The traffic is designed for cars, which makes many red stops for bicycles completely stupid.
In a bicycle you just have too much more control and awareness than in a car, so if the way is completely clear, you should be allowed to stop, look if the way is clear, and then run reds.
Of course, this does increase the chances of hitting pedestrians a little bit. But the risk change feels so little that it would be worth it. Studies quoted by Wikipedia corroborate. It just feels extremely unintuitive to make cyclists stop in certain places when the street is clear.
- www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/oct/27/cyclists-run-red-lights-paris-london-san-francisco Should cyclists be allowed to run red lights? by The Guardian 2015
- www.vox.com/2014/5/9/5691098/why-cyclists-should-be-able-to-roll-through-stop-signs-and-ride