Self-described web developer, musician and bike geek T. J. VanSlyke, a Portland resident, has a track on his new album about the Idaho Stop law. VanSlyke describes his music as "white-boy electro rap" and the "Idaho Stop" track appears on his album "I Sold Out But No One Bought Me."
Before sharing some of the song's lyrics, here's some background on the Idaho Stop for all of you who are not familiar... (more...)
The Portland Mercury's Matt Davis is reporting that House Representative Jules Bailey (D-SE Portland) places blame for the demise of the Idaho Stop law on the way the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) handled the departure of Karl Rohde.
In an update to a story published yesterday on the Mercury blog, Davis reports that Bailey, the bill's main sponsor, said there was a "little bit of a disconnect" when Rohde was let go by the BTA and that it created "enough of a lag" that Bailey (and others) decided to "let it go and try again next season."
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"...they [legislators] had heard from a number of constituents who were very concerned and opposed to giving cyclists what they viewed as special rights."
--Doug Parrow, Chair of the BTA's Legislative Committee
An effort to pass the "Idaho Stop Law" in Oregon has officially ceased all forward motion.
I confirmed this morning from Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) legislative committee chair Doug Parrow that they were not able to convince a key legislator to schedule a work session on HB 2690. As a consequence, the BTA will move onto other bills and shelve the Idaho Stop idea for now. (more...)
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is working feverishly to garner more support for the Idaho Stop Law (HB 2690) with legislators in Salem.
According to BTA Executive Director and lobbyist Scott Bricker, the Chair of the House Transportation Committee has given him a significant hurdle -- line up 31 "yes" votes from House members (the number it would need to pass) or the bill will die in committee.
Committee Chair Terry Beyer (D-Springfield) holds the future of the bill in her hands because she is the only one who can schedule the all-important work session the bill needs in order to be voted on by the committee and then forwarded to the full House. The deadline for her to schedule that work session is tomorrow. (more...)
Lots of stop sign news at BikePortland headquarters today.
I spent my morning out at SE Water and Caruthers where city crews recently removed two stop signs that were deemed unnecessary, I just got off the phone with Traffic Division Lieutenant Bryan Parman about an "enforcement mission" (a.k.a. sting) at a stop sign on SE Clinton this morning, and I have been planning an update on the BTA's Idaho Stop legislation. (more...)
One surprise at the Idaho Stop bill hearing two weeks ago was outright opposition from an unexpected quarter -- the city of Eugene.
BikePortland obtained a copy of a letter in opposition from Lee Shoemaker, Eugene's bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, outlining his concerns with the bill's effect on road safety, particularly for young people on bicycles.
We just received word that the City of Eugene has decided to change this position. Instead of opposing the bill, the city will now take a neutral stance. (more...)
Last week, when the Idaho Stop Law bill -- which would allow bikes to treat stop signs as yields (adopting a law similar to one already on the books in Idaho) -- was in its first hearing down in Salem, one surprise that emerged was a letter of opposition sent from the City of Eugene to the House Transportation Committee.
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance's government affairs director Karl Rohde said he was "surprised" about Eugene's move. Rohde told me this morning that none of the people the BTA works with in Eugene had warned him that there might be opposition to the bill.
Rohde said Eugene's opposition to the bill also came as a surprise to BTA board member and Eugene resident Paul Adkins (Adkins is also president of Eugene's local bike advovacy group, the Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARs)).
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[Update, 10:50am: According to a comment from Karl Rohde of the BTA, the work session has been delayed for a few weeks.]
The House Transportation Committee has scheduled a work session for the Idaho Stop law proposal (HB 2690).
The work session will take place this Wednesday (3/25) and the BTA's government affairs director and lobbyist Karl Rohde says it's very likely a vote will also take place.
I spoke with Rohde about the news this morning. Just yesterday, he expressed major concerns that biased and inaccurate media coverage of the bill was jeopardizing its chances.
Rohde said that scheduling a work session means that committee Chair Terry Beyer feels strongly enough about the bill that she's willing to discuss it further. Work sessions are closed to public testimony but Rohde will be on hand to answer any questions that might arise from committee members. (more...)
Karl Rohde, the BTA lobbyist who is working on a bill in Salem that would allow bicycles to treat stop signs as yields (known as the "Idaho Stop law"), tells us that the fate of the bill hangs in the balance. (The bill received its first committee hearing yesterday).
According to Rohde -- who called me from Salem with this update -- several legislators have informed him that HB 2690 is in jeopardy because their constituents are expressing opposition to the bill after several negative and/or inaccurate news reports have come out since yesterday. Those media stories have stoked a wave of concerned calls and emails to legislator's offices. (more...)
Below is the full, prepared text of Karl Rohde's testimony in front of the House Transportation Committee yesterday on behalf of the Idaho Stop law. Rohde is in charge of the BTA's government affairs and he is their lobbyist in Salem.
(For a full report from that hearing, read our story from yesterday.)
Chair Beyer and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today in support of House Bill 2690, the “Idaho Style Stop Law”. For the record, I am Karl Rohde, Government Relations and Public Affairs for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.
(more...)
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