtown Port Townsend?
Not on the ten listed segments, Water, Washington, Taylor, Adams, Quincy, Lawrence, 12th, Madison, and Sheridan Streets, under PTMC 10.32.060; ride in the street or bike lane there instead.
What rules govern riding in a Port Townsend bike lane?
PTMC 10.32.050 adopts RCW 46.61.750–.780, the state's bicycle rules of the road, wholesale as the city's own regulation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Port Townsend

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Wildlife FeedingSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: Wildfire ZonesSome Restrictions

All Port Townsend rules

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