Contact: Jared Sanchez, Policy Director, (714) 262-0921, Jared@CalBike.org
CalBike Campaign 2023: Biking Is Not a Crime
SACRAMENTO, CA – As a 2021 LA Times investigation showed, police are more likely to stop Black and Latino Californians on bikes, more likely to search people stopped while biking, and less likely to find any evidence of criminal activity during those stops. Low-income neighborhoods and communities of color often have little safe bicycle infrastructure, so decades of systemic racism and neglect become a weapon to doubly punish people in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Bicycles and Racial Profiling
California’s Racial Identity Profiling Advisory Board (RIPA) came to the same conclusion in their 2023 report: “During stops for bicycle-related offenses, officers were 3.2 times as likely to perform a search, 3.8 times as likely to detain the individual, and 2.7 times as likely to handcuff the individual. Overall, officers were more likely to search, detain, or handcuff a person during a bicycle-related stop when compared to stops for reasons other than bicycle violations.”
There is only one thing proven to reduce traffic collisions: infrastructure, like protected bikeways and intersections, which reduce injuries and deaths for people biking, walking, driving, and taking transit. Tickets for minor violations like riding without lights or biking on the sidewalk do nothing to increase safety or reduce crime. Yet, for decades, California has underinvested in safe infrastructure and overinvested in traffic policing, sometimes with lethal results.
CalBike Policy Director Jared Sanchez said, “If traffic stops could prevent traffic deaths, we wouldn’t have seen the alarming rise in fatalities over the last few years. It’s time for California to stop spending money on ineffective safety measures and invest in infrastructure that slows car speeds and protects people biking and walking. That will also allow police to focus on tactics proven to reduce crime, bringing real safety to our streets.”
To create Complete Streets in California where people using all transportation modes can move freely, we need to free our streets from both traffic violence AND pretextual policing.
CalBike supports the “Biking Is Not a Crime” slate of bills for 2023:
AB 93 Bryan: Stop Baseless Searches. Prohibits police officers from requesting consent to conduct a search if the officer does not suspect criminal activity.
AB 825 Bryan: Safe Passage for Bikes Bill. Allows bicycle riding on a sidewalk adjacent to a street that does not include a Class I, Class II, or Class IV bikeway.
SB 50 Bradford: Stop Pretextual Policing. