Freedom to Free-flow
Since the power and speed of the bicycle is self-generated, barriers and discouragements to cycling include dangerous-to-cross and impassable highways, detours, one-way streets, and frequent stops. Avoiding requiring cyclists to stop and take long detours may increase the likelihood of people cycling to more places. Measures can include, for example, relaxing requirements for cyclists to stop at stop signs and red lights, or letting cyclists ride in both directions where cars may not. At least in a western context, there are several examples where requirements have been relaxed. In Idaho and Delaware, for example, a law commonly called “Idaho Stop” has been implemented, that allows cyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign, and a red light as a stop sign. In countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Austria and France, where one-way streets are barriers to cycling, “Bikes Free” has been posted, giving cyclists the right to ride counter-flow.