SB 130 would make these official.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Senate Bill 130 (text), which would add bicycle-only signals to Oregon’s list of traffic control devices, passed out of the House Committee on Transportation and Economic Development on Friday.

SB 130 passed the full Senate back in February and it’s now poised for a House vote and eventual passage into law.

Paul Mather, a highway division administrator for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), testified on behalf of the bill on Friday. In response to a question from Committee Chair Rep. Cliff Bentz about what benefits the bill might have for automobile drivers, Mathers said,[Read more…]

Bike traffic signal bill passed the Senate.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Senate Bill 130 (text), that would add green, yellow and red bicycle signals to Oregon’s list of officially accepted traffic control devices, has passed the Oregon Senate.

The ODOT-backed bill passed yesterday by a vote of 28-1. The only “no” vote came from Senator Jeff Kruse (R-Roseburg). The Oregonian reported via Twitter that Kruse decried “special perks for cyclists” as the reason for his opposition.

SB 130 got a public hearing on February 1st and the City of Portland’s head traffic signal staffer Peter Koonce testified on its behalf. Why is this bill so important? Here’s a snip from his testimony:[Read more…]

More bike signals ahead? Maybe.
(Photo © J. Maus)

As we reported yesterday, PBOT’s Signals and Street Lighting Division Manager, Peter Koonce, was in Salem yesterday to testify in support of a bill (SB 130) that would give official state backing to bicycle traffic signals. (ODOT is behind the bill, PBOT is supporting it.)

Below is the text of his testimony (emphasis mine)…

Chair Beyer and members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you this afternoon regarding Senate Bill 130. For the record, I am Peter Koonce, the Signal and Street Lighting Manager for the City of Portland’s Bureau of Transportation. [Read more…]

Bike traffic signals on the
agenda in Salem today.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Oregon State Legislature is getting down to business this week and there’s a bike-related bill that’s already getting some action. Senate Bill 130 (text) would add green, yellow and red bicycle signals to Oregon’s list of officially accepted traffic control devices. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is behind the bill and it’s being supported by the City of Portland, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and others.

Peter Koonce, Signals and Street Lighting Division Manager for the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is in Salem today to testify in support of the bill at a work session of the Senate Committee on Business, Transportation and Economic Development.

I caught up with Koonce this morning to find out more about what’s in the bill and what’s at stake for bicycling.
[Read more…]