stevesurf

I searched for another poll like this, so I apologize if this is a dupe. Today I had to stand in the middle of an intersection stopping traffic at a bike crossing just so a family could cross. Multiple answers: I'm finding this really varies by state, so post your state and whether the law is enforced or not

Mel_bikes

Cars are not required to, but I live in an extremely bike friendly area (Southern NH)

genec

Only when I hold the walk signal button that stops the straight thru motorists with a red light... the right turners do not stop and will cross the bike path.

Dchiefransom

The only crossings I've ever seen at an intersection are crosswalks for pedestrians. I've seen some trails crossing streets, and if the cars have a signal or stop sign they all stop.

RonH

Bikes must stop if a bike path or trail crosses a roadway. The cyclists even have a stop sign to let them know in case they don't know the law.
Around here many motorists stop for cyclists because they (the motorists) don't know the law.
These are probably the same motorists that I see on my daily commute. They are already at a stop sign and have the right of way because I'm still 1/2 block from the intersection, yet they wait for me to get to the intersection and wave me through. I never fall for that one and point to "my" stop sign and tell them they have the right of way. Idiots!

tippy

On the West Orange bike trail (Orange County, FL), the cyclists on the trail are presented with a stop sign when it crosses a roadway and are required to obey the sign. Does law enforcement ticket cyclists who run the stop signs? Haven't seen any being handed out.

d.tipton

kuan

Bikes must stop at a stop sign. A vehicle may enter the crossing if there are no bikes or pedestrians in the crossing. A vehicle must stop if there is a bike in the crossing.

In Minnesota, the park district police are there enforcing this law during heavy usage hours. One on each side of the crossing.

desmobob

Today I took my first ride on a bike trail system that crosses local roads several times (Glens Falls, NY). As I stopped at each intersection, I was pleasantly surprised to find that, in most cases, motorists stopped to let me cross. I don't know if it's the law or not, but it sure is a nice thing to do.

Good riding,
desmobob

patc

State? Is this poll open to Americans only, or are you using the term in the sense of "nation"?

Slow Train

Here I think the general rule is that traffic yields to cyclists (and other users) when the intersection is marked as a crosswalk and not guarded by lights. However, there are exceptions where the MUP has stop signs. But since compliance by motorists in this regard here is so low you would be fulfilling your Darwinian destiny if you were to quickly enter any MUP/roadway intersection without first negotiating the right-of-way with oncoming motorists.

I tired to find a recent article from the Washington Post but failed - anyway there is an expanding program here to put brightly colored flags at crosswalks (where there isn't a light). The idea is that you, as the pedestrian, grap a flag and use it to flag traffic down to a stop as you cross. You then leave the flag on the oppsite side for the next person.

This is to combat that motorist who is going 55 in a 35 MPH zone, talking on the cell phone, drinking coffee while fumbling with the radio. I'm not sure fireworks would even work.

stevesurf

State or Province...sorry my error of omission. I'm sure everyone wants to hear how it is in Canada and other countries

khuon

I live in a pretty bike-friendly area. The "bike crossings" where MUPs meet roads are generally treated as crosswalks and the regular rules apply. Vehicles generally stop for the pedestrian/bike cross-traffic which also has a stopsign to obey.

geeklpc1985

Not a lot of people stop for the bike paths or MUPs, but time to time there are a nice person who stops.

GEEK

will dehne

I very often bike R to T in Wisconsin and Illinois. One of these trails is 25 miles through swamp. About (10) roads cross. The traffic on these roads is so infrequent that on a given ride you may only see two or three cars. All these crossings have nice big stop signs for the bike pad of course.
The unlawful procedure followed by many bikers, is to slow down, look for cars and keep going (me included). The area is so quiet that you can hear a car coming half a mile away.

Recently I had a bad scare: A quiet biker came down one of those roads at full speed, of course close to the side of that road, in the shadow and I had dark glasses on.
Please realize that is the first biker I have seen on those roads in a few years.

I feel bad about this. The point I am trying to make is that accidents can happen. I think they cannot be totally avoided. But we can try.

DCCommuter

In Washington, DC, motorists are required to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. In places where cyclists are allowed to use the sidewalk, they have the same rights and duties as pedestrians, and motorists are required to stop for them.

I would say that zero percent of motorists understand this -- if it weren't for an encounter I had today. I was waiting to turn left from a left turn lane, and I had crept forward into the crosswalk. An opposing motorist saw me stopped in the crosswalk, thought I was crossing, and stopped to let me go. Predictably, the cars behind him let loose their horns in a fussilade of anger.

So there is at least one motorist who's aware of the law. It would be taking your life into your hands to count on there being more than one, though.

stevesurf

Thats a great idea, but I think they would last about 00:30. But don't you think it's strange that drivers never need to stop, even if bikers are about to cross?