N.Y. Highway Law § 316: Entitled to free use of highways

§ 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.