DEALING WITH INTERSECTIONS AS A GROUP: Please watch and read
https://cyclingsavvy.org/courses/club-rider-essentials/lessons/traffic-safet... Sometimes a group should behave like a single long vehicle, other times as individuals. Lets take a look specifically at traffic lights and stop signs.
When stopping at a red light stay in the queue, don’t swarm and don’t block the right turn lane. Many times this means getting out of the bike lane and lining up in an organized fashion behind the traffic that is going straight.
If a light turns yellow, the group should aim to safely stop without creating a hazard before the light turns red. In doing so riders should call out “stopping” and signal if they can. Sometimes a light turns yellow just as the group arrives at an intersection, where a small group makes it through, but the rest of the group does not. The group that made it through should use discretion as to whether they reduce speed, pull over, or aim to regroup shortly based on traffic patterns. Ideally we want to keep our riders together, and avoid running ANY red lights.
Stop signs provide different scenarios. At 4-way stop signs, the group stops at the stop sign, then yields to any stopped traffic with priority. Each pair or individual should come to a stop, yield to any stopped traffic with priority, before proceeding through the intersection. You may see other cyclists moving through a 4-way stop as one vehicle, as shown in the video. CVC does not recommend this as it is a traffic violation in CA. At 2-way stop signs, riders should stop, yield and proceed individually or 2-by-2 if riding next to each other. Because cross traffic has no stop sign, it’s often not safe for the group to go through as a single unit. Do not call “clear” for other riders. If someone does, the next rider should respond with “keep looking”. Each individual or pair must assess when it’s safe to cross. In summary, CVC recommends that you stop as an individual, or pair if riding 2-by 2, when you come to any stop sign.
Crosswalks are often overlooked as many areas have very limited pedestrian traffic. Don’t let your guard down, keep an eye out for pedestrians on corners as well as in crosswalks where they may not be easily visible because of car traffic. Bicyclists are required to yield to pedestrians, just like cars. Pay particular attention when stopping at intersections to not block crosswalks, and be vigilant when making right and left turns.
Obeying traffic controls doesn’t just improve safety, it goes a long way toward improving public perception of group rides and the acceptance of cyclists as a normal part of traffic.
Carla