Currently, Pennsylvania requires bicyclists to follow standard vehicle laws. Bicyclists must abide by stop signs, coming to a complete stop, and wait for green traffic lights before proceeding through an intersection, unless undetected by an automatic sensor. 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.

Now a growing number of states, fourteen with South Carolina’s recent passage, are enacting “stop-as-yield” laws that allow bicyclists to yield at stop signs and proceed cautiously. A 2023 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTS) highlighted the significant reduction in bicycle-related traffic crashes and injuries seen by these states and concluded “based upon the current research and data available, these laws showed added safety benefits for bicyclists in states where they were evaluated.” Furthermore, the NHTS identified other benefits, including decriminalizing a common riding behavior and possibly encouraging more ridership.

My bill would amend the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code (Title 75) so that:

• A bicyclist may treat a stop sign as a yield sign after slowing down and determining it is safe to do so.
• A bicyclist may 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.

Please join me in supporting this legislation to enhance the safety of intersections for bicycles, motor vehicles and pedestrians.