Below is the official statement on HB 2228 that Rep. Mitch Greenlick is sending out to people who’ve contacted him about the bill. The statement was preceeded by a form email from Greenlick’s Legislative Assistant Justin Freeman: Thank you for writing to express your concerns about HB 2228. Our goal in introducing this legislation was … Read more
“I appreciate that your intentions were good, but the facts do not support this bill. Please withdraw it.” — Mia Birk, in a letter to Rep. Greenlick about HB 2228 Let the education continue… Below is a letter written to Rep. Mitch Greenlick from Mia Birk. Birk is the former bicycle coordinator at the City … Read more
I Just want to quickly point out that there’s an alternative method for legislators to “start a conversation” on complex and/or potentially controversial issues (other than proposing a new law that would prohibit a popular and safe activity). The current legislative session has two such bills that I’m aware of… The first, which we covered … Read more
Oregon House Rep. Ben Cannon has weighed in, urging people to keep reactions civil.(Photo © J. Maus) Oregon House Representative Mitch Greenlick’s idea to start a discussion about child bike safety by proposing a new law (HB 2228) that would make transporting kids six and younger by bike illegal has resulted in a massive response. … Read more
House Bill 2228 would prohibit towing kids under six in a bike trailer.(Photo © J. Maus) The 2011 session of the Oregon State Legislature officially kicked off in Salem yesterday. While it’s too early for any significant action to have taken place, there are already some interesting bills that have emerged. Today, I’ll share two … Read more
They work for cars, but for bikes?(Photo © J. Maus) The House Committee on Transportation has put forward a legislative concept (soon to become an official bill) that would direct the Oregon Department of Transportation to conduct a study on the feasibility of bicycling licensing. The idea currently exists as Legislative Concept 1581 (LC 1581). … Read more
Going into the 2011 Oregon Legislative Session, two things are crystal clear: 1) We need more investment in transportation infrastructure, and 2) we don’t have any new revenue to pay for it. Looking to solve this problem, legislators seem to be getting creative. Last Friday, I shared a bill being put forward by House Representative … Read more
Rep. Jules Bailey(Photo © J. Maus) State Representative Jules Bailey (D-Portland) will support a bill in the 2011 legislative session that would amend the Oregon Constitution to make it easier to spend state revenue on transportation projects outside of the highway right-of-way. If the bill is passed by the legislature, it would be sent out … Read more
As we reported on Tuesday, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is using the upcoming legislative session as a rebuilding year. Coming off a rough session in 2009 and accepting the reality of Oregon’s economic situation, instead of pushing for major new laws or funding bills, the BTA will focus on two minor tweaks to laws … Read more
On December 8th, a committee of the Oregon State Legislature will hold a public hearing on a new legislative concept* that would make significant changes in the fees and legal procedures enacted when you receive a traffic citation (or any other type of citation). Legislative Concept 364 (LC 364, PDF here) has been in the … Read more
“We are coming out of a legislative session that really hurt us, so we need to rebuild our core support and rebuild our base in order to be able to pass something… particularly fighting the backlash and hatred that some folks feel about bicycles.” — Rob Sadowsky, BTA Executive Director With the 2011 Oregon legislative … Read more
Comment of the Week: How a $100 bike changed one person’s life