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6/20: Hello readers and friends. I am having my second (of two) total knee replacement surgeries today so I'll be out of commission for a bit while I recover. Please be patient while I get back to full health. I hope to be back to posting as soon as I can. I look forward to getting back out there. 🙏. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor
You can also read about the BTA’s legislative efforts on their website.
Coming to Oregon in a few days?Photo: Todd Boulanger Here’s a heads up on Oregon’s Share the Road license plate bill (S.B. 789) from BTA lobbyist Scott Bricker. He just called from Salem to remind us that the bill has come a long way since I wrote about it last month. It has made it … Read more
House Bill 3314 — which would create a new offense for anyone who inflicts serious injury or death upon a “vulnerable user” of a public way — passed the Senate Judiciary Committee today and is now one final vote away from becoming Oregon law. The bill passed the House two weeks ago and after its … Read more
Scott Bricker of the BTAdemonstrates the proposed pedestrian hand signal.File photo A bill that would give pedestrians a way to signal their intentions to cross a street without having to step out into traffic is stalled in the House Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 573 (text) will likely not move out for a full House vote … Read more
File photo As I reported yesterday, the fixed-gear brake bill is moving along nicely in Salem. What I didn’t mention was that an amendment has been added to the bill that will allow police bicycles to be equipped with a siren. Here’s the deal. Existing Oregon statute (ORS 815.280(b)) states that, “A person shall not … Read more
I mentioned in my legislation update earlier this week that the chances of the velodrome bill (S.B. 926) passing were slim. Now it seems like the final nail is in the coffin. Here’s what the Co-Chair of the Joint Ways and Means Committee recently said in response to a reader’s email:
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