Cycling and ATV Regulations

Bicycles

1. Registration requirement. No person shall operate a bicycle upon any property owned or otherwise under the control of the County of Union unless such bicycle has first been registered with the municipality wherein the owner resides, as evidenced by a registration certificate, license plate, or decal from that municipality.
2. Renting and hiring business. No person in the business of renting bicycles for hire on property owned or otherwise under the control of the County of Union shall rent or offer for rent any bicycle which has not been registered and which does not have attached thereto a valid license plate, pursuant to the Ordinances of the municipality in which the person resides, or the municipality in which the person’s business is located.
3. Periodic inspections. All bicycles which are operated on property owned or otherwise under the control of the County of Union shall be subject to inspection at anytime to ascertain whether the bicycle:
   1. is properly registered in the owner’s municipality;
   2. has the proper license plate attached in a conspicuous location;
   3. is in proper mechanical condition to be operated safely; or
   4. has an altered, mutilated, or destroyed serial number on its frame.
4. Impounding of altered or mutilated serial numbers. In the event that a bicycle has an altered, mutilated, or destroyed serial number (except if altered by a municipal police department), or if the bicycle does not conform to any of the above requirements, the Union County Police may impound and confiscate said bicycle, and any expenses involved in the impoundment or storage of said bicycle shall be borne by the owner.
5. Redemption of confiscated bicycles. The owner of any confiscated or impounded bicycle may redeem said bicycle provided that the necessary requirements listed above have been fulfilled and ownership has been proven.
6. Hindering or impeding pedestrian or vehicular traffic. No operator of a bicycle shall leave a bicycle laying, or standing upon any sidewalk, footpath, footbridge, roadway, bridle path or any other public land or in any building owned by the County of Union which land is commonly used for pedestrian or vehicular traffic, in such a manner as to hinder or impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
7. Operation in designated areas. No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway, except as a thoroughfare, and no person shall operate a bicycle upon any sidewalk, footpath, footbridge, or bridle path, except those that are specifically set aside and marked for bicycle use.  No person shall operate a bicycle in such a manner as to impede vehicular traffic.
8. Use on roadways; bicycle paths. Every person operating a bicycle on a roadway shall ride in the direction of traffic flow as near to the side of the roadway as practicable and persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall ride no more than two abreast.  When a usable path for bicycles has been provided, bicyclists shall use such path and shall not use the roadway.
9. Additional regulations; postings. The County Manager, through the Director of the Department of Public Safety, is hereby empowered to make such further rules and regulations pertaining to the safe operation of bicycles, as he may deem necessary, provided that they are not in conflict with any Ordinances or State law. Any rules so promulgated shall be conspicuously posted.

Scooters

1. Helmet required.  No person shall operate or ride on a scooter unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened helmet which meets the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z90.4 bicycle helmet standard) or the Snell Memorial Foundation’s 1990 Standard for protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling.
2. Applicability.  This requirement shall apply at all times while a scooter is operated on any County property, open to the public or used by the public for pedestrian and/or vehicular purposes.

Recreational Vehicles

It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or allow, permit or suffer another to operate a motor vehicle or recreational motor vehicle on any sidewalk, footpath, footbridge, bridle path, bicycle path, lawn, wooded area, park, playground or any other property, owned, leased or otherwise under the control of the County of Union, except that the operation of a motorized bicycle, shall be permitted while being operated on the public roadway or highway and only if in compliance with all the requirements of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey.

Snowmobiles

No person or persons shall operate a snowmobile on any property owned, leased or otherwise maintained by the County of Union, except a police officer actually on duty, other on-duty emergency personnel, and those persons directly involved with the repair and maintenance of any snowmobiles owned by the County of Union.

The Union County Police may impound and confiscate any such snowmobiles operated on county property and remove it to a suitable storage place, and any expenses involved in the impoundment or storage thereof shall be borne by the owner.

Abandonment of Vehicles

1. Abandonment or junked vehicles unlawful. No person shall cause, allow or permit a motor vehicle to be abandoned or junked on any property owned, leased or otherwise under the control of the County of Union.
2. Presumption of abandonment. A motor vehicle that has remained on County property without consent for a period of more than 48 hours, or for any period without current license plates, shall be presumed to be an abandoned motor vehicle.

Defacing County Property

1. Willful destruction. No person shall willfully mark, disfigure, tamper with, or deface any building, bridge, table, bench, fireplace, railing, sign, monument or plaque, stake, or other boundary marker, or any other structure or equipment owned, maintained or otherwise under the control of the County of Union.
2. Removing or destroying natural resources or beauty. No person shall dig or remove any soil, rock, stones, trees, shrubs, grass, plants or artifacts, nor shall any person cut timber or other wood or make any excavation or in any other way remove, injure, impair or destroy the natural or cultural resources or impair the natural beauty, usefulness, or historic integrity of any area located in the parks or facilities maintained by the County of Union.
3. Public utility construction restricted. No person shall construct or erect any building or structure of any kind, whether permanent or temporary in character, or run or string any public service utility into, upon or across such lands, except on special written permit issued by the County Manager, through the Director of the Department of Engineering and Public Works, on any property owned, or otherwise under the control of the County of Union.
4. Sanitary facilities. No person using the rest room or wash room facilities owned, or maintained by the County of Union shall fail to cooperate in maintaining said rest room or wash room in a neat and sanitary condition.

