Some of you reading this may have been born in New Orleans, or Shreveport, or somewhere in between. Or, you may have moved here from Oregon or New York City. You may have different ideas about the roads and the people who use them. Before we examine the laws in Louisiana, we will first look at common statutory definitions.
This page lists pertinent definitions taken straight from the Louisiana Revised Statutes. You may look at the entire list of terms from Title 32 right here.
According to these definitions, the term "bicycle" includes unicycles and tricycles. It is also a vehicle.
MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC REGULATION
CHAPTER 1. LOUISIANA HIGHWAY REGULATORY ACT
PART I. DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL AUTHORITY
§1. Definitions
When used in this Chapter, the following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed to them in this Section, unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(6) "Bicycle" means every device upon which any person or persons, if the design accommodates passengers, may ride, propelled exclusively by human power, or an electric-assisted bicycle as defined in this Section, having a saddle or seat for each rider, and having two tandem wheels, either of which is sixteen inches or more in diameter, or three wheels, any one of which is twenty inches or more in diameter.
(7) "Bicycle facility" means any physical facility provided for the exclusive or semi-exclusive use of bicycles. This includes but is not limited to unmarked shared roadways, marked shared roadways, bicycle lanes, shared use trails, and end of trip facilities.
(8) "Bicycle lane" means the part of the roadway adjacent to the travel lane, designated by official signs or markings for the preferential or exclusive use by bicycles and electric mobility aid users.
(9) "Bicycle parking" means any facility for the storage of bicycles to protect against theft and damage.
(10) "Bicycle path or trail" means a public way separated by open space, grade, or other physical barrier from motor traffic, either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way, that is designated for use by persons riding bicycles.
(50) "Motorized bicycle" means a pedal bicycle which may be propelled by human power or helper motor, or by both, but excluding an electric-assisted bicycle, with a motor rated no more than one and one-half brake horsepower, a cylinder capacity not exceeding fifty cubic centimeters, an automatic transmission, and which produces a maximum design speed of no more than twenty-five miles per hour on a flat surface.
(107) "Vehicle" means every device by which persons or things may be transported upon a public highway or bridge, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. A bicycle or a ridden animal shall be a vehicle, and a trailer or semitrailer shall be a separate vehicle.
