The Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission is considering a new plan to encourage more people to ride bicycles. The proposal would allow bikers to roll through red lights and ride slowly through stop signs. The plan would require a change in the California state vehicle code to allow bikers to avoid citation.
I can't say that I've ever said to myself, "I'd get of my butt if it wasn't for that darn stop sign at the end of the block." However, as a bicyclist I have been pulled over by the cops for going through a red light after stopping. I would add that it was 6AM in a completely abandoned part of town. The cops advice? Look behind you before you do that again. Yeah, thanks.
I'm not convinced that rolling stops in a city like San Francisco is good for cyclists or motorists. There's simply to much to take-in unless you have completely stopped and take a look around. That's not to say that using common sense when it comes to enforcement couldn't be quietly implemented.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Metropolitan Transportation Commission: Rolling Stop? Why Not
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2 comments:
When your bicycle funds the road through high lisc fees and fuel tax then talk to me about how much of is yours. I ride a bike too. I think cyclist who believe that cars have to watch out for them and give them equal value are high(like in Amsterdam). A car going too slow can get a ticket for impeding traffic flow. I want to buy an electric car but because of the speed limits it has, I am not allowed to travel on certain roads that I need. So I do not buy one. But I can get on those same roads with my bike at 9MPH and everybody has to stop, slow down, move over etc. Who the $%&# am I/we to think that because we are on a bike that everybody has to allow for us. Be responsible, be a grown up. Want equal share of the road, pay the same per mile to drive on it. Better yet, let's start a bike tax and usage tax to fund parallel lanes that are all for bikes. Then you can roll, fly or slide through any stop sign you want. Until then I think bikes should have the same limits as cars. If your car/bike can not be traffic without impeding traffic it gets a ticket and a not so free ride on a tow truck.
Bikes imped traffic and cause cars to slow and swerve more increasing risk to the safety to all. Bicyclist need to pay usage fees that will help build more bike lanes and therefore fund their transportation needs like cars do thought lisc plates and gasoline tax. That is why big trucks pay higher fees. They use more road. Bicycles generate no funds that I am aware of yet use the roads and complain about the respect they get while on it. Sorry. It is kind of like a search engine, you pay for placement.
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