Tuesday, January 1, 2013
McLean Town Hall with VA legislators
On Wednesday, January 2 the McLean Citizens Association will host a Town Hall meeting with several local legislators, including Delegate Barbara Comstock. Delegate Comstock cast the deciding votes last year to kill two bills that would help protect bicyclists: 1. A bill that would prevent motorists from following a bicyclist more closely than is reasonable. Virginia appears to be the only state where bicyclists are excluded from "following too close" provisions; 2. A bill that "Requires drivers to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian or the operator of a human-powered vehicle." Virginia is one of only four states without this provision.Both bills will be introduced again this year by Delegate Alfonso Lopez. Support from Delegate Comstock is key to their passage. Why not attend this meeting and ask Delegate Comstock to support these bills? The meeting is 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean.
For more information on these bills, see the talking points developed by Allen Muchnick of Virginia Bicycling Federation:
- Following too close — banning motorists from tailgating/intimidating cyclists. See Talking points on Following Bicyclists Too Closely from 2012
- Vulnerable road user protection, and/or due care. See Talking points on Exercise Due Care bill (HB 784)
Labels: delegate comstock, delegate lopez, due care, follow too close, mclean
Friday, September 21, 2012
Bicycle bills in upcoming VA legislative session
Delegate Alfonso Lopez (49th District) plans to reintroduce the "Exercise due care" and "Following too closely" bills again in the 2013 session. Both bills would help educate motorists about the rights of bicyclists and the need for motorists to drive carefully around them. Below is are the bill numbers and text of the bills from last year's session:- HB 784 Exercise due care; Drivers to exercise due care. Requires drivers to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian or the operator of a human-powered vehicle.
- HB 785 Following too closely; Includes bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, and mopeds among vehicles that the driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow more closely than is reasonable.
It's hard to argue against these bills, especially the bill that requires drivers to be careful around pedestrians and bicyclists. Unfortunately Northern Virginia Delegate Barbara Comstock (34th District) thought otherwise and cast deciding votes in defeating those bills last year.
Both delegates represent Fairfax County residents. Thanks to Delegate Lopez for his support. During the legislative session we'll be sending out information about how you can support these bills. We'll also be asking cyclists to contact Delegate Comstock to ask her to support Fairfax bicyclists. We're trying to schedule a meeting with her to discuss her objections to the bills last year.
Labels: delegate comstock, delegate lopez, due care, follow too close
