About time. Hopefully, they will start ticketing those that ride on sidewalks. Only city where I've ever seen this tolerated.
John, do remember that biking on the sidewalks is legal in DC, outside of the core downtown area bounded by certain streets. Though it does require consideration on the part of cyclists as peds have the right of way there. But there are many streets where many may not feel safe riding in the street or there's no available lane. I do it all the time coming up the 16th Street hill next to Meridian Hill Park, so as not to draw the ire of the people who honk and scream at me in the right lane for going less than 40 mph.
My thinking on this is that, until there's a model regime for bicycle modifications to normal traffic laws, that basically bicyclists should obey the same laws as drivers throughout the city. However, I think that those particular stop signs on Haines Point should be specially marked (in all directions), saying that bicyclists making right turns do not have to stop. That seems like a safe way to allow cyclists to do laps, and it doesn't interfere with vehicles going to the golf course, or fishing, or whatever else over there.
For Pete's sake. Traffic laws shouldn't apply to cyclists if they can break them safely? Does that mean if I feel a speed limit is set to low, it's okay for me to go an extra 5 or 10mph and I can whine about it if I get a ticket? The self-entitled nature of some cyclists is disturbing.
Well, yes. If there is no reason for a cyclist to follow a law designed for cars, why not exempt them? That makes perfect sense. I don't know if it really is safe, but the idea is sound. No, it doesn't mean you can speed, but it might mean the speed limit should be raised (and thanks for pointing out speeding, since car driverss routinely go 5-10 mph over the limit and loudly complain if they get a ticket).
Cars routinely run stop signs and red lights - I've almost been killed by a few while riding my bike. (Yes, I come to a full stop in the car and slow significantly on my bike) Cyclists don't pose that kind of risk unless they're riding really dangerously, and even then only to pedestrians. In the US, roads are designed exclusively for cars, often at the expense of cyclists' safety and convenience. Laws are written for cars with cyclists a mere afterthought. Consequently, there are times cyclists should be treated like a car because it makes sense, and times when they should not; rolling stops are just one of those times.
"I feel a speed limit is set to low, it's okay for me to go an extra 5 or 10mph and I can whine about it if I get a ticket? " This is the kind of practice many drivers already engage in, particularly with respect to speed cameras. So yeah, the self-entitled nature of some drivers is not only disturbing, but also unsafe.
John Jones