On Monday at 1:30 p.m., the land use and transportation committee of the SF Board of Supervisors is going to discuss the Bike Yield Law at City Hall. This is an important opportunity to speak up for common-sense bike and traffic enforcement policies.
The ordinance would instruct San Francisco police to, in practice, adopt an “Idaho Stop” policy -- meaning cyclists could treat a stop sign as a yield.
City Hall can't actually change California's stop sign law. But with this ordinance the city can tell SFPD that citing cyclists who roll cautiously and courteously through stop signs should be the lowest possible priority.
SFPD's current approach to bike enforcement is exemplified by the recurring harassment and selective ticketing of cyclists on the Wiggle by officers under the command of Park Station Caption John Sanford.
"It's not saying that cyclists are above the law," explained Ivy Lee, a staffer for Supervisor Jane Kim, who supports the law. "It's just applying common sense -- our cops have more important things to do."
The Bike Yield Law has six co-sponsors, including Kim, but Mayor Lee has vowed to veto it. It will take two more supervisors to override his veto.
The hearing will be held Monday at City Hall, Room 250.
Whether you can make it to City Hall or not, it's a good idea to contact your supervisor.
