Portland courts and law enforcement officials are in a state of confusion about whether or not fixed-gear bicycles should be required to have a separate hand brake.
Judges have come down on both sides of the issue but some Portland police officers continue to issue citations.
A change in the law was sought by local bike lawyer Mark Ginsberg and southern Oregon Senator Jason Atkinson in 2007. Senate Bill 729 would have clarified the existing bicycle brake equipment requirement so that fixed-gear bicycles would not have needed an additional brake (as long as they meet the performance standard).
Unfortunately, the fixed-gear language was stripped from the bill by one pivotal lawmaker (Senator Ginny Burdick) at the 11th hour and the issue persists.
KATU, Portland’s ABC affiliate, ran a special “On Your Side” report last night on the fixed-gear bicycle brake issue. The story was given the headline of “Are brakeless bikes safe to ride?”. Of course “brakeless” bikes are not safe. But are fixed-geared bikes technically brakeless? That depends on your definition of brake and it seems … Read more
Senator Ginny Burdick accepted an Alice Award in March.(File photo) In a conference committee in Salem today, Senator Ginny Burdick decided that Senate Bill 729 — which sought to update Oregon’s law regarding bicycle brake requirements — will move forward without a key phrase that would have allowed fixed-gear bicycles to not be required to … Read more
There’s been a surprising turn of events in the fixed-gear brake saga. Last week I reported that the effort to clarify the bicycle brake requirement so that fixed-gear bicycles don’t need to have an additional brake was on its way to becoming Oregon law. The bill (S.B. 729) has passed the Senate and the House … Read more
The case that started it all.Mark Ginsberg defends Ayla Holland in July ’06.(File photo) The Oregonian has the word from Salem on the fixed gear bill. 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 … Read more
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.
BTA lobbyist Scott Bricker reports that Senate Bill 729, which seeks to amend the brake requirement for bicycles, passed through the Senate in Salem today by a landslide margin of 22-6.
Mark Ginsberg and Hazel Gross arrive at the State Capitol to testifyin support of the fixie bill. Senate Bill 729, which intends to clean up Oregon law regarding the brake requirement for bicycles and add an exception for fixed gear bicycles, took a step toward becoming law today. The bill received a hearing in front … Read more
This coming Tuesday, Salem lawmakers are holding a public hearing on Senate Bill 729. SB 729 is the “fixie bill” that is being proposed to clarify the legal language and shore up confusion around how the bicycle equipment requirement (ORS 815.280) should pertain to fixed-gear bicycles. Since Ayla Holland’s seminal case last July there has … Read more
A reader recently sent me a a German news story about police and fixed-gear bicycles. Judging by the photos accompanying the story (below), he suspected (hoped) it was about how some German cops were riding fixed-gear bicycles on their bike patrols. This would be in direct contrast to Portland cops who issue citations to cyclists … Read more
Dabby, (a veteran Portland messenger and regular commenter) just sent me an interesting bit of news. The Washington Area Bicyclists Association, an advocacy group in DC, has worked with the Washington DC Department of Transportation to amend their law to explicitly allow fixed gear bicycles to be used without separate hand brakes.
As I write this, bike lawyer Mark Ginsberg is doing battle in the Multnomah County Courthouse in downtown Portland. He is fighting the questionable tickets of ten cyclists. BikePortland.org correspondent Elly Blue was there this morning and said that unfortunately the judge of the day is Gregg Lowe, the same guy who upheld the fixed-gear … Read more
[Officer Brett Barnum taking the oath at the Ayla Holland trial.] Officer Brett Barnum of the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division has been at the center of the fixed gear enforcement issue. He was the officer who convinced a traffic court judge to uphold his citation of Ayla Holland back on July 28th (the case … Read more