You can also read about the BTA’s legislative efforts on their website.
Senate Bill 729, which seeks to clarify the existing bicycle brake requirement so that fixed-gear bicycles don’t need an additional brake (as long as they meet the performance standard), got its first hearing on the House side of the capitol in Salem this morning.
The 2007 legislative session in Salem has been a busy one for bike bills. Here’s a rundown of where things stand on the ones I’ve been following. House Bill 3314 – Vulnerable Users of a Public Right of Way This bill (text), which seeks to create a new offense for inflicting serious injury or death … Read more
Senator Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point)testifies on behalf of S.B 926, while Steve Brown looks on.File photo: 3/29/07 Senate Bill 926, which seeks to use $3.5 million in state lottery funds to build three new velodromes in Oregon, is stalled on the desk of the Ways and Means Committee. The bill is awaiting referral to a … Read more
(Note: The title of this post was originally, “Benefits fraud may stymie progress on Bike Commuter Act.” I changed it to better reflect the situation.). I just got an email from Congressman Earl Blumenauer’s legislative assistant Katie Drennan. She said that although there is considerable momentum for the Bike Commuter Act (42 co-sponsors so far), … Read more
Rep. MacPherson, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee.Photo: State of OR The House Judiciary Committee voted 5-4 (along party lines) in favor the Vulnerable Roadway Users bill (H.B. 3314) this morning. The bill was passed with some significant amendments. The amendments change the base infraction from a Class A misdemeanor to a traffic violation payable … Read more
“What we are very interested in is moving the violator into a driver improvement program, which would include training, completion of community service, and a physical test for competency.”–BTA Board Member Doug Parrow, testifying in Salem yesterday. A bill backed by the BTA and the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition (WPC) that seeks to increase the penalty … Read more
The BTA’s “Vulnerable Roadway Users” bill (HB 3314 )will get a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Monday (4/23). I spoke with Scott Bricker about the bill this morning before he left for another day working the halls of Salem. According to Bricker, the bill targets vehicle operators that currently only have to pay … Read more
Bricker demonstrates the proposed pedestrian hand signal.File photo: 2/15/07 The BTA is working the halls of Salem right now to build support for Senate Bill 573. According to an action alert sent out by BTA lobbyist Scott Bricker yesterday, “The bill would allow pedestrians to use a hand signal to employ their right-of-way, rather than … Read more
I just got a phone call from BTA lobbyist Scott Bricker about a bill before lawmakers in Salem that would establish a Share the Road license plate for Oregon.
Iris Riggs at theOregon Bicycle Summit.File photo: 4/14/07 Important news from the Oregon Bicycle Summit… Iris Riggs (in photo) is Oregon’s first ever Bicycle Recreation Coordinator. She was hired last summer by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to help communities develop bicycle recreation resources, promote bicycle tourism, and more. According to the BTA, the … Read more
UPDATE (4/12, 9:50am): According to a commenter, this bill did not pass committee yesterday. It was only considered and was not voted on yet. I picked up the story from an OPB story that ran with the headline, “House Committee Approves Cyclist Memorial Signs Bill.” I regret the error and will keep you posted on … Read more
A bill that would require transportation departments to erect a memorial sign whenever “a cyclist is killed in an accident involving a motor vehicle” will get a hearing at the state capitol in Salem on Wednesday (4/11). So far, 14 lawmakers have signed on as sponsors of House Bill 3020, which was created in response … Read more
Comment of the Week: The public health angle should matter more