Manteca leaders consider penalties in effort to crackdown on dangerous bike riding

The City of Manteca is writing new rules of the road to try to put the brakes on dangerous bike riding.

The crackdown comes after a group of children on bicycles took over several lanes of a freeway earlier in January, and it was all caught on camera.

"That was not a good thing because it came out and they rode on Highway 120 and that was just incredible, probably the most reckless time we've ever seen," Manteca Councilmember Mike Morowart said.

Morowat said the city is now making this bicycle problem a priority.

"It's not the one and two and three and four kids, it's these organized groups that just take over the streets and make it very unsafe for the motorists," Morowat said.

The Manteca City Council is now proposing new penalties to prevent cyclists from street takeovers, impounding bikes for 30 days and charging $200 for a first offence and $400 for a second. It would be a $1,000 fine for the organizer of cyclist takeovers.

"And if you're 16 and under, the police chief has the ability to work with the school district and take these children and put them in an education and bicycle training and education on safety," Morowat said.

In 2023, the Manteca police chief crafted a first-of-its-kind local ordinance specifically to stop swerving.

"I'm pretty confident when a few bikes get impounded, the word is going to get out," Morowat said.

The city council is set to vote on the new bicycle laws on Tuesday.