Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Advocacy & Safety
Reload this Page >

"Arkansas Stop" law - changing the rules at red lights and stop signs

Notices
Advocacy & Safety Cyclists should expect and demand safe accommodation on every public road, just as do all other users. Discuss your bicycle advocacy and safety concerns here.

"Arkansas Stop" law - changing the rules at red lights and stop signs

Old 04-04-19, 10:54 AM
  #26  
burnthesheep
Newbie racer
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 3,406

Bikes: Propel, red is faster

Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1575 Post(s)
Liked 1,568 Times in 973 Posts
Originally Posted by Mitkraft
This is news to me. Are you certain its a law in places you think it is and not just something you've been told? Everywhere I'm aware of the traffic laws say motorcycles follow all the same signal and sign rules as cars on the road.
It made the news here a few years back when they did it for motorcycles and was all over the radio. They do have to wait though, not a complete conversion to a stop sign. 3 min seems excessive to me. I'd say 30 seconds.

"North Carolina – (2007) Motorcyclists are permitted to move cautiously through a steady red light after coming to a complete stop and waiting a minimum of three minutes and if no other vehicle or pedestrians are approaching the intersection."
burnthesheep is offline  
Old 04-04-19, 11:09 AM
  #27  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
Oregon every intersection is a pedestrian crossing even if it does not have Zebra Stripes..

and WA state
fietsbob is offline  
Old 04-04-19, 12:35 PM
  #28  
mcours2006
Senior Member
 
mcours2006's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,198

Bikes: ...a few.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2009 Post(s)
Liked 405 Times in 231 Posts
Originally Posted by Maelochs
The logic breaks down when some lights don't trigger outside of commuter hours unless cross-traffic is present. You would have to sit until dawn waiting for a "complete" cycle.
This is what I experience every morning as well since I take mostly secondary roads, and that early in the morning there are no cars waiting to cross main roads to trigger the light. I either have mount the sidewalk to trigger the pedestrian crossing manually, or I wait for a gap and proceed past the red light.
mcours2006 is offline  
Old 04-04-19, 12:38 PM
  #29  
mcours2006
Senior Member
 
mcours2006's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,198

Bikes: ...a few.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2009 Post(s)
Liked 405 Times in 231 Posts
Originally Posted by base2
A sensored intersection that doesn't cycle would actually be broken or defective & thus legal to proceed after stopping & the system demonstrating it did not detect as intended.
Here, at least, sensors are only able to detect large vehicles like cars, not bikes. I've tried positioning myself on various spots on the 'sensored' area, and with both aluminum and steel bikes. It's not defective or broken; it's just not meant to detect bikes.
mcours2006 is offline  
Old 04-04-19, 12:46 PM
  #30  
DrIsotope
Non omnino gravis
 
DrIsotope's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SoCal, USA!
Posts: 8,553

Bikes: Nekobasu, Pandicorn, Lakitu

Mentioned: 119 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4905 Post(s)
Liked 1,731 Times in 958 Posts
It's all about the sensitivity set in the induction loop, and how new the loop is, really. There are some intersections here that I can trip far enough back from the line (usually those with 3 loops) that the light will turn green before I even get there. But then there are others that have to deal with sand and gravel trucks all day, and some of them will never cycle for a bike or motorcycle. There are then those at busy intersections that are both trigger and threshold operated, so even with a car waiting at the light they will sit on red until another car arrives-- forget about it on a bike. Use the crosswalk button or never get through. One particular intersection is red in all directions until a car trips the loop, then that car goes through and it goes right back to red. That's a really complicated and expensive stop sign, IMO.
__________________
DrIsotope is offline  
Old 04-04-19, 12:53 PM
  #31  
base2 
I am potato.
 
base2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 3,074

Bikes: Only precision built, custom high performance elitist machines of the highest caliber. 🍆

Mentioned: 28 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1765 Post(s)
Liked 1,579 Times in 911 Posts
Originally Posted by mcours2006
Here, at least, sensors are only able to detect large vehicles like cars, not bikes. I've tried positioning myself on various spots on the 'sensored' area, and with both aluminum and steel bikes. It's not defective or broken; it's just not meant to detect bikes.
Which is why, after determining it does not effectively manage the traffic as it should, it is legal to proceed with due caution.

It would be worth checking your own states law books just to clear & well informed. Indeed, a policeman bothered me one morning, but nothing came of it.

On group rides, we usually designate someone to hit the crosswalk button so we get a legitimate greenlight and avoid any potential PR issues caused by myth-conceptions believed drivers that may not know the law.
base2 is offline  
Old 04-05-19, 07:44 AM
  #32  
Notso_fastLane
Senior Member
 
Notso_fastLane's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Layton, UT
Posts: 1,606

Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Liked 701 Times in 418 Posts
Originally Posted by base2
As a resident of Washington State, it is my understanding that you have to sit for 1 whole complete cycle, & only then is it permissable to proceed. The logic is the infrastructure provided was not sensetive enough to detect your presence to operate in the manner intended.

However, the "I didn't stop because that light is broken" excuse is not valid in court. That's what the ccomplete cycle" thing is about.

There is a law on the books requiring all new intersections being built & all intersections being repaired or upgraded be equipped to be able to detect bicycles & light vehicles such as motorcycles. Motion detection cameras & AI seems to be the method of choice. I hit several suitably equipped intersections on my morning commute. I think it's called "dynamic traffic management," but I may be wrong. I've gotta say, though, by whatever name they call it the system works well.

Edit: Yep. Gotta stop & wait 1 complete cycle.
That was passed (or just changed maybe) when I was living in Mukilteo. There was one light that didn't have a left turn arrow, but simply wouldn't detect a motorcycle. I thought there was also a time provision for waiting before proceeding at some lights. That was in the case where the light simply wouldn't 'cycle' to even be able to wait one full cycle.

(Checked google maps, it was the intersection at Highway 9 and broadway ave, leading to High Bridge road. I'd hope it's been upgraded since then! )
Notso_fastLane is offline  
Old 04-05-19, 11:55 AM
  #33  
Maelochs
Senior Member
 
Maelochs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,453

Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE

Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7628 Post(s)
Liked 3,453 Times in 1,823 Posts
@base2's point is valid. Most states have a provision for non-functioning lights, which comes into play after some certain time.

I never wait that long, honestly. I know most of the intersections I normally pass, and I know that pretty much everywhere else in the U.S., the systems are the same or similar.

Regarding enforcement though ... I did get stopped once after running a stop sign at maybe 2 a.m. on a Friday, in the middle of suburbia. The cop just wanted to warn me ... but he did stop me. I have no idea where he was hiding, either.

I was lost in some completely alien neighborhood, trying to find some obscure back road which would get me home without having to brave "drunk hour" on the multi-lane roads. He was really helpful and got me home when I might otherwise have spent another hour searching.

Hooray for good cops!

And good laws.

(Sorry, but I just can't bring myself to say "Hooray for Arkansas.")
Maelochs is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
MAK
Advocacy & Safety
55
01-04-17 07:50 PM
FBinNY
Advocacy & Safety
87
12-14-15 02:57 PM
rumrunn6
Advocacy & Safety
5
09-24-14 03:51 PM
Myosmith
Advocacy & Safety
47
01-27-13 10:01 PM
Daves_Not_Here
Advocacy & Safety
178
12-17-12 03:24 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.