Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB511 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3		EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4		[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5		-	Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
6		-	Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
7		-	amendment.
8	5		hb0511
9	6
10	7		HOUSE BILL 511
11	8		R5 4lr1964
12		-	HB 1289/23 – ENT CF ~~SB 826~~
	9	+	HB 1289/23 – ENT CF 4lr3361
13	10		By: Delegates Boyce and Embry
14	11		Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2024
15	12		Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
16		-	Committee Report: Favorable
17		-	House action: Adopted
18		-	Read second time: March 2, 2024
19	13
20		-	~~CHAPTER ______~~
	14	+	A BILL ENTITLED
21	15
22	16		AN ACT concerning 1
23	17
24	18		Vehicle Laws – Bicycles – Operation at Intersections 2
25	19
26	20		FOR the purpose of authorizing a person operating a bicycle that is approaching a stop sign 3
27	21		at an intersection on certain highways to cautiously make a turn or proceed through 4
28	22		the intersection without stopping if the person reduces the speed of the bicycle to a 5
29	23		reasonable rate and yields the right–of–way to certain vehicles under certain 6
30	24		circumstances; and generally relating to the operation of bicycles on highways. 7
31	25
32	26		BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
33	27		Article – Transportation 9
34	28		Section 21–707 and 21–1202 10
35	29		Annotated Code of Maryland 11
36	30		(2020 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 12
37	31
38	32		SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
39	33		That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
40	34
41	35		Article – Transportation 15
42	36
43	37		21–707. 16
44	38
45	39		(a) [Unless] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C–1) OF THIS SECTION, 17
46	40		AND UNLESS otherwise directed by a police officer or traffic control signal, the driver of a 18
47	41		vehicle approaching a stop sign at an intersection shall stop at the near side of the 19
48		-	intersection at a clearly marked stop line. 20 2 HOUSE BILL 511
	42	+	intersection at a clearly marked stop line. 20
	43	+
	44	+	(b) [Unless] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C–1) OF THIS SECTION, 21
	45	+	AND UNLESS otherwise directed by a police officer or traffic control signal, the driver of a 22
	46	+	vehicle approaching a stop sign at an intersection shall stop at the near side of the 23
	47	+	intersection and, if there is no clearly marked stop line, before entering any crosswalk. 24 2 HOUSE BILL 511
49	48
50	49
51	50
52		-	(b) [Unless] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C–1) OF THIS SECTION, 1
	51	+	(c) [Unless] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C–1) OF THIS SECTION, 1
53	52		AND UNLESS otherwise directed by a police officer or traffic control signal, the driver of a 2
54		-	vehicle approaching a stop sign at an intersection shall stop at the near side of the 3
55		-	intersection and, if there is no clearly marked stop line, before entering any crosswalk. 4
	53	+	vehicle approaching a stop sign at an intersection shall stop at the near side of an 3
	54	+	intersection and, if there is no crosswalk, at the nearest point before entering the 4
	55	+	intersection that gives the driver a view of traffic approaching on the intersecting roadway. 5
56	56
57		-	(c) [Unless] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C–1) OF THIS SECTION, 5
58		-	AND UNLESS otherwise directed by a police officer or traffic control signal, the driver of a 6
59		-	vehicle approaching a stop sign at an intersection shall stop at the near side of an 7
60		-	intersection and, if there is no crosswalk, at the nearest point before entering the 8
61		-	intersection that gives the driver a view of traffic approaching on the intersecting roadway. 9
	57	+	(C–1) WHEN APPROACHING A ST OP SIGN AT AN INTERS ECTION WITH A 6
	58	+	HIGHWAY WITH TWO OR FEWER LANES FOR MOVING TRAFFIC , A PERSON OPERATING 7
	59	+	A BICYCLE MAY CAUTIO USLY MAKE A TURN OR PROCEED THROUGH THE 8
	60	+	INTERSECTION WITHOUT STOPPING IF THE PERS ON OPERATING THE BIC YCLE: 9
62	61
63		-	(C–1) WHEN APPROACHING A ST OP SIGN AT AN INTERSECTION WITH A 10
64		-	HIGHWAY WITH TWO OR FEWER LANES FOR MOVI NG TRAFFIC, A PERSON OPERATING 11
65		-	A BICYCLE MAY CAUTIO USLY MAKE A TURN OR PROCEED THROUGH THE 12
66		-	INTERSECTION WITHOUT STOPPING IF THE PERS ON OPERATING THE BIC YCLE: 13
	62	+	(1) REDUCES THE SPEED OF THE BICYCLE TO A REA SONABLE RATE ; 10
	63	+	AND 11
	64	+
	65	+	(2) YIELDS THE RIGHT –OF–WAY TO: 12
	66	+
	67	+	(I) ANY VEHICLE IN THE IN TERSECTION; AND 13
	68	+
	69	+	(II) ANY APPROACHING VEHIC LE ON ANOTHER HIGHWA Y THAT 14
	70	+	IS NEAR ENOUGH TO TH E INTERSECTION THAT IT POSES AN IMMEDIAT E DANGER. 15
	71	+
	72	+	(d) The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign at an intersection, if required 16
	73	+	for safety to stop, shall stop at the near side of the intersection at a clearly marked stop 17
	74	+	line. 18
	75	+
	76	+	(e) The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign at an intersection, if required 19
	77	+	for safety to stop, shall stop at the near side of the intersection and, if there is no clearly 20
	78	+	marked stop line, before entering any crosswalk. 21
	79	+
