Do you know cycling laws?

Re: “Cyclists must exercise care, too,” June 9 letters to the editor

Two letter-writers chastised bicyclists for disobeying traffic laws by rolling past stop signs. In actuality, in many parts of the state, it is perfectly legal to do that.

In 2018, the legislature passed a measure that lets counties and cities adopt laws that let cyclists ride past stop signs without stopping. So far, Aspen, Berthoud, Breckenridge, Dillon, Englewood, Summit County, and Thornton have adopted the law or variations of it. In most cases, bicyclists can roll past a stop sign if they can do so safely.

The law also changes the rules for stoplights. You still must stop for a red light, but, where permitted, you aren’t required to wait for the light to turn green. Once you’ve stopped, you can proceed with caution.

Your letter-writers also scolded cyclists for riding in car lanes and slowing traffic. Cyclists are required to ride as far right as possible and not impede traffic. However, cyclists are not required to ride to the right if it is dangerous. They aren’t required to ride within the “door-zone” of parked cars, where a door could open and injure a cyclist. They also aren’t required to ride through potholes or broken glass that are common near the curb.

I agree that cyclists should obey all traffic laws, but if motorists don’t understand the laws, it is bound to lead to misplaced anger and conflict.

Larry Fish, Denver