Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bicycling, urban cycling, Idaho stop, makes too much sense, jaywalking, cycling laws, bicycle traffic laws, stop as yield
The Denver Post editorial board (which has not always projected clear-headedness on bike issues) looks kindly at Aspen stop-as-yield, while not exactly embracing it for Denver. Notes that widespread jaywalking hasn’t caused any catastrophic rips to be torn in the space-time continuum:
Certainly there are busy intersections where the stop-as-yield rule won’t work. But the same can be said for jaywalking.
As much as you might argue that pedestrians should obey signs in crosswalks, the truth is there are many times where it’s simply unnecessary or impractical. (Denver’s 16th Street Mall and its numerous cross streets during non-rush periods come to mind.)
We’ve long supported a share-the-road philosophy when it comes to cars and bikes. But that doesn’t mean automobiles and bicycles have to share the same traffic laws if more sensible alternatives exist.
via Let bicyclists in Aspen treat stop signs as yields – The Denver Post.
Why would it make any difference if an intersection is busy or if it’s deserted? The same principle applies regardless. If there is cross traffic, stop and wait. If it’s clear enough to ride across without violating another road user’s right-of-way, go.
A huge majority of Denver’s cyclists ride this way already.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: urban cycling, Idaho stop, Aspen, ski town cycling, bicycling in Aspen
Some officials are recommending that Aspen adopt the Idaho stop.
Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn said the “stop-as-yield approach” has proven to work in states such as Idaho, which changed its law allowing cyclists the option to yield some 30 years ago. A 2008 study by a University of California at Berkeley researcher showed that in Idaho, police and motorists have accepted the measure as public policy that makes sense. Boise, which has a large percentage of regular bicyclists compared with motorists, has become safer as a result of the change, the study concluded.
via Cyclists might be allowed to yield instead of stopping in Aspen | AspenTimes.com.
Inexplicable burst of rationality.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bicycle, bicycling, bikes and red lights, cycling, France, Idaho stop, red lights, traffic law, transportation, urban cycling
France gets all reasonable about bicycles and red lights.
The newly relaxed rules of the road for cyclists is now being tested across 15 intersections in Paris, though with it bike-commuters aren’t given full liberty to blow through crossing points unreasonably. Law will continue to require that cyclists yield to pedestrians and opposing traffic, though that’s quite likely consistant with the standards of etiquette and personal safety most cyclists abide to anyways.
via France Grants Cyclists the Right to Run Red Lights : TreeHugger.
Maybe now American advocacy groups will get behind the idea. They haven’t in the past. But they seem to love anything remotely Euro-flavored, so it wouldn’t surprise me if this caused a noticeable uptick in Idaho Stop-related chatter around here.
