https://www.dominionpost.com/2021/12/02/morgantown-to-consider-stop-as-yiel…
MORGANTOWN TO CONSIDER ‘STOP AS YIELD’ FOR CYCLISTS AMONG TRAFFIC CODE
CHANGES
December 2, 2021 by Ben Conley, The Dominion Post [1]
MORGANTOWN -- A cyclist with no helmet cruising through a four-way stop.
Today, that scenario represents multiple violations of city code.
That may be about to change.
Morgantown City Council is preparing to take up numerous amendments to
the city's traffic code, including implementation of a "stop as yield"
provision that would essentially allow bicyclists to treat stop signs
and traffic lights as yield signs.
The reasoning for this is simple, according to Staff Engineer Drew
Gatlin.
"Intersections are dangerous places," he said, particularly for
cyclists.
He said such laws are colloquially known as "dead red laws," meaning
"You don't want to get caught dead at a red light."
"In layman's terms, if it's your turn and it's safe to do so, you may
roll through the intersection," Gatlin explained, emphasizing the word
"if."
"This does not allow cyclists to be reckless and it does not allow them
to consider the right of way differently. If there's another vehicle in
the intersection, they must come to a complete stop."
Such laws were first implemented in the early 1980s. Gatlin said
comparative data shows cities that implement "stop as yield" see
considerably fewer cyclist-involved crashes.
Under the proposed changes, adult cyclists could also choose whether or
not to wear a helmet.
It's currently illegal for anyone to ride in the city without a helmet.
The change would align the city with state law, making helmets mandatory
only for those 15 and under.
"Nobody is arguing that you shouldn't wear a helmet when you ride a
bicycle, but mandatory helmet laws are not effective. They are, in fact,
very negative in their effects," he said, claiming such laws encourage a
perception of cycling as inherently dangerous.
Further, he said, helmet laws discourage ridership and utilization of
bike-share programs "which we may end up seeing deployed here given
certain changes that you might make in the next few weeks …"
The changes would also eliminate the city's prohibition on riding what
it currently considers "toy vehicles" -- things like skateboards,
scooters and skates -- on city streets and sidewalks.
Gatlin said the laws banning these uses are simply not enforced and not
in line with how people get from one place to another, both in
Morgantown and across the country.
"The vast majority of both the world and the rest of the country has
moved on and recognized that these things are actual forms of
transportation for many people," he said, pointing out that vehicles
utilizing sidewalks must yield to pedestrians and will remain prohibited
in the downtown business district.
The proposed traffic code changes would also:
* Expand the power of the city manager, and by extension, city
administration, to act without a vote from city council to do things
like install stop signs and traffic control signals/devices and
otherwise restrict traffic or different uses of city streets.
"These changes do require us to deliver written orders to [council]. So
anything we do, we'll tell you about it," Gatlin said. "And they allow
you to reject or overturn any administrative action. They also maintain
your ability to do this stuff on your own."
* Codify the city's Healthy Streets program and add language explaining
"motorists must always yield to other uses on these types of streets."
Through the use of signage and other traffic calming measures, the
Morgantown Healthy Streets program restricts through traffic on selected
routes in order to give residents more space to recreate and use
non-motorized means of transportation.
Jackson Avenue, Western Avenue, Demain Avenue and Wagner Street have
been designated as such.
* Eliminate Article 315 regarding parades, placing it under Article
311 "special uses.
Links:
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[1] https://www.dominionpost.com/author/benconley/
