South Carolina § 56-5-3860 - Animals and certain vehicles prohibited on controlled-access highways; exceptions; penalty.

§ 56-5-3860. Animals and certain vehicles prohibited on controlled-access highways; exceptions; penalty.

(A)(1) No person, unless otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer, shall occupy any space within the limits of the roadway and shoulders of the main facility of a freeway with an animal-drawn vehicle, a ridden or led animal, herded animals, a pushcart, a bicycle, a bicycle with motor attached, a motor-driven cycle with a motor which produces not to exceed five brake horsepower, an agricultural tractor or other farm machinery, except in the performance of public works or official duties.

(2) The prohibitions imposed by this subsection on the use of freeways do not apply to service roads alongside the highways.

(B)(1) A local governing body may authorize a partial exemption from the provisions contained in subsection (A) that would allow bicyclists and pedestrians to use the roadway and shoulders of the main facility of a noninterstate freeway.

(2) The local governing body may authorize a partial exemption to subsection (A) for bicyclists and pedestrians if the local governing body:

(a) determines that bicyclists and pedestrians have no other reasonably safe or viable alternative route and the use of the freeway route is at least ten percent less than the shortest conventional alternate route;

(b) adopts an ordinance allowing bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the shoulder of a main facility of the noninterstate freeway and allowing bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the roadway when utilizing the shoulder is not practicable because of an obstruction or an unpaved shoulder, or when necessary to cross an access ramp in compliance with accepted bicycle safety standards and practices; and

(c) notifies the department that the ordinance has been adopted.

(3) Upon receiving notice pursuant to item (B)(2)(c), the department shall remove all signs prohibiting pedestrians and bicyclists along the roadway and shoulders of the main facility of the portion of the freeway to which the ordinance applies.

(4) The local governing body may request permission from the department to erect appropriate signs and markers along the roadway and shoulders of the main facility of the portion of the freeway to which the partial exemption applies.

(5) Two or more local governing bodies that have jurisdiction over portions of a section of a roadway to which a partial exemption from the provisions contained in subsection (A) is proposed may authorize an exemption for the entire section if the local governing bodies affected by the proposed exemption formally agree to granting the exemption and each local jurisdiction completes the exemption procedure contained in this section for the portion of the roadway section that passes through its jurisdiction.

(C) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days.

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 46-498.5; 1971 (57) 298; 1993 Act No. 98, SECTION 3; 2012 Act No. 252, SECTION 1, eff June 18, 2012.