(Updated below) The Mercer Island police department has been kind enough to get back to me regarding where they're targeting stop-sign enforcement and what bicyclists should consider as a full stop.
Mercer Island police Cmdr. Leslie Burns says the department will concentrate its enforcement actions at locations where they get the most complaints.
For bicyclists running stop signs, that's been at 84th Avenue SE and SE 24th Street (the entrance to Luther Burbank Park) and the four-way stop at SE 24th Street and West Mercer Way.
That's not to say police won't hand out tickets elsewhere, but you can probably expect to see police targeting those two intersections. Cmdr. Burns' suggestion is to avoid those signed intersections, if possible, by staying on the I-90 bike path.
Don't need to clip out
(UPDATED) I got an email answer from Mercer Island Police Officer Ryan Parr, Bike Team leader, about this. He says:
“The second option that you discussed is what we are looking for (slow to stop forward motion, don’t clip out). It is unreasonable to expect the foot to come down. What we are targeting are cyclists that run through stop signs/lights without breaking cadence and without regard for looking out for other traffic.”
That sounds like a legitimate trackstand is going to work for cyclists on Mercer Island. Great news.
Earlier, Cmdr. Burns, herself a cyclist, tried to a get a ruling from the local judge who hears these traffic cases. He understandably declined to render an opinion outside of court, explaining that each case can be different.
Traffic code
Since bicycles are afforded all the rights and responsibilities of vehicles on public roads, she researched the Revised Code of Washington, which states that “a vehicle has to come to a complete stop.”
“That means that the wheels are not moving,” she said.
That's why police in some cities in this area will write up cyclists who do not unclip and touch a foot to the pavement at stop signs. Apparently Mercer Island police won't be issuing tickets for this.
Mercer Island crackdown
These questions came about because the city has launched a first-educate then-ticket enforcement policy for bicyclists and motorists on the island to reduce potential conflicts between the two this summer. For cyclists, it means stopping at all stop signs; for motorists it means safely passing bicyclists.
Cmdr. Burns says police officers also will be looking for and ticketing drivers who don't respect the cyclists' rights to the road.
Read also: “Mercer Island: Blow those stop signs and get a ticket”
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