Somerville cyclists oppose bikes being stopped for going through red lights

In Somerville, Massachusetts, police have ramped up enforcement on people riding their bikes through red lights.

Some cyclists and city leaders say they should be focusing resources elsewhere.

City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen said he started looking into this issue when he started hearing from people who had been given warnings by the police department.

"What we're talking about here is a cyclist comes to a red light and stops, sees that there are no pedestrians, that there's no traffic or the right of way, and then proceeds through. That's the behavior that we're talking about," said Ewen-Campen.

He sponsored a resolution calling on the police department de-prioritizing this type of enforcement.

"This is not a wise use of our resources, and we should be using our enforcement resources on traffic violations that are actually incredibly dangerous and pose a real safety risk," said Ewen-Campen.

He pointed to a fact sheet published by the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in March of 2022, which explained that many states have enacted bicyclist stop-as-yield laws to enhance safety and protect cyclists.

Idaho first legalized the so-called "Idaho Stop" in 1982, which allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, and red lights as stop signs, when no pedestrians are present, and observed a 14.5% decrease in cyclist injuries from crashes the following year.

Somerville resident Jeff Byrnes wrote a letter signed by 17 other residents in support of the resolution. He argues allowing cyclists to get ahead of vehicles by continuing through a red light when it's safe to do so can provide some distance from traffic.

"The biggest thing is that it takes cyclists and drivers out of conflict when a driver might be making a right hand turn, like a cyclist is proceeding straight or making a turn themselves. It's called the right hook. It's the most dangerous interaction that a cyclist and a driver have. Because the driver has very low visibility for the cyclist, even if they're right next to you," Byrnes said. "It reduces those interactions considerably because the cyclist can go ahead in most cases."

The Somerville Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on this issue Thursday. In July, Captain James Donovan told the city's Public Health and Public Safety Committee that as part of a state grant for pedestrian and cyclist enforcement, at that time officers had stopped 198 cyclists, giving them written warnings.

"All this enforcement is educational. We're not looking to punish anyone or hurt anybody. It's mainly getting out there, our mission zero," said Donavan. "As we all know, this city is becoming more congested, and I think with the increase in cyclists, we want to make sure that everyone is on the same page and we want to make sure our cyclists are safe."

Somerville resident Jason Mackey, a former candidate for state representative in 27th Middlesex District, said he thinks all road users should follow the rules of the road.

"Introducing the 'Idaho Stop' in Somerville is akin to playing Russian roulette with our urban traffic system," he said. "It's not merely a careless diversion from established traffic norms, but a hazardous leap into uncertainty. In an area as densely populated as Somerville, we must prioritize safety over novelty. This policy not only endangers the well-being of cyclists and pedestrians alike but also risks creating widespread confusion among drivers. When it comes to public safety, it's vital to tread with caution rather than rush into ill-considered decisions."

Massachusetts law requires bicyclists to stop at red lights and stop signs.