San Francisco Bikers Score a Point for the Idaho Stop

Last week, along a popular San Francisco bike route, a group of protestors took to their bikes to advocate for new laws, such as the Idaho Stop, that make it easier to bike in the city.

1 minute read

August 4, 2015, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Hundreds of cyclists rode through The Wiggle [July 29] in protest of a San Francisco police captain's calls for a crackdown on bikers coasting through stop signs," reports Kevin Montgomery. "But instead of breaking the law, protesters wanted to show the city just how bad traffic would be if every bicycle approached intersections just as a car does."

"Riders arrived at every stop sign in a single file, coming to a complete stop and filing through the intersection only once they were given the right-of-way. The law-abiding act of civil disobedience snarled traffic almost immediately," adds Montgomery.

The riders undertook the protest to raise the idea of legalizing the "Idaho Stop," which, legal in a few places around the country, allows bikers to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs. The protest also called attention to remarks made by SFPD Park Station Captain John Sanford, who recently ordered his officers to step-up enforcement of biking scofflaws. 

Tuesday, August 4, 2015 in SF Weekly

courses user

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges. Corey D, Transportation Planner

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges.

Corey D, Transportation Planner

Ready to give your planning career a boost?

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

Seattle Legalizes Co-Living

A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.

December 1, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Times Square in New York City empty during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project

Two blocks of the marquee street will become mostly car-free public spaces.

December 1, 2024 - StreetsBlog NYC

'Vertical canyon' on glass-clad residential high-rise in Denver, CO.

Denver's New High-Rise Integrates Vertical Canyon in Architectural Design

Unlike other new builds in Denver, Colorado, a new high-rise reveals a unique “sculptural canyon” running vertically through the facade to foster a sense of community and connection to nature.  

November 29, 2024 - designboom

View of snowy buildings and mountains in background in Denver, Colorado.

Federal Resilience Program a Lifeline for Affordable Housing Providers

The little-known Green and Resilient Retrofit Program funds upgrades and repairs that improve efficiency and comfort in existing housing stock.

December 6 - Next City

Woman rides bike on paved walkway through plaza in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fort Worth To Relaunch Bike Share System in January

Trinity Metro shuttered its current system at the end of November and plans to relaunch with a mostly-electric system.

December 6 - KERA News

Blue Kansas City transit bus on Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

A Brief History of Kansas City’s Microtransit

The city’s costly experiment with on-demand transit is yielding to more strategic investment.

December 6 - Bloomberg CityLab

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.