Traffic Police on Ladd’s Addition Bike Route
Heads up to cyclists rolling through stop signs.
I don’t know if they are writing tickets, but Portland traffic police are pulling over bicyclists this morning in Ladd’s Addition. I was biking from 21st down SE Ladd toward the big circle and a bicyclist had pulled over to warn people about police in the circle. Then as I pedaled closer, another guy on the sidewalk warned me to stop at the stop sign. I saw three motorcycle cops and one cop car in the vicinity. The cop car and one motorcycle had their lights on and had each pulled a bicyclist over.
Anyone know what the law says about bicyclists stopping fully at stop signs?
bikes are supposed to stop at stop signs. in theory, coming to a momentary standstill without putting a foot down before continuing (assuming no on-coming traffic) won’t result in a ticket, but reports over at bikeportland.org over the years have suggested this is not a guarantee when there’s a sting operation in place. bikeportland is the place to check for biking-related news. I learned from discussion there that other places do allow bikes to roll through stop signs (again, when there’s nobody else with right-of-way), and some folks are working on changing Portland traffic laws to allow that.
Bikes, cars, wagons, tanks… doesn’t matter what type of conveyance you choose to cart your ass around with. If you roll through, you deserve what you get.
As a 365-day/year, car-free bicycle commuter, I am often irked when I come to a stop sign and have to comply with the slight inconvenience of halting my momentum. So what? I stop. Why? Because it’s the law. You know, that noble concept that keeps us from destroying ourselves quicker than we already are. I’m a man whose life is dictated by rules and I follow the freakin’ law. To reiterate, it is the law to stop at stop signs ‘every single time’ you roll up to one –not just when the cops are staked out.
On my daily commute I consistently see people in automobiles and on bicycles rolling through stop signs. I wish the cops would tag the crap out of all of them. In fact, where’s my freakin’ deputy badge? I’ll do it for them. I’m getting all excited just thinking about it. Oh I’ll be a popular bastard, won’t I?
Early this morning I followed closely behind some chump whom apparently felt that the quiet streets of Laurelhurst provided a free pass for rolling through stop signs. Thanks to the valuable lessons picked up in anger management class, I was able to resist my controlling tendencies enough to keep quiet. True, my tongue was bleeding profusely through my teeth as I clamped down, but hey, we all have to grow. I proceeded to stop at each stop sign, doing my best to set a good example for anyone who may see me on the same street as this law-busting schmuck and assume I’m a lawless ass too.
Again, I’m often irked by stop signs when I’m cruising through the `hood at 7 a.m. and there is clear visibility for blocks and absolutely no one else on the road. I mean, shouldn’t I be able to exercise some judgment? I grew up in Idaho, so I became accustomed to rolling stops for bicycles (they’re legal there). But you know what? This is Portland and we have rules. Oh yeah, by the way, in case you weren’t listening earlier, these rules are the law.
If someone is able to petition the state/city government to change this law to allow rolling stops for people on bicycles, fantastic! I’ll slow down, look both ways, then roll through. But you know what? Last time I checked, the law hasn’t changed to accommodate this behavior. Suck it up you lazy bastards. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
@hhw - you’re definitely right about what constitutes a legal ’stop’ for a person on a bicycle. The traffic officer has the right to interpret the law as he/she sees fit. This being said, one officer may require that you come to a complete stop and put your foot down (as is required in some cities), while others may simply judge your reduction in momentum and determine if you indeed stopped your inertia ‘enough’ to signify a top. It’s a bit kludgey, but the police are generally liberal about it, except during stings.
I wish they would put jumps at the intersections for the more athletic bikers. Launching over the intersection would solve the problem . . . as long as you don’t come up short in the middle of the roses in the Ladd roundabout.
It’s not your job to be irked, judgmental or punitive. Save that for your kids or wife. Ride a bike, get the benefits. All you cops should take that on or resign. Who appreciates punishment on that level, anyway? No one. Also, as a warning, you cops should note that a day of reckoning is in the future. Be nice.