You can also read about the BTA’s legislative efforts on their website.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer at a reception this morning on Capitol Hill.(Photo © J. Maus) When the Bike Commuter Benefit Act passed back in October, it was somewhat of a shallow victory for advocates who had pushed for its passage for seven long years. Not only did it pass as a ploy to build support for … Read more
Oregon state Senator Sal Esquivel It has been interesting to follow the widespread discussion spurred by the proposal in the Oregon legislature that would establish a $54, mandatory bike registration fee in Oregon. Even though the bill is highly unlikely to pass, it has drawn the attention of advocates, the media, and citizens like few … Read more
This story is part of our special 2009 National Bike Summit coverage (sponsored by Planet Bike). For more coverage, follow BikePortland on Twitter and browse the latest photos in our Bike Summit photo gallery. Rep. Doris Matsui wants to slay the evil, bloated, highway dragon.(Photos © J. Maus) With a commitment to focus on livable … Read more
“This is an opportunity for the bicyclists to start contributing to our roads… everybody needs to contribute to what’s there… if there were not bicycles we wouldn’t need bicycle lanes.” — Rep. Wayne Krieger Representative Wayne Krieger (R-Gold Beach) wants everyone who owns a bicycle in the state of Oregon to pay a mandatory, $54 … Read more
Rep. Wayne Krieger is one of the bill’s sponsors. Four members of Oregon’s House of Representatives have put forward a new bill that would require all bicycles in Oregon to be registered. House Bill 3008 would establish a “bicycle registration and licensing system.” The bill would also create new offenses for altering bicycle serial numbers … Read more
(Photo © J. Maus) The BTA’s proposal for an Idaho-style stop sign law will get its first public hearing and committee vote later this month. BTA lobbyist Karl Rohde told me this morning that the bill, HB 2690, is scheduled to go in front of the House Transportation Committee at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March … Read more
Idaho-style law fails in Arizona. Will Oregon be any different?(Photos © J. Maus) Arizona’s attempt to adopt an “Idaho-style” stop sign law for bikes has come to a complete stop. According to an article published yesterday in the Tucson Citizen, the bill — which would have changed Arizona’s stop sign law to permit bicycles to … Read more
She would have gotten a lower traffic fine had Bailey’s bill moved forward.(Photo © J. Maus) Last week we reported on State Representative Jules Bailey‘s proposed bill to create a new vehicle weight class that would include bicycles and to base traffic fine amounts on the weight class of offenders’ vehicles. If passed, the law … Read more
State Rep. Jules Bailey Newly elected Oregon State Representative from Southeast Portland, Jules Bailey, has introduced a bill into the legislature that would create a new vehicle weight class for non-motorized vehicles weighing under 50 pounds — such as bicycles (we think that weight might be too low with some of today’s new cargo bikes, … Read more
Getting paid to ride to work isn’t that easy…yet.(Photo © J. Maus) I’ve gotten many emails over the past few weeks wondering why I haven’t covered the Bike Commute Tax Benefit that became law on January 1. One reason is that I’m just not all that enthused about it; and it turns out I’m not … Read more
The Frequently Asked Questions below were developed by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) as supporting material for their Idaho Stop Law proposal. Frequently Asked Questions What would this law do? This law would make it legal for bicyclists to treat stop signs like yield signs. A cyclist approaching an intersection controlled by a stop sign, … Read more
The BTA hopes to make it legal to roll through stop signs.(Photos © J. Maus) The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), a Portland-based non-profit with over 5,000 members statewide, has proposed a new law that would make it legal to roll through a stop sign while riding a bicycle in Oregon. In an interview this afternoon, … Read more