Gov. Jared Polis signed six bills on Wednesday, including measures seeking to end unlimited donations to school board candidates, allowing residents who lost homes in the December Boulder wildfires to keep their voter registration at their previous addresses, and permitting Colorado cyclists to ride through stop signs and red lights when it’s safe to do so.

The latter produced a quartet of lawmakers as well as advocates on bicycles, in celebration of the signing of House Bill 1028. The law became effective upon the governor’s signature in the afternoon signing ceremony.

Rules around the so-called “Idaho stop” will be printed in motor vehicle driver’s handbooks and an education campaign, to be spearheaded by the Department of Transportation, is also included in the legislation. Under the law, a person 15 years old or older, can ride or walk through an intersection at no more than 10 mph, without stopping if there is no traffic to yield to. For red lights, the cyclist must stop first and then can proceed if it’s safe to do so. For both stop signs and red lights, those under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.*

The law applies to more than just cyclists. It also applies to pedestrians or those on wheelchairs, skateboards or motorized scooters. But it’s cyclists that have been the chief advocates for the legislation. The General Assembly passed a version of the “Idaho stop” back in 2018, but that law was permissive and allowed local governments to decide on their own whether to allow it. Only seven jurisdictions adopted it, mostly in mountain communities. Advocates point out that the law actually makes the roads safer for cyclists, and there’s a boatload of data to back that up.

One study showed that the year after it was adopted in Idaho, the first state to do so, bicycle accidents dropped by 14.5%.

Cyclists gathered outside the state Capitol before the signing ceremony, riding (and in high winds) down to Sherman and 13th Street and back. 

Biking is healthy and a safe way to get places, Polis said prior to signing the bill. “This will give people confidence” that they will know what to do, added sponsor Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield. “It’s important to have laws around biking that are consistent statewide,” said Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder. Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, one of the Senate sponsors, added the law will match the practice of 90% of bicyclists. 

“Intersections are by far the most dangerous locations for bicyclists, in Colorado and elsewhere. When people on bikes are able to get out of the intersection and away from that conflict zone before a potential crash can even occur, their safety improves,” said Piep van Heuven, Bicycle Colorado’s director of government relations. “This new law is a statement that bicycles and similar transportation tools are different from cars, and should be treated differently in Colorado law.” 

Polis also signed into law on April 13:

House Bill 1060, sponsored by Denver Democrats Rep. Emily Sirota and Sen. Julie Gonzales. 

The bill, a multi-year effort by Sirota, caps individual contributions to school board candidates at $2,500 and at $25,000 for a small donor committee, such as a teachers’ union. 

School board candidates have been allowed to take in large campaign donations that dwarf what other elected officials are allowed. In 2021 alone, school board candidates took in 47 donations that exceeded $10,000 each in Denver; Adams, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer and Mesa counties; and the Cherry Creek School District. 

Senate Bill 152 allows those whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the Marshall fire last December to retain their home address for voter registration purposes, if the homeowner plans to rebuild or return to the home in the future.

Editor’s note: a previous version did not correctly describe how cyclists should proceed at red lights.