rbldude14

If the light turns red, do I need to stop with traffic or can I continue on since I am on my own bike lane? You can see that there is no road on the right. If you are interested on where this is, I commute from Broomfield to Boulder in Colorado. I come to this intersection every time on Baseline and 76th.

Worknomore

I would roll on through.

rumrunn6

with an eye for oncoming traffic, don't just blast thru without looking what's going on

FBinNY 

Since there's no cross traffic, I'd eyeball to my left and roll through. The eyeball is important because even though cars shouldn't come to where you are, you never know for sure. Also, a driver approaching from the left isn't expecting anyone to enter, and even though it shouldn't make a difference, it might bother him to see you suddenly appear from behind the stopped traffic.

However, that's a question of practice, but under the law, that light applies to you as much as it does to the motor traffic in the other lanes.

rbldude14

Awesome!! Thanks! I usually just roll through because I have to stop 100yards later because that light is always red. Just wondering what I should do if I see the cherries and berries watching me

Cyclosaurus

I have the same situation on one of my regular commute routes. I don't normally stop for the light. As others have said, I proceed carefully. If there are any cars coming on the cross street I slow down (or stop if necessary); I have resorted to hopping the curb and taking the sidewalk also. It's a two-lane road so they *shouldn't* be turning left into the right lane anyway, though people do that far too often and I need to anticipate that. Since I'm "in the wrong" but doing it anyway it's my job to adjust to and accommodate others.

wphamilton

Legally you're supposed to stop. I'd just roll through. Provided there are no pedestrians in the area and tempered with common sense.

FBinNY 

Police attitudes vary by locality and individual temperament.

I often come to reds that I treat as yields and go through if conditions permit. Once in a while I'll come to one right next to a waiting patrol car. often the officer will ask me why I'm waiting and I tell him I would have gone through, but didn't want to rub his nose in it. That gets a laugh, and we both go on enjoying the day.

If there's a cop there, make eye contact and look for a cue. If none, waiting is better than possibly creating an issue.

badrad

There is no stop line marking across the lane so there is no requirement to stop. If there was a stop line that extended across the lane, all traffic (including pedestrians using that lane) must stop on the red.

njkayaker

It's not as simple as that. Bicyclists are supposed to follow the traffic laws even if they are in the shoulder.

njkayaker

I don't think there is a high risk of getting a ticket (you could get a ticket even if it was legal). Try to make it look like you are being careful. A cop is more likely to bother you if you look like you are not being careful.

You could, of course, look around for cops and adjust your behavior according to what you found.

The legality of not stopping in this situation is ambiguous.

rekmeyata

Legally you have to follow the same rules as the cars do, if you roll you are entitled to the ticket you get assuming the community law enforcement holds up their laws on bikes as much as they do for cars. If a car comes from the green side and swings it wide and strikes you it's going to be your fault regardless if cops are around or not.

I stop for all red lights and stop signs, the only time I don't is if I'm out in the country and a stop sign comes up then I'll slow to about 5 mph, look both ways and look for cops, then roll.

Some communities/county/state law enforcements are very strict and others don't care what cyclists do. Where I live the City police don't care, though I care because I feel if you disrespect the laws then motorists will disrespect cyclists, but the county sheriff and the state patrol seem to care a lot, so you need to know the attitude of the policing agency in the area you're riding, if you don't know their policy then don't roll.

ItsJustMe

I have a similar situation but with no shoulder. I stop, but if I had a shoulder like that I probably wouldn't.

dynodonn 

I don't see the limit line extending all the way across the bike lane, a tough call. I personally would error to the side of caution and stop for the red light, especially in conditions where there is turning traffic from the side road. My commute has a similar intersection, only that there is a limit line extending across the bike lane, making cyclists obligated to stop for the red light.

CrankyOne

In most states I don't think the stop line has any legality with regard to stopping or not. If a line is present you are supposed to stop prior to the line, if a line is not present you are required to stop before cross traffic. We have many junctions with no stop lines at all and I don't think I'll try explaining to a judge that even though the light was red I didn't have a stop line so we're all good here.

Then again, stopping right there falls kind of in to the ridiculous column. Just can't get enough of U.S. traffic engineering.

Shimagnolo

There is a similar intersection in Superior at Coalton & Rock Creek Circle.
Very frequently, there is a cop parked 1/2 block away on the Eastbound side of Coalton, watching the intersection.

njkayaker

"Bike lane"? What "bike lane"? It looks like a shoulder to me.

==================

There are two separate issues here: 1- getting a ticket (something that could happen whether or not it was illegal) and 2- contesting it in court.

You (generally) never want to have to deal with the second issue. If that's the case, the interest is in not getting a ticket (not really whether or not it's illegal).

njkayaker

The stop line indicates where to stop. There are many roads that have stop signs and no stop lines.

spare_wheel

Law breakers are the absolute worst! In fact, I make a point to chase down and very loudly scold all motorists that speed, do not signal lane changes/turns for several hundred feet, and do not come to a complete stop at traffic signals.

njkayaker

I'm not telling people what or what not to do in this case.

Bicyclists certainly don't have a magical ability to claim that whatever they want to do is legal.

spare_wheel

by this logic motorist respect for cyclists in idaho must be higher than any other region in the world.

PaulH

Yes. Don't over-complicate your life. Red = stop; green= go.

Chris516

A red light means stop.

noisebeam

Legally one must stop before entering intersection (defined by extending line from curb of intersecting road) or if there is one, before x-walk. In this case x-walk defines where you must stop.
Practically if you choose not to stop I would make sure there are no pedestrians crossing first, especially any that may be hidden behind a vehicle to your left.

Shimagnolo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NEFYCaKakE