Commuting - VA gets a touch smarter..

New law went into effect July 1.

"Motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles may treat a red light as a stop sign if their bike fails to trigger the traffic light and they have waited two full cycles of the light or two minutes, whichever is shorter"


http://www.dmv.state.va.us/exec/notice.asp?id=113

I didn't need a law to tell me this!

But I am glad they passed it.

I wonder what all the goodie-two-shoes do at traffic lights that don't trigger without a law like this in place? Do they get off their bikes and become a pedestrian? Or do they just sit there and wait until a car comes to trigger the light, however long that might be? We know they would never dare break the law and go through a red light because they say they wouldn't. :)

I thought you meant the VA; I was astonished that they may have gotten even a tad bit smarter. Congrats to riders in Virginia though on getting a law passed that actually makes sense!

I would never wait 2 min.

I wonder what all the goodie-two-shoes do at traffic lights that don't trigger without a law like this in place? Do they get off their bikes and become a pedestrian? Or do they just sit there and wait until a car comes to trigger the light, however long that might be? We know they would never dare break the law and go through a red light because they say they wouldn't. :)

Actually, IF I am not mistaken most if not all states already have some sort of language in place to deal with "defective" lights. And tell all road users to treat a light that is defective i.e. doesn't change in a reasonable amount of time that it is legal to treat it as a stop sign and proceed through it when it is safe to do so, just as one would do at a stop sign.

Oklahoma recently passed a similar law, though at the last minute they removed the language pertaining to bicycles from the bill. :( It is usually of no consequence for me, as my steel bike usually triggers lights if I line it up at the right place on the signal coils. Even my aluminum hybrid does fairly well at triggering lights since I changed the fork to a rigid chromoly one.

I have three of these on my commute. I pop up on the curb and push the crosswalk button, and it gives me a green light.

I've got one of these on my commute, and I usually roll into the intersection and wait for the yellow light in the straight-only lanes. When the opposing traffic stops for the light, I zip across before the cross traffic starts moving.

I would never wait 2 min.

I would tell the cop that busts me that I waited two minutes ;).

Thanks for the heads up! I didn't know about this.

I would tell the cop that busts me that I waited two minutes ;).

Thanks for the heads up! I didn't know about this.

That'll work until you run into the cop who was there and was able to see that you hadn't waited the two minutes. But it does bring up again the question that if one knows from experience that a sensor doesn't "see" them, why they'd have to wait for two cycles? A reasonable (whatever that may be) time I can see waiting but not two full cycles.

That'll work until you run into the cop who was there and was able to see that you hadn't waited the two minutes. But it does bring up again the question that if one knows from experience that a sensor doesn't "see" them, why they'd have to wait for two cycles? A reasonable (whatever that may be) time I can see waiting but not two full cycles.

As I understand it, the two minute time limit was included to cover the lights that are controled by a timer rather than weight or induction (metal) detectors. I guess it is an attempt to avoid confusion. Two minute cycles are generally what timed lights are set for (Here in Va., at least) , although localities around here are allowed to adjust the settings. Most localities here seem to adjust them down. (Quicker lights generate more ticket revenue. Just my opinion.)

2 minutes? Yeah I'm not waiting that long. If it's safe, it's safe. They should simply allow cyclists to treat red lights as stop signs if there is no incoming traffic, and if they break the law and get smashed then the driver has no liability or something along those lines.

What is the law in reguards to this in California?

I am especially interested in Santa Clara County, San Jose County and Los Angeles County.