Seattle Forrest

I posted this in the PNW local subforum, but nobody reads that. There are a lot of cyclists from Seattle and the rest of Washington who read and post in the road forum though, and I want to make sure they hear about this - I hadn't until a friend sent me the news. I hope the mods don't mind the cross post.

https://www.bellinghamherald.com/new...245635760.html

BBassett

I've been riding like this since i was 9... that was in the early 60s.

indyfabz

When I tour away from home I usually make sure I obey laws in small towns to set an example and possibly avoid a ticket. When riding in ID last year I had a good chuckle at myself after waiting a minute or so at a red light when there was no traffic around and then remembering where I was and what I was allowed to do. I had also been faithfully stopping at every stop sign while riding to the grocery store and laundry.

sfrider 

Congratulations! It hasn't dawned on the political dumbnuts around here yet that bikes are not cars (and cars are not bicycles), and that drivers won't treat them as cars even if a cyclist abides by every law. (Many of which drivers seem completely unaware of to begin with, or ignore because they're inconvenient.)

woodcraft

That's great! CA legislature considered that I think last year. I hope it comes up again and passes.

xroadcharlie

Like most cyclist, Every one I've seen anyway I have been treating stop signs like yield signs pretty much forever.

That said, I try to set a good example around children and will slow right down, maybe stop at busy intersections. I will even wait at a red light when kids are around at the ones I normally treat as yield signs.

Kabuki12

I stop at stop signs and red lights. I will only proceed if no one is around and the light doesn't change after waiting a fair amount of time. If the law in California ever changes I guess it would be more convenient to glide through stop signs when no one is around but some cyclists already do it even if they are risking a ticket. I live on a hill and there is a stop sign leading into my cul de sac . I would say 90% of folks (bikes and cars ) run it. I know someday there will be tragedy there. I stop and look as it is steep and folks are moving fast through it. I have stopped at a 4 way stop and when proceeding through the intersection been nearly creamed by a bike coming through from the side and not even slowing down. Like anything else defense is the best offense! Joe

Seattle Forrest

It looks like the change to Washington law does not let us treat stop lights as stop signs, like Idaho's law allows. FYI to local folks. Stop signs are yields, you slow down approaching them and go through when it's clear, but you're legally required to wait until the light turns green.

Seattle Forrest

Mercer Island is about to lose a revenue source.

Tycho Brahe 

Never heard of an Idaho Stop. Must be a PNW/West Coast thing.

diphthong

great news for those in the pnw. here in socal, it's kind of an unwritten law unless you are within a quarter mile of a freeway onramp/offramp.
in those freeway proxies, you're on your own. good night and good luck.

Kabuki12

no such thing as “unwritten law” try telling that to the cop who is writing the ticket! A friend of mine got one in Ventura and trying to get sympathy from me , I responded by telling him it IS a stop sign , and last time I checked that means stop. As I stated before, if we want to be treated as equals on the road we need to act as such.

diphthong

to each their own. spent 15 years riding to the letter of the law but experience has taught me that, in many situations, we, as cyclists, are safer in continuing to keep moving.
in my case at least, it's got exactly zero to do with maintaining an average speed, beating personal bests or competing on strava or elsewhere. i'll continue to ride
to maximize my safety and minimize my personal interface time with vehicles/peds/dogs/scooters/etc/et al that all too frequently ignore the myth of equals on the road.
until vehicular drivers get ticketed/discouraged for/from bad behavior at the rate i come across it both riding 6,000 miles a year and driving at least that, i'll continue to
believe there is no such thing as equals on the road. wish there were and i believed in that very credo for a long time. sorry...that ship sailed and is gonzo.
"playing by the rules" in certain intersections/areas in the socal area puts you, imho, more at risk for being hit, injured or worse. pretty sure we can both think of some
intersections/stretches in socal that we've both ridden that are sketchy. what's the common denominator? my days of being a victim because of my choice of transportation
or exercise mode are over. one chp ticket in five years...i'll take it vs plenty of traffic avoidance/mitigation efforts that made ny journey safer and less of a spin of faith.
doesn't mean i run every stop light and stop sign and totally disregard any and all traffic signs, norms and laws all the time but not enough intersections, roads or pathways
are made/were made with you or me safely rolling through in mind. twere cycling and cyclists taken more seriously by legislators, law-enforcers and your average motorist in
car-centric socal, i'd probably still fall into the complete stop even on right turns mentality.

Kabuki12

I am sorry for your negative experiences and can understand even though I disagree with your method. We agree that racing around and blowing through intersections trying to be the next Lance Armstrong is just plain ignorant, not to mention giving the rest of us a bad image. Hopefully we both remain safe and are able to continue a great form of transportation. I choose vehicular cycling as my method and it is not for everybody . For me I would rather not have a ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign. Joe

Seattle Forrest

Maryland too.

Probably one of those things that will pick up more steam as more places do it.

cybirr 

Nah, Arkansas passed their version of the law (Arkansas Act 650) in 2019. Making them the second state after Idaho to get smart about stop signs, lights and cyclists.

Tycho Brahe 

I should be clear, I never heard of it referred to as an Idaho Stop. Referring to the label, not the concept. In NY, I heard a rolling stop being called a California Stop.