Dr Gridlock Bikes

He just kinda slipped it in there like it was nothing

Georgetown, DC: I work in a building that fronts K/Water Street in Georgetown, which is a popular road for cyclists to get to the trail. Why don't cyclists stop at stop signs? I thought they had to. I've so many near misses and though cyclists would like to heap all ills on the heads of motorists, it's usually because a cyclist rolls right through an intersection without stopping or checking to see who has the right of way.

Robert Thomson: We could fill this entire chat with drivers vs. bikers, but let's focus on the stop sign issue. (Let me first say that I don't see this as a matter of taking sides. I don't view drivers or bikers as a class. I see individual behaviors, good and bad.)

Cyclists either stop at stop signs, come to a rolling stop, or blow through them completely. The rolling stop I can pretty much understand, if they're looking in all directions and yielding to other vehicles, as required.

I've seen this from the biking side, too. I've had drivers come to a stop, look right at my approaching bike and then drive into the intersection in front of me.

Alexandria, Va.:"I've seen this from the biking side, too. I've had drivers come to a stop, look right at my approaching bike and then drive into the intersection in front of me."

- That's because you, the biker, are supposed to stop too!

Robert Thomson: Certainly, if I have a stop sign. Not all intersections are four way stops. What I was describing is a situation in which the driver had a stop sign but I didn't.

Comments

[Bilsko]

I thought we already went over cyclists and stop-signs in your Myth of the Scofflaw Cyclist post: http://www.thewashcycle.com/2008/07/the-myth-of-the.html

I'll admit without hesitation to being one of -those cyclists- on K street who go through stop-signs. I do not blow right through them (although I have definitely seen plenty of CCT riders who do) but I wont slow to a rolling stop either. I'll slow down just a bit, make sure there are no cars or if there are, make sure we see each other, then go right through. If there's a cop around then I'll slow way down and proceed through. I've seen plenty of riders blow through the stop-signs right in front of cops though.

Why dont I have any problem with not stopping?

-Stopping and starting (especially when I'm riding fixed gear) is a lot more energy exhaustive...if its clear, then I'm just not going to exert the effort to stop.
-In line with the previous post - I'm in a much more surroundings-aware position on my bike than a driver in a car. Easier for me to judge whether or not its safe to proceed through.
-No real sidewalks to speak of on the water-side of K street, but definitely enough room to bail in the parking lane if need be.
-and the most important is that not stopping minimizes my interaction time with cars: If I have to stop at every intersection then I'm spending more time on the road and more time around cars - and while I'm on my bike, I'm not a fan of DC/MD/VA drivers. So I'm going to do what I have to to spend less time among them.

[Contrarian]

To appreciate how revolutionary this is, you have to remember his predecessor, who regularly misinformed his readers about the legality of cycling on the road, and liked to run letters threatening bodily harm to cyclists.