	80	+	(f) The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign at an intersection, if required 22
	81	+	for safety to stop, shall stop at the near side of the intersection and, if there is no crosswalk, 23
	82	+	at the nearest point before entering the intersection that gives the driver a view of traffic 24
	83	+	approaching on the intersecting roadway. 25
	84	+
	85	+	21–1202. 26
	86	+
	87	+	(a) Every person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter in a public bicycle area 27
	88	+	has all the rights granted to and is subject to all the duties required of the driver of a vehicle 28
	89	+	by this title, including the duties set forth in § 21–504 of this title, except: 29
	90	+
	91	+	(1) As otherwise provided in this subtitle; and 30
	92	+
	93	+	(2) For those provisions of this title that by their very nature cannot apply. 31
	94	+
	95	+	(b) (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a person has the 32 HOUSE BILL 511 3
	96	+
	97	+
	98	+	rights and is subject to the restrictions applicable to pedestrians under this title while the 1
	99	+	person is lawfully operating a bicycle, play vehicle, or unicycle: 2
	100	+
	101	+	(i) On a sidewalk or sidewalk area; or 3
	102	+
	103	+	(ii) In or through a crosswalk. 4
	104	+
	105	+	(2) At an intersection, a person operating a bicycle, play vehicle, or unicycle 5
	106	+	is subject to all traffic control signals, as provided in §§ 21–202 and 21–203 of this title. 6
	107	+
	108	+	(3) Section 21–506 of this title does not apply to a person operating a 7
	109	+	bicycle, play vehicle, or unicycle. 8
	110	+
	111	+	(C) NOTWITHSTANDING § 21–707(A) THROUGH (C) OF THIS TITLE, WHEN 9
	112	+	APPROACHING A STOP S IGN AT AN INTERSECTI ON WITH A HIGHWAY WITH TWO OR 10
	113	+	FEWER LANES FOR MOVI NG TRAFFIC, A PERSON OPERATING A BICYCLE MAY 11
	114	+	CAUTIOUSLY MAKE A TU RN OR PROCEED THROUG H THE INTERSECTION W ITHOUT 12
	115	+	STOPPING IF THE PERS ON OPERATING THE BIC YCLE: 13
67	116
68	117		(1) REDUCES THE SPEED OF THE BICYCLE TO A REA SONABLE RATE; 14
69	118		AND 15
70	119
71	120		(2) YIELDS THE RIGHT –OF–WAY TO: 16
72	121
73	122		(I) ANY VEHICLE IN THE IN TERSECTION; AND 17
74	123
75	124		(II) ANY APPROACHING VEHIC LE ON ANOTHER HIGHWA Y THAT 18
76	125		IS NEAR ENOUGH TO TH E INTERSECTION THAT IT POSES AN IMMEDIAT E DANGER. 19
77	126
78		-	(d) The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign at an intersection, if required 20
79		-	for safety to stop, shall stop at the near side of the intersection at a clearly marked stop 21
80		-	line. 22
81		-
82		-	(e) The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign at an intersection, if required 23
83		-	for safety to stop, shall stop at the near side of the intersection and, if there is no clearly 24
84		-	marked stop line, before entering any crosswalk. 25
85		-
86		-	(f) The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign at an intersection, if required 26
87		-	for safety to stop, shall stop at the near side of the intersection and, if there is no crosswalk, 27
88		-	at the nearest point before entering the intersection that gives the driver a view of traffic 28
89		-	approaching on the intersecting roadway. 29
90		-
91		-	21–1202. 30
92		-
93		-	(a) Every person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter in a public bicycle area 31
94		-	has all the rights granted to and is subject to all the duties required of the driver of a vehicle 32
95		-	by this title, including the duties set forth in § 21–504 of this title, except: 33 HOUSE BILL 511 3
96		-
97		-
98		-
99		-	(1) As otherwise provided in this subtitle; and 1
100		-
101		-	(2) For those provisions of this title that by their very nature cannot apply. 2
102		-
103		-	(b) (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a person has the 3
104		-	rights and is subject to the restrictions applicable to pedestrians under this title while the 4
105		-	person is lawfully operating a bicycle, play vehicle, or unicycle: 5
106		-
107		-	(i) On a sidewalk or sidewalk area; or 6
108		-
109		-	(ii) In or through a crosswalk. 7
110		-
111		-	(2) At an intersection, a person operating a bicycle, play vehicle, or unicycle 8
112		-	is subject to all traffic control signals, as provided in §§ 21–202 and 21–203 of this title. 9
113		-
114		-	(3) Section 21–506 of this title does not apply to a person operating a 10
115		-	bicycle, play vehicle, or unicycle. 11
116		-
117		-	(C) NOTWITHSTANDING § 21–707(A) THROUGH (C) OF THIS TITLE, WHEN 12
118		-	APPROACHING A STOP S IGN AT AN INTERSECTI ON WITH A HIGHWAY WI TH TWO OR 13
119		-	FEWER LANES FOR MOVI NG TRAFFIC, A PERSON OPERATING A BICYCLE MAY 14
120		-	CAUTIOUSLY MAKE A TU RN OR PROCEED THROUG H THE INTERSECTION W ITHOUT 15
121		-	STOPPING IF THE PERS ON OPERATING THE BIC YCLE: 16
122		-
123		-	(1) REDUCES THE SPEED OF THE BICYCLE TO A REA SONABLE RATE ; 17
124		-	AND 18
125		-
126		-	(2) YIELDS THE RIGHT –OF–WAY TO: 19
127		-
128		-	(I) ANY VEHICLE IN THE IN TERSECTION; AND 20
129		-
130		-	(II) ANY APPROACHING VEHIC LE ON ANOTHER HIGHWA Y THAT 21
131		-	IS NEAR ENOUGH TO TH E INTERSECTION THAT IT POSES AN IMMEDIATE DANGER . 22
132		-
133		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 23
134		-	October 1, 2024. 24
	127	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENA CTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
	128	+	October 1, 2024. 21
135	129