Berkeley could decide to deprioritize enforcement of people on bikes who treat stop signs as yield signs when the intersection is free of traffic.
The Berkeley City Council recently "voted to explore potential changes to local bicycle traffic laws, most notably moving the city toward an 'Idaho Stop' policy, meaning cyclists approaching an empty intersection could treat stop signs as yields and only come to complete stops at red lights," according to an article by Daniel Lempres.
The city would have to deprioritize enforcement because of a state law, but it would be the first city in California to do so.
"The council vote will send the “Idaho Stop” proposal to the Transportation Commission for review and refinement. Council also asked the commission to look at creating a ticket diversion program so cyclists could attend safety classes rather than pay a fine," adds Lempress.
The Idaho Stop decision is included in context of many other bicycle safety efforts in Berkeley as part of the city's Vision Zero initiative. The city already has a high rate of bicycle commuting, but residents have indicated that they would ride bikes more often if the city's streets were safer.
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