ST. CHARLES COUNTY — The County Council on Monday night killed a proposal to keep bicycles off narrow semi-rural roads but left open the possibility of requiring permits for group rides and tougher equipment rules.

The council's rejection came as no surprise because a majority of council members had said in interviews last week that they opposed a ban. The vote was 6-0, with one absent. Even the bill's sponsor — Councilman Joe Brazil, R-Defiance — voted against the measure.

Brazil said he and most residents of his district in the scenic hilly southwest part of the county still believe in the need for a ban, which was attacked by bicyclists and bicycle groups as an infringement on their rights.

However, after both sides weighed in at meetings and hearings, he said he sees the alternate bills on permits and equipment as a better option.

The equipment measure also would create an advisory system of color-coding roads on maps and signs based on visibility, speed limit and traffic level. The council may vote on the alternate measures Oct. 12.

"If you want to ride on them and take chances, that's unfortunate, but you can't fix stupid," Brazil said, referring to more dangerous stretches.

Ban supporters had said bicyclists pose a hazard especially when motorists suddenly encounter them as they round a curve or reach the top of a hill. They also complained that group rides often hold up traffic without warning.

Bicyclists argued that lowering speed limits would be a better way to reduce the possibility of accidents.

Some council members said they didn't want the county to get into a court battle with the Missouri Department of Transportation, which claims exclusive authority over state-maintained roads and opposes a biking ban.

One alternate county bill would require organized events with 25 or more riders to get permits to use any road in an unincorporated area and to work out a safety plan.

The other bill would go beyond state law and require bicycles on certain stretches to have a mirror and both a rear light and rear reflector.

The alternate bills would apply both to state and county roads. Melissa Anderson, a MoDOT official, said she didn't know what her agency's position would be on their legality.

After complaints at previous meetings from bicyclists, Brazil deleted a requirement that bicyclists ride single-file and stay within 20 inches of the road's right edge.