Karl Rohde(Photo) The changes keep coming at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA). According to the BTA’s Interim Executive Director Scott Bricker they’re set to hire former Lake Oswego City Councilor Karl Rohde to the newly created position of Interim Governmental/Public Affairs Director. Rohde will become the BTA’s main lobbyist in Salem, taking over the role … Read more
A bill that would have allowed bicyclists to yield at stop signs passed the Oregon House in 2003.(File photo) Continuing the discussion of whether or not Oregon should seek an Idaho-style, roll-and-go stop sign law for bicycles, I recently looked back at our previous flirtation with the idea. Back in the 2003 legislative session, Senator … Read more
I was surprised last week when Senator Floyd Prozanski introduced a vehicular homicide bill (SB 1058) with just a week left in the session. Knowing how long it takes to push a bill through the system, it was obvious the bill had no chance of passing. So what was the point? I wondered the same … Read more
Rep. Jerry Krummel(Photo: Krummel) State Representative Jerry Krummel (R-Wilsonville) is blaming House Democrats for killing HB 3020, a bill that would have directed the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain roadside memorial signs for pedestrians or bicyclists killed in motor vehicle collisions (upon application by a family member). Less than an hour after a … Read more
The bill was introduced ata rally in Salem yesterday.(Photo: Rep. Jerry Krummel) At a rally in Salem yesterday to bring attention to bike safety bills, Representative Tobias Read and Senator Floyd Prozanski introduced Senate Bill 1058. The bill would create the crime of vehicular homicide and make it punishable by a maximum of five years … Read more
Scott Bricker of the BTA at the State Capitol in Salem.(Photo © J. Maus) Finally. BTA lobbyist Scott Bricker — who worked tirelessly in Salem to garner support for this bill — shares the news that the Vulnerable Roadway User bill (HB 3314) got through its final hurdle this morning by passing a House concurrence … 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
[Updated 6/19/07, 7:47am] BTA lobbyist Scott Bricker just gave me a report from Salem. The Vulnerable Roadway User bill (H.B. 3314) got it’s vote on the Senate floor this morning and it passed easily by a margin 25-4. Mary O’Donnell, wife of the late Timothy O’Donnell who was killed earlier this month while riding his … Read more
Adams at Jefferson High last night.(He’s not sunburned, it’s just a bad photo.)(File photo) Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams is gearing up to launch a new transportation funding initiative. Last night at the Bicycle Master Plan open house in North Portland, he stopped by to drop a hint. As attendees filled out comment forms and … Read more
Nationally syndicated radio talk show host Lars Larson can usually be counted on for ranting against bicyclists, but now it seems he’s taking a cue from the Oregonian and showing his support for the Vulnerable Roadway Users bill. Case in point. I was forwarded an email from someone who claimed to have heard him speaking … 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
[Updated 6/14/07, 7:51pm][Updated 6/15/07, 1:15pm] A bill that seemed to come out of nowhere (I didn’t know about it until I read the Statesman Journal this morning) and that started out having nothing to do with bicycle safety, has passed the House, and is set to become Oregon’s first safe passing legislation that specifically protects … Read more