Signals for Safety

SB 5482, up for consideration now in the State House, has an important amendment for cyclist safety.

Loop metal detectors are the primary triggering devices for most of the state’s actuated traffic signals. Unfortunately, a many are not properly calibrated to detect bicycles (or motorcycles). State law allows road users to proceed, after yielding, when they encounter a "defective or missing traffic control device." While this would appear to apply to signals that do not function for bicycles, it leaves an unsafe gray area, and creates unpredictability on the road.

This bill would create a standard so that new or repaired detectors will work for bicylists, and so that the Department of Transportation recalibrates the worst-offending signals when they receive complaints.

Email your representatives using the tool below, and encourage them to support signals for our safety.