Wyoming Student Changes Cheyenne Law

It reminds me of an old movie where a smart and plucky youth pursues her studies and ends up changing city law.

The City Council of Cheyenne heard a former Central High School student and ended up changing an ordinance requiring licenses for bicycles, an ordinance brought to their attention by Tiana Klahn.

Tiana’s high school social studies class was into a project involving city ordinances, and that’s when she discovered an antique ordinance requiring all bicyclists, new and used, to be licensed for a ten dollar fee in order to ride in the city of Cheyenne. It was an ordinance that most people didn’t even know about.

According to KGWN T.V, 5, the law, which some speculate dates back to the 1930’s, hasn’t been enforced for years. The bicycle license was, in part, to serve to protect the bicyclist in case of theft, so that stolen bicycles could be returned to the rightful owner. Tiana first asked her teacher about this ordinance, and then decided to do even more by bringing it to the attention to city councilman Dickey Shanor. 

Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozac said their time is better spent on other police business, rather than checking for bicycle licenses. The Cheyenne City Council put it up for a vote, and they repealed this license. Cheif Kozac states that the serial number on your bicycle can help track your bicycle down, and that you can engrave your driver’s license on the bicycle instead.

This change came from a Cheyenne high school student who decided to take the time to go the extra mile in her research for her school project.  Tiana has since graduated from Central High School, and is now a student at the University of Wyoming where she received a full scholarship.

Parents Doug Klahn and April McDowell Klahn and sister Cassie must be proud.