Bills signed by the Governor:

• AB 57 (Soto) Safe Routes to School
• AB 478 (Wolk) Night Illumination Article: It's the Law: Bike mantra: If it's night, use a light, Sacramento Bee, 12/28/07
• AB 1581 (Fuller) Traffic-actuated signals: bicycles: motorcycles
• SB 33 (Simitian) Teen Cell Phone Use

Bills that were vetoed by the Governor:

• NONE

• AB 1358 (Leno) The Complete Streets Act

• AB 534 (Smyth), Bicycle Transportation Account. This bill was changed late in the legislative session and is no longer relevant to bicyclists.
• AB 60 (Nava), Safe Passing Distance. This bill was held in committee.
• AB 163 (Mendoza), Bicycle Facilities Improvement Act of 2007
• AB 211 (Jones), Local Health Officers (formerly AB 437)
• AB 1472 (Leno/DeSaulnier), Public health: California Healthy Places Act of 2008

AB 57 (Soto) Safe Routes to School

AB 57 seeks to eliminate the sunset date for the Caltrans "Safe Routes to School" construction program and makes statutory changes in the Streets and Highways code to conform to federal law. The bill calls for federal safety funds to continue to be allocated in equal amounts to: state highways, local roads, and the Safe Routes to School construction (SR2S) program. Funds for the Safe Routes to School program are distributed through a statewide competition and are used for the construction of bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic calming projects such as sidewalks, trails, bike lanes, and intersection improvements. California has been operating under the "one-third" distribution formula for federal safety funds since the year 2000 after the first statewide Safe Routes to School bill was approved in 1999 (AB 1475). Subsequent SR2S bills in 2002 (SB 10) and in 2004 (SB 1087) extended the program until its current sunset date of January 1, 2008. AB 57 would extend California's Safe Routes to School program indefinitely, helping to make California's children healthier, safer and stronger. More info:

• Sample support letter (.doc)
• AB 57 fact sheet (.pdf)
• Read AB 57 (as amended on 9/4/07)
• Read Senate Bill Analysis (9/4/07)
• Contacts:
  • Missy Johnson, Staff to Assembly member Nell Soto (916) 319-3300

  • Deb Hubsmith, Safe Routes to School National Partnership (415) 454-7430 or saferoutes@bikesbelong.org

AB 478 (Wolk) Night Illumination

AB 478 would mandate that anyone riding a bicycle on a highway or shared use pathway any during the hours of darkness, except on private property, must be equipped with a white light visible from a distance of 300 feet. Present law only requires a light if the bicycle is being operated on a highway.

Statewide from 2003 through mid-2006, 5,411 reported accidents involved bicycles after dark. Of those accidents, 133 (2.45%) resulting in fatalities and 4,879 resulted in injuries. During the daylight hours in the same period there were 33,776 accidents, resulting in the deaths of 308 people and injuries to 30,024. Only .09% of the people in involved in bicycle accidents were killed during the daylight hours. There has been no study of the fatal and injury accidents during the hours of darkness to determine if the lack of bicycle lighting was a factor. However, people riding bicycles at night without a light on roads or paths with poor or no lighting are unable to see pedestrians, cars backing out of driveways or other hazards.

• Sample support letter
• AB 478 Fact Sheet (.pdf)
• Read AB 478 (as enrolled on 9/5/07)
• Read Senate Bill Analysis (8/21/07)

AB 1581 (Fuller) Traffic-actuated signals: bicycles: motorcycles

This bill would include as an official traffic control device a traffic-actuated signal that displays one or more of its indications in response to the presence of traffic detected by mechanical, visual, electrical, or other means. Upon the first placement or replacement of a traffic-actuated signal, the signal would have to be installed and maintained , to the extent feasible and in conformance with professional engineering practices, so as to detect lawful bicycle or motorcycle traffic on the roadway.

• Sample support letter
• Read AB 1581 (as enrolled on 9/5/07)
• Read Senate Bill Analysis (7/12/07)

SB 33 (Simitian) Teen Cell Phone Use

SB 33, on and after July 1, 2008, will prohibit a person possessing a valid instruction permit, student license, or provisional license from driving a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone. A follow-on bill to last year's successful legislation (also authored by Senator Simitian) to prevent driving while using a hand-held cell phone, SB 33 continues the needed effort to combat distracted driving, a primary contributed to motor vehicle crashes.

• Sample support letter
• SB 33 fact sheet (.pdf)
• Read SB 33 (as enrolled on 9/5/07)
• Read Assembly Bill Analysis (7/12/07)

AB 60, Safe Passing Distance Bill

Originally introduced in 2006 as AB 1941 (Nava) Bicycle Safety (3-feet passing rule), the bill did not pass out of committee. Assembly Member Nava, now chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, reintroduced the legislation on December 4, 2006, as AB 60.

Current law requires a vehicle to pass bicycles to the left at a "safe distance." AB 60 would change this requirement so that vehicles must pass bicycles at a minimum distance of three feet. There are some merits and problems with AB 60. Defining safe passing distance as three feet is easy to understand and explain to the public. However, is three feet sufficient to protect a cyclist from a potential collision, particularly with a speeding vehicle? This bill would also change the law to allow a person to drive a vehicle in a designated 2-way left-turn lane when overtaking and passing a bicycle.

CBC is grateful for Assembly Member Nava's leadership on this issue. More info in this article from the Sacramento Bee.

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AB 163 (Mendoza) Bicycle Facilities Improvement Act of 2007

California Government Code has a section on Parking Facility Requirements at State Agencies & Building. Section 14679.5. says "(a) Any state agency which has under its jurisdiction or control any parking facility, which is available to state officers and employees or to private persons who desire to conduct business with a state agency, shall construct, operate, and maintain bicycle and moped parking facilities for the use of bicycle and moped riders."

AB 163 would require the Department of General Services, in consultation with the State Architect and other state agencies, to adopt regulations establishing standards for bicycle facilities, including parking areas, showers, and lockers in state-owned and state-leased buildings. The bill would require each state agency to develop programs to promote and encourage bicycle commuting and use of bicycles for work-related trips, as well as to manage its bicycle facilities. It would also require, on and after July 1, 2010, a capital plan for, or renovation of, state buildings to comply with the adopted regulations.

• Sample support letter (OLD)
• AB 163 fact sheet (.pdf)
• Read AB 163 (as amended on 9/7/07)
• Read Senate Bill Analysis (8/22/07)

AB 211 (Jones) Local Health Officers (formerly AB 437)

Existing law permits the establishment of the position of county health officer for the performance of various duties and powers relating to public health. This bill would authorize the county health officer to provide assistance to cities and counties with regard to public health issues as they relate to local land use planning and transportation planning processes.

• Sample support letter (OLD)
• Read AB 211 (as amended on 9/5/07)
• Read Senate Bill Analysis (9/6/07)

AB 1472 (Leno/DeSaulnier) Public health: California Healthy Places Act of 2008

AB 1472 would require various state agencies and departments to collaboratively support childhood development, prevent injury, illness, and chronic disease, ensure environmental health, and reduce health disparities by providing knowledge, guidance, and resources for public health assessments of land use and transportation system planning. It would also establish a program within the State Department of Public Health to guide and support cities and counties in conducting health impact assessments.

• Sample support letter (OLD)
• Read AB 1472 (as amended on 8/20/07)
• Read Senate Bill Analysis (8/31/07)