State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, a Republican representing parts of Bucks and Lehigh counties, has introduced a bill that would allow bicyclists across Pennsylvania to treat red lights and stop signs as yields.

The bill, co-sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Nikil Saval, would allow a bicyclist to “proceed with caution through an intersection with a red traffic-control signal after stopping and yielding the right-of-way to all oncoming traffic or make a right turn without stopping after slowing and determining it is safe to do so,” and “treat a stop sign as a yield sign” using the same precautions, according to the legislation.

Current state law requires bicyclists to abide by vehicle laws, such as coming to a complete stop at stop signs and waiting for green lights at intersections.

Coleman and cycling advocates argue that current laws create more danger for cyclists and pedestrians.

In a memo, Coleman wrote, “This treatment actually creates dangers for bicyclists and pedestrians as the bicyclists focus on clipping in and out of pedals and integrating into faster motor vehicle traffic from a full stop, rather than keeping their heads up and scanning for traffic and pedestrians.”

After being referred to the state Senate’s Transportation Committee on Aug. 10, the bill received strong support from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

In a written statement to the Local, John Boyle, research director for the coalition, said, “Research on similar laws has found reductions in bicycle crashes and conflicts at intersections. In Idaho, where the law has been in effect since 1982, bicycle crashes declined by 14%. In Delaware, which enacted a comparable law in 2017, bicycle crashes at intersections decreased by 23% during the 30 months following enactment, compared with the preceding 30-month period.”

He added, “Many people who ride bicycles already treat stop signs as yield signs because doing so allows them to maintain momentum and clear intersections before turning drivers can cross the path of a cyclist traveling straight. A collision in which a right-turning driver strikes a bicyclist crossing an intersection is known as a “right hook” and is the most common type of bicyclist–driver crash.”

The 14% reduction statistic in Idaho and the 23% reduction in Delaware come from a 2023 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which said, “these laws showed added safety benefits for bicyclists in states where they were evaluated, and may positively affect the environment, traffic, and transportation.”

Boyle added, “Stop-as-yield laws are one component of a broader approach to bicycle safety and do not replace other critical countermeasures, including protected bike lanes, protected intersections, daylighting, improved signal timing, and traffic-calming measures. These laws should complement, rather than substitute for, continued investment in infrastructure and designs that reduce conflicts between people bicycling and driving.”

Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com.​