To Stop or Not to Stop- On Biking Rules' new Street Code for Cyclists

Up in NYC, the bicycling/walking/public transit advocacy group Transportation Alternatives has created a great new campaign: Biking Rules- Creating a new Street Code, written by cyclists, for cyclists. Their pocket-sized booklet has lots of information on commuting tips, covers the laws and rights of cyclists, and what to do in a crash. And there's a sweet online route planner on their website, Ride the City, which gives you multiple routes graded from 'safer' to 'most direct'.
One of the most interesting parts is that Biking Rules, like the Bicycle Coalition's I Bike PHL Pledge, encourages urban cyclists to follow the rules of the road. From the 'street code':

Here's a simple proposition for NYC cyclists: always yield to pedestrians. As our potential to cause harm increases on the street, so does our responsibility to others. Slowing down and giving someone the respect they deserve will go a long way towards fostering a sense of shared responsibility that will ultimately make NYC streets better for cyclists, pedestrians and even drivers.

Cyclists, as the fastest-growing commuter group in NYC, are the most obvious ambassadors for calmer and more livable streets. Cyclists often know, in painful detail, the fear and havoc that automobiles can bring to NYC streets. Let's not pose a similar threat to pedestrians in the walking capital of the world. Instead, let's seize this opportunity to usher in a new era of safer, saner travel.

The two italicized lines are what really stuck out to me when reading this. Cyclists say they find it inconvenient to stop at lights or stop signs, especially when they've grown used to not stopping. But the logic here is that 'calmer and more livable streets' are created by calmer and more respectful cyclists.

I recently read a really simple approach to this issue from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, who call running lights and stop signs an issue of 'right-of-way theft'. They talk about re-establishing the concepts of 'right of way' and 'yield': "In San Francisco, at least, these essential concepts are largely lost, from decades of overly tolerant enforcement and overly selfish roadway users. We all grew up understanding 'take your turn'."

Waiting at a light isn't as hard as it seems- in fact, it's a lot less stressful, and safer, than trying to weave your way across moving traffic. And, like Biking Rules explains, it makes traveling our streets safer and less stressful for everyone else too. Of course, following the Street Code doesn't replace the importance of advocacy and education efforts to make safer streets; but giving respect can only help cyclists get more respect in return.

In fact, even in a city designed specifically for bikes, I'd imagine they would still need some sort of stop lights. Take a look at Amsterdam: it's one of the most bike friendly cities in the world, and it has bicycle traffic lights. Of course, it's probably true bicyclists probably run those as well.