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According to a report on www.streetsblog.org, San Francisco is considering new legislature that allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, and stoplights as stop signs. It’s something a lot of us do already, so this law essentially aims to decriminalize a victimless crime.
And while some people may think it seems like a totally unsafe proposition, consider how much easier it would be for cars to predict a cyclist’s next move. The state of Idaho recognizes the value of momentum to cyclists (and other human powered vehicles), and has a statute that reads, “A person operating a bicycle or human-powered vehicle approaching a steady red traffic control light shall stop before entering the intersection and shall yield to all other traffic. Once the person has yielded, he may proceed through the steady red light with caution. Provided however, that a person after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right-of-way if required, may cautiously make a right-hand turn. A left-hand turn onto a one-way highway may be made on a red light after stopping and yielding to other traffic.”
Read more at www.streetsblog.org.
Bad law, bad, bad law. We don’t need more segregation between motorists and cyclists, we need less. This is just a step toward banning non-motorized traffic on what the motorized public views as their roads.
i also think that the peds want to get in on this “less segregation” fad. get rid of those pesky crosswalks and other lines on the road and lets ROCK people!
heck, why should i have to keep my car on the street and in between some painted lines? that’s segregationist orrin hatch type talk, son!
legislate whatever you like, i’ll be riding the same regardless – running lights, signs or the traffic officers directive. whatever the situation calls for.
Victimless crime? Hardly. Every time you run a red light and steal someone else’s right of way, god kills a kitten AND you stamp the word ASSHOLE on bicycle riders everywhere.
Thanks for that!
i’d rather stamp asshole on every other cyclist than have my ass stamped with the bumper of some inattentive driver while i’m standing in the middle of the road waiting for a light to change colors.
The Idaho Style group has been and continues to work towards a similar law for oregon. I think we have a good chance of getting it passed this year because we have the support of high level lawyers and several bike lobby groups. There is lots of work to be done, but I think we will prevail, largely because the system has been tested for over 20 years in Idaho and is proven to be safer and to improve the flow of traffic. People can say it violates common sense, but the facts are in, Idaho Style works so lets use it here.
Bjorn
As I reported last month *ahem* it’s a little more nuanced than what you report here. A subcommittee of a regional commission is looking at considering the law. If the MTA BPAC like it, they’ll make a recommendation to a state legislative committee who can then elect to introduce a STATE law (not SF city code) to make the Idaho style changes.
I’m in favor of the proposed change, but right now I don’t think there’s much chance of it happening. In Idaho, it was the motorcycle lobby that pushed that law through and it flew in under the radar without any press or before any motorist group had a chance to learn about it and lobby against it. In San Francisco, it’s gotten so much press that people have already written in to their legislators (local and state) saying how much they hate the idea.
They already tried this is in California and it failed. Would be nice, but I don’t see it happening. The drivers here, Fresno, CA, are complete morons. My buddy and I ran a red light in deserted downtown only to be chased down by some old man in a van to lecture us. I could understand if I was some punk kid, but I’m a grown ass man. Needless to say, he got an ear full from us.