NY Times article on cycling ethics

New York Times columnist Randy Cohen writes about ethics. He recently wrote an opinon piece entitled If Kant Were a New York Cyclist in which he ponders why people get so upset about what they consider bad behavior on the part of cyclists:

I roll through a red light if and only if no pedestrian is in the crosswalk and no car is in the intersection — that is, if it will not endanger myself or anybody else. To put it another way, I treat red lights and stop signs as if they were yield signs. A fundamental concern of ethics is the effect of our actions on others. My actions harm no one. This moral reasoning may not sway the police officer writing me a ticket, but it would pass the test of Kant’s categorical imperative: I think all cyclists could — and should — ride like me.

I am not anarchic; I heed most traffic laws. I do not ride on the sidewalk (O.K., except for the final 25 feet between the curb cut and my front door, and then with caution). I do not salmon, i.e. ride against traffic. In fact, even my “rolling stops” are legal in some places.

Paul Steely White, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group of which I am a member, points out that many jurisdictions, Idaho for example, allow cyclists to slow down and roll through stop signs after yielding to pedestrians. Mr. White e-mailed me: “I often say that it is much more important to tune into the pedestrians rather than tune into the lights, largely because peds jaywalk so much!”

If my rule-breaking is ethical and safe (and Idaho-legal), why does it annoy anyone? Perhaps it is because we humans are not good at weighing the dangers we face. If we were, we’d realize that bicycles are a tiny threat; it is cars and trucks that menace us. In the last quarter of 2011, bicyclists in New York City killed no pedestrians and injured 26. During the same period, drivers killed 43 pedestrians and injured 3,607.

Update: See the lengthly discussion about this article on the WashCycle.

Proposed change to law regarding cyclists at traffic lights

In an article in the Post on "oddball bills" in the Virginia legislature (Pickle sellers, crank calls could get a hearing in Va. General Assembly), there is mention of a bill (House Bill No. 7) that would "free bicyclists who approach red traffic lights from the need to — who knew? — wait two minutes before pedaling on." At first we and others thought this might be an implementation of the Idaho Stop, in which cyclists can treat a stop light as a stop sign. However, upon reading the proposed bill, it appears it is only an attempt to separate the treatment of motorcyclists from bicyclists.

Last year a bill was passed (46.2-833, Traffic lights; penalty) that would allow motorcyclists and bicyclists to proceed through a stop light that doesn't change to green if they stop and wait for "two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter."

The proposed bill would change the wording of the existing bill to remove bicyclists from one section and add a new sections just for bicyclists. The downside is that the new wording excludes the "two complete cycles two minutes" phrase, making conditions worse for bicyclists. According to the Post, "The gen­esis of a bike measure from Del. James E. Edmunds II (R-South Boston) is less certain. He did not return e-mail and phone messages seeking comment."

Here are the proposed changes:

B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped or a bicycle rider approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the driver or rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver or rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a rider of a bicycle approaches an intersection controlled by a traffic light, the rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.