Today’s post is another in our occasional Then and Now series.
Bicycles have been in Idaho since territorial days. Unlike horse drawn conveyances, bikes were not replaced by automobiles.
In May, 1911, the Boise Evening Capital News was effusive about the future of the bicycle. “No question about it—the bicycle is coming into its own again. Its fine record in the war, its many-sided utility in modern business, its wonderful influence for health, coupled with its undoubted economy and convenience—all have combined to make it even more desirable than before.”
A.P. Tyler, the local Firestone dealer, was enthusiastic about bicycles and the “Non-Skid” tires Firestone was selling. “I look for a big year for the bicycle trade generally. (Bicycles) meet a distinct need in our modern life—as the only really practical self-propelled vehicle.”
Fast forward to 1982, when Idaho showed its love for bicycles in a unique way. The Legislature that year was revising traffic rules and decided to stop cluttering up judicial calendars with “technical violations” of traffic control devices, i.e., stop signs. That was the invention of a law that has become known as the Idaho Stop. Bike riders in Idaho can treat a stop sign the same way drivers treat a yield sign. That is if the coast is clear, they can roll right through it. A later revision to Idaho code made it legal for bike riders to treat a stop light the same way vehicle drivers treat a stop sign: Stop, check to see if the way is clear, then proceed.
Idaho led the way. Several towns and states have tried passing such a law over the years. Some succeeded, and some failed. In 2017, 35 years after Idaho, Delaware became the second U.S. state to pass an Idaho Stop law. Arkansas passed an “Idaho stop” law in 2019. In 2022, Colorado passed a law legalizing the practice statewide. Oregon, Washington, Utah, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Washington, DC have now passed similar laws.
Bicycles have been in Idaho since territorial days. Unlike horse drawn conveyances, bikes were not replaced by automobiles.
In May, 1911, the Boise Evening Capital News was effusive about the future of the bicycle. “No question about it—the bicycle is coming into its own again. Its fine record in the war, its many-sided utility in modern business, its wonderful influence for health, coupled with its undoubted economy and convenience—all have combined to make it even more desirable than before.”
A.P. Tyler, the local Firestone dealer, was enthusiastic about bicycles and the “Non-Skid” tires Firestone was selling. “I look for a big year for the bicycle trade generally. (Bicycles) meet a distinct need in our modern life—as the only really practical self-propelled vehicle.”
Fast forward to 1982, when Idaho showed its love for bicycles in a unique way. The Legislature that year was revising traffic rules and decided to stop cluttering up judicial calendars with “technical violations” of traffic control devices, i.e., stop signs. That was the invention of a law that has become known as the Idaho Stop. Bike riders in Idaho can treat a stop sign the same way drivers treat a yield sign. That is if the coast is clear, they can roll right through it. A later revision to Idaho code made it legal for bike riders to treat a stop light the same way vehicle drivers treat a stop sign: Stop, check to see if the way is clear, then proceed.
Idaho led the way. Several towns and states have tried passing such a law over the years. Some succeeded, and some failed. In 2017, 35 years after Idaho, Delaware became the second U.S. state to pass an Idaho Stop law. Arkansas passed an “Idaho stop” law in 2019. In 2022, Colorado passed a law legalizing the practice statewide. Oregon, Washington, Utah, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Washington, DC have now passed similar laws.
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