After Wednesday’s traffic enforcement action, there was some confusion about ticket amounts and whether or not a trackstand (when a cyclist stops, but keeps their feet in the pedals) qualified as a “complete stop” in the eyes of the fuzz.
Traffic division Commander Bill Sinnott wants to clear up the confusion…
You may recall OPB reported that “The tickets will cost the two wheelers $94 and the motorists $274.” They got it right but Sinnott actually misspoke. The fact is that bikes and motor vehicles both get $274 tickets. Sinnott said he’s sorry for the confusion this caused.
And there was a flurry of emails going around about whether or not trackstands are considered legal…or if it was required to put a foot down to avoid a ticket. Here’s what Sinnott says:
“Trackstands are fine. The law requires the wheels to stop moving in order to be considered a stop. However, it’s very rare for a police officer to cite someone just because the wheels don’t “completely” cease movement.” (This doesn’t mean you can roll stop signs!)
So there you have it folks, “straight from the horses mouth” as they say. Big props to Bill for getting me this info and for having the integrity to admit a small error.