The 2023 legislative session in Colorado kicked off on January 9

What the bill will do:

This bill will take the language of Senate Bill 18-144, AKA “The Safety Stop Bill,” and:

1. Expand who may perform the Safety Stop to include not just bicyclists, but all people on “low-speed conveyances” (described below).
2. Allow pedestrians to cross stop sign controlled intersections without coming to a complete stop. 
3. Make the maneuver legal statewide. 

What is the Safety Stop?

The Safety Stop creates a safer way for low profile, non-motorized road users to cross at intersections when they have the right of way. The maneuver allows people on “low-speed conveyances” to:

• treat stop signs as yield signs.
• treat stop lights as stop signs.

The Safety Stop does not impact the current right-of-way whatsoever. People on bikes can proceed straight, right, or left at a reasonable speed of no more than 10 miles per hour only when the coast is clear. This applies only to bicyclists ages 15 and up. Younger bicyclists may do so when accompanied by an adult.

What is a low-speed conveyance?

Simply put, low-speed conveyances are small profile, low-speed vehicles that people use for transportation and recreation. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Bicycles and electric bicycles 
• Electric scooters (not including mopeds) 
• Wheelchairs
• Skateboards and “one wheels” 

When signed into law,  “low-speed conveyance” will be defined formally in statute.

Read testimony in favor of the bill delivered in front of the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee on Tuesday, March 15 by Bicycle Colorado’s Director of Communications and Policy, Jack Todd. 

When bicyclists are able to get out of the intersection and away from that conflict zone before a potential crash can even occur, their safety improves. Data included below backs that up. If signed into law, this bill will have a number of additional benefits, including the fact that it:

• is not just safety-enhancing policy, but cost-neutral, safety-enhancing policy. The Safety Stop is proven to reduce interactions between motorists and people outside of cars, including crashes.
• will encourage people to choose non-car modes of transportation, protecting and enhancing our air quality.
• will attract tourism and increase livability, as shown by the Colorado communities such as Aspen, Breckenridge, Englewood, Thornton and others that have already adopted it.
• decriminalizes a common-sense behavior and allows law enforcement to focus resources on bigger, more pressing issues
• creates more uniformity in Colorado law for people who need to (or choose to) use non-car modes of transportation

Recent data out of Delaware, which legalized the maneuver at stop signs in 2017, shows a 23% decrease in crashes in intersections in the 30 months after adoption compared to the 30 months prior. The safety benefits are clear. Now more than ever, as Coloradans continue to discover and rediscover bicycling in record numbers, we need to pass the safety-enhancing legislation.

Finally, Colorado’s current system for adopting the Safety Stop on a community-by-community basis creates a dangerous patchwork of places where this is and is not allowed. It is unrealistic to expect bicyclists to know where they can and cannot do this maneuver legally, and statewide adoption eliminates that confusion. Adoption statewide also signifies an important step in creating consistent, uniform bike laws across the state, which is essential for encouraging bicycling as a sensible, safe and sustainable form of transportation.

Where is the Safety Stop in place?

In Colorado:

• Aspen
• Berthoud
• Breckenridge
• Dillon
• Englewood
• Summit County
• Thornton

Nationwide:

• Idaho – since 1982!
• Delaware – 2017, unanimously reaffirmed by legislature in 2021
• Arkansas – 2019
• Oregon – 2019
• Washington – 2020
• North Dakota – 2021
• Utah – 2021
• Oklahoma – 2021

Bolded communities above indicate communities that adopted after our 2018 law was enacted. 

The Powerline Trails bill will make it easier for communities to partner with their utility providers to build long-distance multimodal walking, hiking, and bicycling paths underneath these powerlines. This doubles the value of these community assets and makes use of under-utilized land.

Read testimony in favor of the bill delivered in front of the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee on Tuesday, March 15 by Bicycle Colorado’s Director of Government Relations, Piep van Heuven. 

Similar to “rail trails” along old railroad easements, these powerline trails:

• Bring outdoor recreation tourism to rural areas of the state
• Provide a network of safe and fun routes for work, school, or play, away from car traffic
• Reduce the land acquisition cost of new multimodal paths through public/private partnerships
• Improve sustainability and community connection

Learn more about the Powerline Trails bill by clicking here.