As a cyclist who doesn't wear a watch, I sometimes see red at red lights. I mean, come on, I have somewhere to be and I'm probably late!

Drivers surely can sympathize. One thing folks in vehicles don't experience is an overly long, at times interminable, wait at a red light. Sensors sense cars. Not so much with bikes. (There are exceptions, of course. Timed lights. Some roads, like Jefferson, that have sensors for bikes.)

But a bill working its way through the Washington state legislature may rectify this miscarriage of justice. Substitute Senate Bill 5438 would allow cyclists to run red lights. Spokane state Sen. Andy Billig, a Democrat, is a sponsor.

There are some caveats, of course. The cyclist has to come to a full stop and sit through an entire rotation of lights before running the red light.

Here's a video from KING-5 about the bill.

The bill's language is below:

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the operator of a bicycle, moped, or street legal motorcycle approaching an intersection, including a left turn intersection, that is controlled by a triggered traffic control signal using a vehicle detection device that is inoperative due to the size or composition of the bicycle, moped, or street legal motorcycle shall come to a full and complete stop at the intersection. If the traffic control signal, including the left turn signal, as appropriate, fails to operate after one cycle of the traffic signal, the operator may, after exercising due care, proceed directly through the intersection or proceed to turn left, as appropriate. It is not a defense to a violation of RCW 46.61.050 that the operator of a bicycle, moped, or motorcycle proceeded under the belief that a traffic control signal used a vehicle detection device or was inoperative due  to the size or composition of the bicycle, moped, or motorcycle when the signal did not use a vehicle detection device or that any such device was not in fact inoperative due to the size or composition of the bicycle, moped, or motorcycle. For purposes of this section, "bicycle" includes a bicycle, as defined in RCW 46.04.071, and an 5 electric-assisted bicycle, as defined in RCW 46.04.169.  

Many thanks to the SRTC Transportation blog for alerting me to this bill and coming up with a better lede.