Question About Bicycling Downtown

[turnpup]

What is the etiquette/general rule for bicyclists dealing with stoplights downtown? The problem I'm having is that when I approach a red light and there's not a car at the intersection, I apparently don't "activate" the device that signals the light to change in my favor. It's not practical to have to maneuver the bicycle over to the crosswalk button, nor is it practical to have to wait for a car to come up behind me, especially on the weekends. I regretfully find myself looking both ways and then crossing against the light.

Has anyone had any issues with the stoplights, or does anyone have a better suggestion for how to handle this?

[DoctorTaco]

What is the etiquette/general rule for bicyclists dealing with stoplights downtown? The problem I'm having is that when I approach a red light and there's not a car at the intersection, I apparently don't "activate" the device that signals the light to change in my favor. It's not practical to have to maneuver the bicycle over to the crosswalk button, nor is it practical to have to wait for a car to come up behind me, especially on the weekends. I regretfully find myself looking both ways and then crossing against the light.

Has anyone had any issues with the stoplights, or does anyone have a better suggestion for how to handle this?

This is in the Oklahoma statutes. It mentions motorcycles specifically but it applies equally to bicycles:

d. notwithstanding any other provision of law, the driver of a motorcycle facing any steady red signal may cautiously proceed through the intersection only if:
(1) the motorcycle has been brought to a complete stop as required by subparagraph a of this paragraph,
(2) the traffic control signal is programmed or engineered to change to a green signal only after detecting the approach of a motor vehicle and has failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle because of its size or weight, and
(3) no motor vehicle or person is approaching on the roadway to be crossed or entered, or the motor vehicle or person is at a distance from the intersection that does not constitute an immediate hazard.
The driver of any vehicle approaching the intersection, which lawfully may enter the intersection, shall have the right-of-way over any motorcycle operator proceeding through a red light and, in no event where an accident results from the driver of the motorcycle proceeding into the intersection on a red light, shall such driver of the vehicle be charged with any violation pursuant to Sections 11-401 and 11-403 of this title relating to failure to yield right-of-way, Section 11-310 of this title relating to following too closely, or Section 11-801 of this title relating to driving too fast for conditions,


Here is a news story on it http://5newsonline.com/2016/04/27/de...me-red-lights/

tl:dr: You are allowed to cross a red light if the red light has a sensor (not a timer) and that sensor does not detect you. You must come to a stop first though.

[turnpup]

Thanks, Doctor Taco! Appreciate the quick response and info you provided. I guess I'll just keep on doing what I've been doing, then. Glad to know it's legal!

[DoctorTaco]

But also if you look for the asphalt cuts (usually in a rectangular pattern) that are right before the light. These are the sensors. They run on an induction loop (i.e. a metal detector). I have found that if go to the front left corner of the rectangle and I tilt my bike over so my front wheel is very close to the ground at that corner, the detectors usually sense me. Occasionally I am able to ride perfectly along the lefthand side of the rectangle and sorta swerve back and forth over it. This sometimes works as well.

[turnpup]

Interesting. I'll look for those and see if I can get it to work.

[Urbanized]

Here is an excellent read on this topic: https://www.minnpost.com/minnesota-b...run-red-lights

We should adopt the "Idaho Stop," which is credited with severely curtailing cyclist injuries where implemented: http://www.bikelaw.com/2016/01/27/li...-for-cyclists/

WHY DOES IT MAKE SENSE?

Having cyclists clear the intersection at a stop light avoids many unsafe interactions between cars and bicyclists. Obviously the cyclist has to use caution.

Among other things, the Stop as Yield law acknowledges the realities of cyclists traveling on roads with controls designed to handle motor vehicles. Regular traffic control mechanisms often fail to work with bicycles, since they are not large enough to trigger the road sensors. In addition, cyclists can easily yield the right-of-way without coming to a complete stop.

This law, in part, has allowed Idaho to lead the way in reducing bicycle accident rates. For example, in the year following the adoption of the law, bicycle accidents declined by 14.5 percent. And Idaho has regularly been among the lowest in the rate of bike/car fatalities as a percent of population among the states.

OTHER BENEFITS OF THE IDAHO STOP LAW

Need more reasons to love this law? Here are several:

• Cyclists get in front of traffic and increase their visibility to motorists, which in turn allows motorists to operate their vehicles more prudently;
• Having cyclists “clear” an intersection before the light turns green reduces the potential for collisions in the intersection;
• The Idaho Stop reduces the costs to government by eliminating the need to pay for extra sensing equipment to detect bicycles at intersections;
• Because bikes are through intersections more quickly, the overall flow of traffic improves;
• Making bicycling easier and safer encourages people to choose this eco-friendly method of transportation;
• The Stop acknowledges the practical role of momentum in cycling.

[turnpup]

^^^^^

Urbanized, thank you for taking the time to post those great resources! I agree that the Idaho stop law is a good, practical solution. It's pretty much how I would choose to ride anyway. Now that my cycling is in downtown with all the hills, coming to a complete stop (when not necessary) makes it especially hard to regain momentum. Awhile back, somebody (maybe it was you) commented on how you don't realize how hilly downtown is until you're on a bicycle. No kidding! It makes for good interval training though.

[Urbanized]

You're welcome, happy to help! One of the things that people fail to consider when railing against bicyclists using stop-as-yield (Idaho stop): when a cyclist comes to a complete stop and loses momentum, it takes MUCH longer for them to regain momentum and clear an intersection. At best this slows down vehicular cross-traffic - making cars on the opposing street wait longer - and at worst makes the cyclist much more vulnerable to being struck by said cross-traffic, especially when only the cyclist has a stop.

Too many people have such an irrational hatred for cyclists and the idea of sharing the streets with them that they don't bother to consider how it might actually be of BENEFIT to them - the auto driver - for a cyclist to proceed in a certain manner. They also don't like the idea of cyclists getting special rules. All they see is that it is "unfair" that they must come to a complete stop their car while a cyclist rolls a traffic control. As those articles point out, special rules already exist for various modes of transportation, including weight/axle limits and many other things. Additionally, the streets are already built to favor automobiles over all other modes of transportation, including cycling and walking. So providing a few extra privileges for those other modes is really only going a very small way toward leveling the playing field. Again, the bicyclist has far more to lose here.

[corwin1968]

But also if you look for the asphalt cuts (usually in a rectangular pattern) that are right before the light. These are the sensors. They run on an induction loop (i.e. a metal detector). I have found that if go to the front left corner of the rectangle and I tilt my bike over so my front wheel is very close to the ground at that corner, the detectors usually sense me. Occasionally I am able to ride perfectly along the lefthand side of the rectangle and sorta swerve back and forth over it. This sometimes works as well.

I tend to avoid riding in any kind of traffic but I've always read that stopping and leaning your bike over the sensor usually will activate it. I don't know if this applies to aluminum or especially carbon framed bikes. My impression was that it was the (steel) frame itself that trigger the sensor but that was an assumption and may not be correct.