Thursday, February 27, 2014
Three Foot Passing bill clears House Transportation Committee; Following Too Close bill fails in Senate
Please contact your Virginia Delegate and ask them to support this bill. To find out your Delegate see a link at the top of the Virginia General Assembly page or visit WABA's action page.
Unfortunately House Bill 82 was defeated in the Senate Transportation Committee. See Virginia Bicycling Federation's account of the vote. Thanks to Delegate Barbara Comstock who sponsored the bill and worked with cyclists to try to get it passed.
Labels: delegate comstock, follow too close, hb 82, sb 97, three feet to pass
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Dooring bill fails to pass once again
See the Post article "Virginia House panel again shoots down bill to protect cyclists from ‘dooming’."
It is illegal in 40 states and the District of Columbia to open the door of your parked car into the path of a bicyclist. But in Virginia it remains perfectly fine, after the state House of Delegates again shot down a bill to prohibit “dooring” on Monday morning.
For the second year in a row, Fairfax City state Sen. Chap Petersen (D) championed the bill for a couple of reasons. One, to protect cyclists from suddenly slamming face first into the steel and glass of a car door. Two, to allow local police to assess some fault (and a $50 fine) so that insurance companies could not reject medical claims filed by injured cyclists on the basis that “no one was found at fault.”
Last year, the dooring bill passed the Senate but died in a tie vote in the House Transportation Committee. This is an issue of great interest in Northern Virginia, where more folks are riding bikes to work or using Capital Bikeshare to get around and having to coexist with our infamous traffic.
For the second year in a row, Fairfax City state Sen. Chap Petersen (D) championed the bill for a couple of reasons. One, to protect cyclists from suddenly slamming face first into the steel and glass of a car door. Two, to allow local police to assess some fault (and a $50 fine) so that insurance companies could not reject medical claims filed by injured cyclists on the basis that “no one was found at fault.”
Last year, the dooring bill passed the Senate but died in a tie vote in the House Transportation Committee. This is an issue of great interest in Northern Virginia, where more folks are riding bikes to work or using Capital Bikeshare to get around and having to coexist with our infamous traffic.
Labels: dooring, sb 97, Sen. Chap Peterson
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Support bike bills in VA legislature
Virginia Delegates and Senators: Support Bicycling!
Virginia bicyclists: now is the time to act. The Virginia legislature is considering three separate bills which addresses street safety for bicyclists. All three bills have survived their respective legislative body and now are crossing over sides. For this bills to become law, they must now pass out the House and Senate. Please take a moment and ask your elected represenatives to support the bicycling bills.
Support: HB 82 — Following Too Closely
This bill would require drivers of any vehicle to not follow more closely than is reasonable any other vehicle, including bicyclists.
Support: SB 97 – Three Foot Passing Law
This bill requires motorists to leave three feet of clearance while passing bicyclists. 22 other states and Washington, DC that have similar statutes require motorists to pass by three feet or more.
Support: SB 225 - Opening and closing motor vehicle doors.
If this law is enacted, drivers and passengers in Virginia will be legally required to exercise care when opening their car doors with respect to adjacent traffic. Dooring of bicyclists by drivers and passengers can cause serious injury and this bill seeks to reduce the potential of dooring.
Thanks to WABA and Virginia Bicycling Federation for their work on this effort.Virginia bicyclists: now is the time to act. The Virginia legislature is considering three separate bills which addresses street safety for bicyclists. All three bills have survived their respective legislative body and now are crossing over sides. For this bills to become law, they must now pass out the House and Senate. Please take a moment and ask your elected represenatives to support the bicycling bills.
Support: HB 82 — Following Too Closely
This bill would require drivers of any vehicle to not follow more closely than is reasonable any other vehicle, including bicyclists.
Support: SB 97 – Three Foot Passing Law
This bill requires motorists to leave three feet of clearance while passing bicyclists. 22 other states and Washington, DC that have similar statutes require motorists to pass by three feet or more.
Support: SB 225 - Opening and closing motor vehicle doors.
If this law is enacted, drivers and passengers in Virginia will be legally required to exercise care when opening their car doors with respect to adjacent traffic. Dooring of bicyclists by drivers and passengers can cause serious injury and this bill seeks to reduce the potential of dooring.
Labels: dooring, follow too close, hb 82, sb 225, sb 97, three feet to pass
