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Cyclists line up, waiting for a red light at the intersection of Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and Grand Avenue.

(The Oregonian/2010)

In the Portland area, few things stir road rage as much as bicyclists running red lights. So how would you react to an Oregon bill making the practice legal across the state?

Well, there are probably the obvious snide observations. ("Pfft! A lot of bicyclists apparently already think blowing a red is legal.") Sorry, pedaling commuters, but that's deserved.

Or there's the shrug, chuckle and head-shaking response: Sounds like another crazy bill with no chance of passing in the Legislature. Right?

Wrong.

Earlier this week, the Oregon Senate unanimously approved SB 533, permitting a "bicyclist or motorcyclist to proceed at stop light under certain conditions."

Actually, let's back up: The bill, now headed to the House floor with bi-partisan support, wouldn't give bicyclists and motorcyclists the freedom to just zoom through stop lights willy-nilly.

The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Chris Edwards, D-Eugene, is designed to bring relief to bikers who constantly find themselves at stop lights that won't change.

The bill would allow bikers to proceed at a red light if the signal "fails" to turn green after a "one full cycle." Under the proposal, the discretion to go is in the hands of the motorcyclist or bicyclist.

Sadowsky said bicyclists don't typically have problems with triggering traffic sensors in Portland, where an estimated 6 percent of daily commuters go by bike.

In recent months, the Portland Bureau of Transportation has even activated tiny blue lights at signals to let bicyclists and motorcyclists know when they're in the sweet spot to be detected by magnetic coils under the blacktop.

"But it's a significant problem in a lot of places in Washington County," Sadowsky said. "There are even some streets on the way to Intel where's it's hard to get a green light."

The bill holds motorcyclists and bicyclists proceeding through a red liable if there's a collision with an other road users proceeding through a green light. For motorcyclists, it would also apply to highway ramp meters.

Rolling through stop signs, which bicycle advocacy groups have attempted to legalize in the past, would remain illegal.

So-called "safe on red" laws allowing motorcyclists to proceed at stop lights aren't a novel concept. Fourteen other states, including Washington, already have them. Most of them also apply to bicyclists.

"It just makes a lot of sense to keep traffic moving," said state Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena. "We're not breaking new ground here."

However, law enforcement agencies across the country have opposed similar proposals in other states, saying the new laws are vague, hard to enforce and give too much discretion to bicyclists and motorcycle riders.

Although the city of Portland hasn't taken a position on SB 533, Peter Koonce, its chief signal engineer, said he is concerned that most people wouldn't have a clear understanding of what counts as a signal cycle.

Koonce, who conceded that it's difficult to program every light in the city for every road user, said signals are set to last "the absolute maximum" of three minutes, depending on their location and time of day.

"We strive to keep them to less than two minutes, he said. "It would probably be better if (SB 533) required waiting two to three minutes at a red light before proceeding."

-- Joseph Rose

503-221-8029

jrose@oregonian.com

@pdxcommute