Littering

1. Deposit in County-owned property. No person shall throw or deposit or permit any servant, agent or employee to throw or deposit any litter or beverage containers upon any street, roadway, park, playground or other facility owned or controlled by the County of Union except in public receptacles or in authorized private receptacles for collection.
2. Deposits in receptacles. Persons placing litter or beverage containers in public receptacles or in authorized private receptacles shall do so in a manner so as to prevent it from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, roadway, park, playground or other facility owned or controlled by the County of Union.
3. Deposits of refuse as litter brought onto County property. No person shall deposit in any county refuse container any garbage or garden litter that he has brought onto county property for the purpose of depositing in county refuse containers, whether said garbage or garden litter is bagged or not.
4. Deposits in sewers, fountains and other County facilities. No person shall throw or deposit any litter or beverage containers in any sewer, fountain, pond, lake, stream or other body of water on property owned, maintained or otherwise under the control of the County of Union.
5. Use of trucks and vehicles on County property. No person shall drive or remove any truck or other vehicle within property owned, or maintained by the County of Union unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any load or contents of litter from being blown or deposited upon any roadway, park, playground or other facility owned or controlled by the County of Union.
6. Littering from aircraft. No person while in an aircraft shall throw out, drop, or deposit upon land or facilities owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the County of Union any litter, handbill or other object.
7. Littering from motor vehicles. No person while a driver or passenger in a motor vehicle shall throw or deposit any litter or other object upon any property owned, or otherwise under the control of the County of Union.
8. Dumping on County property; penalty.
   1.  No person shall deposit or dump truck-loads or bagfuls of grass clippings, tree clippings, leaves, or other debris upon any roadway, park, playground or other facility owned or under the control of the County of Union, nor shall any person bring garbage from their home to be deposited in County refuse containers. Nor shall any person, corporation, partnership or association, permit any of its agents, servants and/or employees, to deposit or dump truck-loads or bagfuls of grass clippings, tree clippings, leaves or other debris upon any roadway, park, playground or other facility owned or under the control of the County of Union.
   2. Any person who is found guilty of violating any of the provisions of subsection (1) above, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for the first offense, and by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the second and each subsequent offense thereafter, and shall further be subject to pay the costs of removing or cleaning said debris or litter from County property. The Director of Park Planning and Maintenance shall, upon request of the Municipal Court having jurisdiction over the territory wherein the violation shall have occurred, certify in writing the said costs of removal or cleaning.

Trespassing

1. Trespassing unlawful. No person shall remain without permission in any building or upon any land or recreational facility owned, leased or otherwise under the control of the County of Union after said building, land or recreational facility is closed.
2. Admission fees. Whenever the County of Union has imposed a fee or charge for the admission into or the use of any of its facilities, no person shall fail to pay the fee or charge.  Any person at any facility wherein a fee is charged shall, upon request of any County employee or official, provide proof of payment of said fee, and upon failure to provide proof of payment of said fee shall be deemed to be a trespasser subject to immediate removal from county property.

Findings & Establishment of Ordinance

1. There is hereby established the County of Union Tree Protection Ordinance.
2. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders (“the Board”) recognizes the numerous ways in which trees throughout Union County provide an essential benefit to the residents of Union County.  Some examples of the benefits provided by trees include producing oxygen, cleaning our air, providing shade, protecting our streams and rivers, reducing soil erosion, and conserving energy resources.  The Board is committed to sustaining the amount of tree cover on lands owned or maintained by the County of Union and ensuring their continued vitality.  The Board desires to continue the maintenance of County trees in a healthy and safe condition through good forestry and arboriculture practices.  This ordinance establishes policies, regulations, and standards necessary to ensure that the residents of the County of Union will continue to realize the benefits provided by our trees.

Violations

The following acts shall be considered a violation of this ordinance and subject to the penalties provided herein:

1. The abuse, destruction, mutilation, cutting, or trimming of any County-owned tree or shrub; or
2. The removal of any tree from County property; or
3. Attaching any rope, wire, signs, posters or any similar objects to County-owned trees; or
4. Causing or permitting any substance that is harmful to trees or shrubs to come into contact with its roots, trunk or foliage; or
5. Installing any concrete or pavement over tree or shrub root zones; or
6. Grading, trenching, or compacting within the root zone or drip line of any county-owned tree.

It is a separate violation of this section for an action proscribed above as to each tree or shrub affected.  It is also a separate violation of this section each day that a condition proscribed in section (a), (c), (d), (e) and (f) occurs or continues.

Penalties

A person who violates any provision of this ordinance, for a first offense, shall be fined a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each violation; for a second and subsequent offense shall be fined a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) and/or imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding ninety (90) days for each violation.  In lieu of imprisonment, the Court should consider requiring community service related to horticultural restoration and maintenance.  Nothing contained herein shall prevent the County from seeking restitution, in a civil action, for the cost of repair or replacement, as appropriate, for any damaged trees or shrubs.

Enforcement

The County of Union’s Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation is hereby charged with the responsibility for the enforcement of this ordinance and may serve notice to any person in violation thereof; however, such notice shall not be a prerequisite for the issuance of a summons.  The Director will notify the Union County Police Department (“County Police”) of any violation(s), who shall investigate said violation(s).  The County Police is independently authorized to issue any summons for violations of this ordinance, as appropriate.  The County Counsel and/or municipal prosecutors are hereby authorized to prosecute violators in any legal proceedings as may be required.

The following Local Supplemental Violations Bureau Schedule for Non-Traffic matters shall be in effect for offenses committed on and after the effective date of this Amendment:

Non-Traffic Section