Social media criticism about a pending crackdown on organized or spontaneous street takeovers by bicyclist prompted measured pushback from the Manteca City Council on Tuesday.

 Municipal ordinance changes that the council unanimously approved will allow police to:

*Cite violators that would be subject to fines “up to” $1,000.

*Impound their bicycle for 30 days with a $200 release and storage fee to get it back.

*Require offenders 16 and under to attend a bicycle operator’s school.

Police Chief Stephen Schluer emphasized the ordinance’s potential for heavy fines is aimed at street takeovers and not a couple of kids on their way home from school that may decide to pop wheelies while going down the street.

That said, such behavior by individual adults or teens is still illegal and is subject to bicyclists being pulled over by police officers.

Groups of bicyclists doing wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic even on heavily traveled arterial streets has been and off and on concern for more than six years in Manteca.

The ordinance modifications that include the ability to impound bicycles and slap fines up to $1,000 came after more than 100 bicyclists after an organized ride in January ended, pedaled on the 120 Bypass between Main Street and Union Road.

Several of them even did wheelies while riding along the lane striping separating the auxiliary lane from the right lane of the freeway.

“These kids are going to be held responsible,” said Councilwoman Regina Lackey said.

Lackey noted the aim of the ordinance is not to discourage bicycling but to provide police an effective enforcement tool to make sure Vehicle Code laws that also apply to bicyclists are followed.

She noted such “street takeovers” — even if they are planned in advance — tie up police resources.

And due to growing safety concerns, when the police department comes across an event being promoted on social media, officers will be called in on overtime in a bid to keep things from getting out of hand.

Lackey said the goal is to keep bicyclists and drivers safe.

Council members said it is neither safe or legal to do wheelies on city streets — especially in traffic — or weave between vehicles as they as traveling down arterials.

Councilman Dave Breitenbucher doubled down on the fact that bicyclists are putting themselves at risk with such reckless behavior.

And he used what he called “the lug nut rule” to drive home his point.

“Those with the most lug nuts win (in a collision),” Breitenbucher said.

Bicycling on the freeway — which is illegal on the 120 Bypass — was just a part of dozens upon dozens of traffic infractions caused by teen bicyclists during the January incident including drivers reporting teens doing wheelies across all four lanes of heavily traveled Yosemite Avenue.

 The changes are similar to language in Ceres and Modesto ordinances that was adopted to address reckless behavior during group rides.

Schluer noted after those two cities adopted their ordinances, street takeovers by bicyclists plummeted.

They then started going elsewhere, including Manteca.

 The California Vehicle Code, for the most part, requires bicyclists to follow the same traffic laws as motorists.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com