We Have a Biking Answer for You

The other day we asked if there was anything special you could do to set off the arrow for turn-only lanes if you're on a bike. And yes, there is. (See also comment #9 by eldan.)

But that still leaves the question of what you do when you can't trip the signal no matter what. How do you get out of that spot legally without being run over by impatient motorists lining up behind you? That sounded like a question for the Seattle Department of Transportation, so we emailed SDOT's communications people about it. *crickets* We emailed their bicycle and pedestrian department. *grasshoppers* We called 684-ROAD twice. *lonely hoot owl* (In retrospect, probably everyone down at City Hall was busy selling the Sonics down the river.)

So we emailed the Cascade Bicycle Club education people, who replied in a few hours:

If a signal does not turn for a vehicle (bicycle or car) after a reasonable amount of time, then it should be treated as defective. If a signal is defective, one should probably follow RCW 46.61.183--and treat the intersection as one would a 4-way stop.

RCW 46.61.183. Nonfunctioning signal lights: Except when directed to proceed by a flagger, police officer, or firefighter, the driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal that is temporarily without power on all approaches or is not displaying any green, red, or yellow indication to the approach the vehicle is on, shall consider the intersection to be an all-way stop. After stopping, the driver shall yield the right-of-way in accordance with RCW 46.61.180(1) and 46.61.185.

As we understand it, if you're run over while doing this, your survivors can sue the city on your behalf.

photo courtesy of Seattlest Flickr user Ray Tracing