On my ride there are four red lights and only two stop signs. The Stop signs I end up slowing down and coasting through for they are low cross traffic intersection (one is on the old Streetcar route through my part of town, that route goes along the River, a river that subsequent to the streetcar being built, was crossed by a bridge bypassing the whole route of the old Streetcar, but the stop sign remains 70 years after the Streetcar stop running).
On both stop signs it is NOT worth stopping unless an automobile is also in the intersection, if that is the case I stop. These stop signs are on streets that 50 year ago were busy, but have not been busy since at least the 1980s (and the old Streetcar route since the bridge was built in 1914). Both intersections provide a wide view of the cross street and its traffic so it is not a problem to slow down and continue once you see there is no traffic (when I go from the side streets where the stops signs exists, to the main street, where there is NO stop sign, I stop and wait for traffic to clear before i enter the main street). This is typical of most Stop Signs, low volume intersection one can coast through if you are careful.
As to the red lights, I stop if they are red, but ride through them if they are Green. There are at nasty intersections with to much cross traffic and turning traffic to go through when the light is red.
Remember the traffic rule, Stop signs are safer then Red lights. There have been numerous studies that shows that to be true (Studies where Stop Signs were replaced by Red Lights and the number of accidents increased tremulously and then dropped when converted back to stop signs). Red lights are installed for traffic flow not safety, thus you have to be careful when biking through a red light for the timing of the light is NOT geared for bicycles.
The reason Stop signs are safer then Red lights is that people assume if they have a green light, it is safe to go through the intersection. With a Stop Sign that assumption disappears and people tend to be more careful when they have to stop for a stop sign. Thus you have to be more careful with Red lights then Stop signs, for car drivers are less careful when it comes to Red lights then when it comes to stop signs.
My experience is you have to judge each intersection on a case by case basis. Many intersection, a person can "run" through, but many more you can not. Intersections with little cross traffic you can "Run" the red light or stop sign, after determining that no one is in the intersection. On the other hand, most intersections have extensive cross traffic and turning traffic, which you have to watch (and anticipate high speed traffic racing to run the red light themselves). You can "run" them, once you know who has the right of way under any combinations of signals. On the other hand in most cases you are better off stopping and either waiting for the Green light OR determine that the cross traffic is not moving and only then going through the intersection.
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