D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council

The Idaho Stop is an Idaho traffic law that effectively allows bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and not come to a complete stop at most signed intersections. This effectively allows for a rolling stop at signs. BAC wants to know what you think of the Idaho Stop law and if it, or something like it, should be enacted in the District. Create in 1982, the Idaho Stop does not give bicyclists carte blanche , they must yield to the right of way if there are other vehicles or pedestrians at intersections. UrbanVelo has a nice video ( at the end of this page ) explaining the Idaho Stop and its potential implementation in Oregon. BikePortland also provides a FAQ page explaining how it works. Currently according to WABA's Pocket Guide , DC regulations state that bicyclists "have all the general rights and duties of drivers of vehicles " but bicyclists but must also follow "the instructions of official traffic control signals, signs, and other con...

The Grist posted a nifty video (see below) that provides tips to new bicyclists on how to push that first pedal. While the video is fun to watch, it also suggest two different left turning techniques that could appear on our streets -- the "Standard Left" and the "Copenhagen Left". The standard left makes the turn just like a vehicle - the bicyclist signals, moves into the left lane, and then turns left. The Copenhagen left is like how a pedestrian crosses a street - a bicyclist stays right and crosses the street that they would like to turn left on, turns their bike so that they are going the correct direction, then waits for the signal (Sounds complicated but it's not). While the Copenhagen left seem to take longer than the standard left, many feel that it is generally a safer way to turn because it reduces the chance of an auto crash. While not popular in the US, it's gaining popularity as communities create bike-specific signalization and r...