Why do cars stop for bikes at trail crossings?

[americancyclo]

@dasgeh 90491 wrote:

This is just wrong. When bikes are on the sidewalk, they’re pedestrians; when they’re on the street, they’re “vehicles”. There are a few exceptions to this, but not the crosswalk law.

When cyclists are crossing a street in a crosswalk (such as the trail crossings of the W&OD) they have all the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians. Regardless of whether or not there are sidewalks.

[dasgeh]

@americancyclo 90517 wrote:

When cyclists are crossing a street in a crosswalk (such as the trail crossings of the W&OD) they have all the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians. Regardless of whether or not there are sidewalks.

That’s what I meant. I’ll edit the original for future clarity… Thanks

[dkel]

@baiskeli 90508 wrote:

That’s what it comes down to – do you have to dip your foot (or front tire) into the crosswalk to assert your right-of way?

I get the impression that many drivers think you do, which is a source of anxiety for me at many crossings, because it ends up being some sort of weird game of chicken.

[mstone]

@dkel 90537 wrote:

I get the impression that many drivers think you do

those would be the sociopaths

[Terpfan]

@baiskeli 90460 wrote:

I’d say mostly 1, partly 2.

I often ride around the Lincoln Memorial on my commute. Cars nearly always stop for me before I reach the crosswalk. There are even stop signs for pedestrians/cyclists there, but the cars stop. Can’t figure out why. Once there were cops there, and as I carefully started to go through while watching to make sure the car were going to stop, a cop said “go ahead, you have the right-of-way.” This was when I hadn’t yet entered the crosswalk and I had a stop sign.

When I don’t ride into work, I usually cross the river and go through that section. The reason is because there are 3 or 4 neon yellow signs that say DC law stop for pedestrians within crosswalk. They’re literally one sign after the next making it abundantly clear. Of course, this is also the case on the Key Bridge and yet tons of people cut me off to go down to the Whitehurst Freeway all of the bleeping time.

[jcflack54]

My problem with the conflicting rules is the confusion they cause. I appreciate the driver who stopped and waved me through, but if I am already stopped, it’s going to take me a few seconds to get started again, so they might as well go. But then there is this exchange of “you go”s that increases the risk that we’ll go at the same time – and collide.

[Drewdane]

I would say sometimes 2, usually 3.

It would be nice if it were the drivers who had the stop signs instead of the trail users, but oh well.

[cvcalhoun]

I always figured it was kind of like a 4-way stop. The stop sign indicates that you have to stop before crossing, because otherwise you might careen right into a car that was already in the crosswalk (or too close to it to stop). The crosswalk indicates that cars have to stop for a pedestrian or cyclist. So once you’ve stopped, you can proceed across the crosswalk.

[Author]

Posts