STOP signs as YIELD signs for cyclists

Advocacy resources

  • Bicycle Rolling Stop Animation -- Idaho Stop Law (4:18 video)
  • STOP as YIELD arguments (PDF)
  • Anders Swanson's traffic engineering principles / the 85th percentile rule (PDF)
  • Why Bicyclists Hate Stop Signs
  • Bike Portland
  • STOP as YIELD (VeloNews Legally Speaking)
  • A STOP sign solution?
  • Origins of Idaho's STOP as YIELD law
  • Arguments from Oregon that support the Idaho law
    — Larsen Letter (PDF)
    — Meggs' argument (PDF)
    — Other arguments (PDF)
  • Bike to the Future's primary argument has been that many cyclists wisely choose quieter/safer alternatives to the fast/busy arterial streets (which of course have traffic lights rather than STOP signs), but those alternative (usually residential) streets have STOP signs at almost every intersection. The STOP signs are there to calm and control motor vehicles, but they also serve as a deterent to cyclists using those quieter/safer streets. We have emphasized that yield means you slow down to a speed that allows you to carefully check for traffic in all directions and safely stop if necessary. It does not mean it's OK to "blow through" a STOP sign.

If you are ticketed for rolling through a STOP sign, or if you'd like to help lobby for change to the Highway Traffic Act (PDF)

Idaho Stop Law was on the agenda of the City of Winnipeg's Standing Policy Committee on Protection and Community Services meeting on October 9, 2009. The committee approved a motion:

  • that the City of Winnipeg Public Service report back to the Standing Policy Committee on Protection and Community Services in 60 days with an analysis of the "Idaho stop law” and other similar regulations that may exist in other jurisdictions and recommendations regarding its potential implementation in Manitoba.

  • Info (In the top window, scroll down to 105. Idaho Stop Law under Reports and click on it.)
    60 days from October 9th is December 8th.

Further possible actions for BttF (members and supporters) to take:

  • Identify a number of quieter/safer streets that cyclists use to avoid fast/busy arterial streets, and document (or video) the number of STOP signs that are encountered as you ride along the quieter/safer route.

  • The next update of the Winnipeg Cycling Map should have tiny dots along every cycling route to indicate STOP signs.

STOP as YIELD print media stories (we also made three appearances on CBC Radio One and one appearance on CJOB):