April, Taxes,...........and Lompoc Members

April is a key date for American taxpayers. The month marks the deadline for both yearly federal and state returns. With taxes in mind, accordingly, the History Highlight for April focuses on another payment applicable to Club members living in the City of Lompoc: bicycle registration.

The State of California, and Santa Barbara County, don’t require bicycle licenses. Cities and municipalities may, however, require registration and collect fees for licensing. According to C. Warren Arnold, the Bicycle Records Volunteer at the Lompoc Police Department, the City of Lompoc has had such a program for approximately 25 years. Mr. Arnold has worked as the “bike guy” for the City for ten years, handles the majority of registrations, and provided the data for this article. He is a cyclist himself and, in the past, has ridden extensively locally as well as touring by bike in England.

The specific details of the Lompoc program follow. If a city resident owns and operates a bike in town, he/she must register and license it (Code Section 0906). The Police Department issues the licenses which cost $6 and are valid for three years. The license itself is an adhesive blue decal normally placed on the seat tube near the bicycle bottom bracket. A smaller expiration decal is placed above the license. Lompoc bicycle dealers advise buyers about licensing and provide them a Police Department handout card covering procedures. If city residents sell their bikes privately, they must change the registration data with the Police Department within ten days of the sale to reflect the new owner. The license then transfers, at no cost, to the buyer.

Of interest to all riders, Lompoc does require helmets for cyclists under 18 years of age. Additionally, codes prohibit bicycle riding on sidewalks, or obstructing sidewalks with parked bikes. Fines for these offenses, or other violations, are at the discretion of the court.

Other law enforcement agencies may also cite cyclists for violations of California vehicle codes. For example, Club member Bob Goebel, a former CHP officer, once ticketed a rider for intoxication. The cyclist collided with a parked vehicle and Goebel found him unconscious on the street, still on his bike, by the dented automobile.

So, back to April and taxes. Is the Lompoc registration program a true tax? Arnold says, “No.” He believes the program was originally initiated for owner benefit, and that the revenue generated is negligible. Once registered, the bike type, serial number, and description on file is a major help in returning lost or stolen property. Police do emphasize locating and recovering cycles, and Arnold notes the program does work. In one case, officers returned a bike before the owner realized it was missing!

Historian thanks to Warren Arnold both for his years of volunteer work aiding the Lompoc cycling community and for his assistance with this summary.

HISTORIAN NOTE: This is the fourth in a monthly series to be published in 2006 dealing with
the heritage, activities, and members of the Lompoc Valley Bicycle Club. Data for the articles comes from personal interviews, and, when existing, club record documentation.