Thread started by Foldie at 08.31.09 - 10:32 am

Missouri Cyclist can now legally run red lights. What can it take to get a similar law here?

article here

reply

We all run into this frequently and it would help a lot, but there are times when you can't get across an intersection safely without a green light in a crowded city like Los Angeles. Maybe better would be for the City to install sensors that would detect the presence of bikes, like they have in Davis (dream on rollers!).

Let's push for the Idaho Stop Sign Law while we're at it!



mr rollers
08.31.09 - 11:05 am

reply

there is way to many cars to allow this to go down ..



OsnapsonJC
08.31.09 - 11:21 am

reply

They would never let that happen in Los Angeles. I'm having enough trouble getting them to back a law that would allow us to treat stop signs as yield signs.



la duderina
08.31.09 - 11:27 am

reply

check that. they would never let that happen in CA*



la duderina
08.31.09 - 11:27 am

reply

What I dont "like" about the Law as mentioned in the article is that it is pretty fucking vague.

Who determines when a cyclist has stopped long enough?
Reasonable amount of time? (LAPD would love this)
If the cyclist determines...the signal is not going to change, he/she may proceed, IF (i added the IF), when it is safe.

Questions:

LAPD versus cyclist:

Cyclist: I didnt run the light, I stopped, determined it was safe...
LAPD: didnt stop long enough / it wasnt safe
Cylist: why do you think that?
LAPD: appear at court if you want to know what I think... enjoy your day

Like police arent going to have a field day with profiling if kids think they can run lights by their own judgment...

My biggest, at first glance qualm is this:

If you HAVE TO stop, determine, wait for a safe opportunity to ride.... THEN HOW MUCH OF A FUCKING HURRY ARE YOU IN??? Fuck... wait another 10 seconds... or something... okay, okau

People run red lights because they dont really want to stop... but for those who do use good judgment, it is many times safer to be able to run a red light (as described in the Missouri law)... because it is good to get a head start from cars behind you... assert your presence.

BUT I can see cops loving this too much... all they need to pull you over... didnt stop long enough, it wasnt safe (who will decide who is wrong)?



md2
08.31.09 - 11:52 am

reply

some intersections actually have bike sensors. headed westbound (maybe eastbound too) in the bike lane on venice blvd, at lincoln blvd there are obvious bike sensors in the bike lane where we stop at the red light. but that is completely useless, it's a timed light and the light takes like 4 minutes to change again regardless. this technology really should be more widespread throughout Los Angeles though



superblueman3
08.31.09 - 12:55 pm

reply

They have this law in the CA vehicle code. I'll see if I can track it down tonite if no one else finds it.



User1
08.31.09 - 3:16 pm

reply