UPDATED/CORRECTED: New Law Regarding Defective Red Lights Ignores Bicyclists
Written by Pete Kramer
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
UPDATED & CORRECTED - On May 3 the Governor signed Senate Bill 1329 bill allowing only motorcyclists to proceed through an intersection if they encounter a defective traffic signal.
The original draft referred to bicyclists as drivers. Oklahoma law considers bicycles vehicles. As drivers of vehicles we are expected to drive our bikes accordingly.
The version of the bill signed into law removed all references to
bicyclists.
Throughout the winter and spring of 2010, OBC President Kevin Mussett undertook a series of conversations with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to address the issue of rumble strips and their placement along the edges of Oklahoma highways. Despite apparent agreement to conform with Federal Highway Administration standards and AASHTO guidelines, new rumbles were added to several state highways completely ignoring good engineering principles and creating at best challenging bicycling environments, and at worse severe hazards to cyclists.
Below is a letter sent on June 7, 2010 to Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, along the Secretary of Transportation, and representatives from the regions of the state where the substandard rumble strips were placed.
Legislative Watch 
