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
The BTA’s man in Salem, Scott Bricker, has an update on the Share the Road license plate bill:
Catherine Ciarlo.(Photo courtesy Catherine Ciarlo) This Wednesday, City Council will appoint two new members to the Portland Planning Commission. One of those seats will go to former Executive Director of the Bicycle Transporation Alliance, Catherine Ciarlo. Ciarlo — who is also on the board of the Coalition for a Livable Future Cycle Oregon — led … 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
It has come down to the final stretch for one of the BTA’s last remaining pieces of legislation. They have worked hard to craft a sensible proposal and move it through the system. Now, H.B. 3314 awaits just one final vote on the Senate floor before becoming law.
Oregon state capitol in Salem.(File photo) Before a bill becomes law, it must first pass through both House and Senate committees. If a bill doesn’t move out of committee (and onto a floor vote) it is dead. Today was the final day for bills to pass out of committee so I figured it’d be a … Read more
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: