Consultant: Stop signs shouldn't apply to bicyclists

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By CHRIS GRYGIEL, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF
Updated 12:28 p.m., Friday, May 27, 2011

A bike consultant says stop signs simply don't make sense for people on two wheels.

"You see, stop signs are placed at intersections to keep two-ton vehicles from crashing into each other. One- to two-hundred-pound riders on bicycles do not need to come to a complete stop to avoid serious injury. While stop signs are an efficient and effective way to delineate right of way for motorists, cyclists need something different," Mia Birk wrote in the Portland Tribune. "Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating for throwing out the rule book. When we bike, we should stop and remain stopped for all traffic signals. And when we drive, we should slow down, hang up, yield to cyclists and pedestrians, and chill out. In other words, we can all behave better."

Birk is the president of Portland-based consulting firm - Alta Planning + Design - which focuses on bike issues.

Under Washington State law, bicycles are considered vehicles and are required to obey all laws applicable to motor vehicles - which means stopping at stop signs and stoplights. The Seattle Bicycle Club strongly encourages cyclists to stop at stop signs, noting that the bad reputation some attach to bicyclists comes from those who cruise through stop signals.



Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Consultant-Stop-signs-shouldn-t-apply-to-1399107.php