Do Bikes Need to Stop?

This article divides bicyclists into "vehicularists," who believe that bicyclists should share the road and follow automotive habits like signaling turns and stopping at lights, and "facilitators," who believe that roads should be altered to accommodate the special need of bicyclists.

"'If there weren't cars, we wouldn't need stop signs,' says Andy Thornley of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. 'They're not there for bicycles.' Bikers can safely slow down, look both ways, and proceed without sacrificing the momentum necessary to keep cycling, says Thornley. Lawmakers tend to favor the full-stop, in part because not all cyclists are skilled enough to judge the safety of proceeding through an intersection."