Here is my response to Matt's comments and questions. Unfortunately, laws are rarely written so they are not subject to different interpretations. I guess that's why we have a court system. Until there is case law on this, or at least until police start issuing citations for violations, my understanding and interpretation of the intent and language of this law is not to prevent motorcyclists, bicyclists, et al from ever having to wait more than 45 seconds for red signal to turn green. Rather, it is to ensure that they do not have to wait longer than other traffic has to wait. Signal cycles are rarely as short as 45 seconds. 60 - 90 is more normal, and 120's can exist. For a motor/bi-cyclist to legally take advantage of this law, in my opinion, the cyclist needs to believe that the intersection is vehicle actuated (as opposed to fixed time) and that there has been no detection by any means to give the signal control unit the message to bring up the green for the side street. If you see a pedestrian push the walk button, that is detection and you know the signal will change next time around and you cannot proceed on the red. If there is a pavement marking indicating where bicyclists should ride or position themselves to be detected, there is the expectation that you will be detected and you have to wait for the green. If there is a push button specifically for bicyclists, as at Jenifer at Williamson, you have to push the button and wait for the green. Etc. This is my interpretation and recommendation for behavior. If you want to hold a different interpretation, that's up to you to discuss with a police officer, judge, city attorney, or jury if you get a ticket.
In terms of the cars being behind bicyclists at an intersection, detection usually occurs (at least in Madison) on the approach to the intersection, not at the intersection. Arthur Arthur Ross, Pedestrian-Bicycle Coordinator City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 100 PO Box 2986 Madison, WI 53701-2986 608/266-6225 _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
