Colorado is the latest state to consider allowing people on bikes to pass through intersections more freely than cars.
John Wenzel reports on a bill in the Colorado State Legislature that would legalize the "Idaho Stop."
Senate Bill 93, introduced Jan. 18 by Sen. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, would permit a person riding a bike or “electrical-assisted bicycle” to pass through intersections without stopping if the rider “slows to a reasonable speed, yields to vehicles and pedestrians, and can safely proceed or make a turn.”
Much of Wenzel's coverage is devoted to explaining the rationale behind the bill, citing precedent and studies supporting the case for legalizing the Idaho Stop.
The law is commonly referred to in the biking community as the “Idaho stop” and is credited with reducing cycling-related injuries by 14.5 percent the year after it was implemented, with no change in fatalities, according to a 2010 study by Jason Meggs, a researcher at the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health.
As expected, there are politicians who oppose the bill, and there are bike advocates excited about the possibility of the bill's passage. Wentzel is careful to allow both sides to state their case. With the bill, Colorado joins a handful of other states, and the District of Columbia, to debate similar regulations in recent years.
FULL STORY: Bill to let bicyclists roll through stop signs gains speed, but there are roadblocks ahead
Virginia Lawmakers Won't Let Cyclists Roll Through Stop Signs—Yet
The state legislature passed a bill calling for a study of the proposed law and its effects in other states.
D.C. Moves Forward With Idaho Stop Plan
A proposal to outlaw right turns on red and legalize the so-called Idaho Stop for bikes and scooters is aimed at improving road safety and limiting dangerous interactions between cyclists and drivers.
D.C. Could Legalize ‘Idaho Stop,’ Ban Right Turns on Red
Proposed legislation would allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and eliminate right turns on red in an effort to reduce cyclist and pedestrian fatalities.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.