§ 316. Entitled to free use of highways. The authorities having charge
or control of any highway, public street, park, parkway, driveway, or
place, shall have no power or authority to pass, enforce or maintain any
ordinance, rule or regulation by which any person using a bicycle or
tricycle shall be excluded or prohibited from the free use of any
highway, public street, avenue, roadway, driveway, parkway, park, or
place, at any time when the same is open to the free use of persons
having and using other pleasure carriages, except upon such driveway,
speedway or road as has been or may be expressly set apart by law for
the exclusive use of horses and light carriages. But nothing herein
shall prevent the passage, enforcement or maintenance of any regulation,
ordinance or rule, regulating the use of bicycles or tricycles in
highways, public streets, driveways, parks, parkways, and places, or the
regulation of the speed of carriages, vehicles or engines, in public
parks and upon parkways and driveways in the city of New York, under the
exclusive jurisdiction and control of the department of parks and
recreation of said city, nor prevent any such authorities in any other
city from regulating the speed of any vehicles herein described in such
manner as to limit and determine the proper rate of speed with which
such vehicle may be propelled nor in such manner as to require, direct
or prohibit the use of bells, lamps and other appurtenances nor to
prohibit the use of any vehicle upon that part of the highway, street,
park, or parkway, commonly known as the footpath or sidewalk.