H 7672Bikes & Pedestrians

Motor and Other Vehicles - Special Stops Required

This bill requires the state to install stop signs for cars where state highways cross bike paths.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 11, 2026Committee House State Government & Elections

Plain-English Summary

This legislation mandates that the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Traffic Safety Commission, install and maintain stop signs on all state highways where they intersect with a bike path. These signs will legally require drivers of motor vehicles to come to a complete stop at these crossings. The measure is designed to regulate traffic flow and manage the interaction between motor vehicles and cyclists at these specific intersections.

For younger readers

This new rule is about keeping people safe when they are riding bikes. Sometimes, a bike path crosses a big road where cars drive fast. This bill tells the people in charge of the roads that they must put up stop signs for the cars at these crossings. This means that when a car gets to a bike path, the driver has to stop completely to make sure no one is on a bike before they keep driving. This helps prevent accidents between cars and bikes.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Motor vehicle operatorsCyclistsDepartment of TransportationTraffic Safety CommissionPedestrians

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Prioritizes the safety of cyclists and pedestrians over the speed and convenience of motor vehicle traffic, aligning with goals to protect vulnerable road users.
Encourages the use of alternative, eco-friendly transportation methods by making bike paths safer and more accessible, which supports environmental sustainability.
Promotes equitable public spaces by ensuring that infrastructure serves the community's health and recreational needs rather than just serving car owners.
Could lead to increased police interactions and traffic stops for minor infractions, which disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
Allocates state funds to signage rather than investing in more robust infrastructure changes, such as protected overpasses or underpasses, which offer greater safety.
May create traffic congestion that disproportionately impacts working-class commuters who rely on personal vehicles to get to work in areas with poor public transit.

For Conservatives

Establishes clear, unambiguous rules for right-of-way at specific intersections, which supports the rule of law and orderly conduct on roadways.
Clarifies liability in the event of accidents involving vehicles and cyclists, potentially reducing frivolous litigation by establishing clear fault.
Fulfills the government's basic duty to maintain safe roadways and signage without creating a new, expensive bureaucracy or social program.
Impedes the freedom of movement for drivers by forcing traffic on state highways to stop for bike paths, potentially causing unnecessary delays.
Imposes costs on taxpayers for the manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of signs that some may view as unnecessary regulation.
Represents government overreach by prioritizing recreational cyclists over the primary purpose of highways, which is efficient motor vehicle transport.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 5 additions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 31-20 of the General Laws entitled "Special Stops Required" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 31-20-18. Posting bike path stop signs. The department of transportation, in coordination with the traffic safety commission, shall on all state highways, erect and maintain adequate signs requiring operators of motor vehicles to come to a complete stop because of the existence of an intersection of a bike path, and roadway, as defined in § 31-1-23.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.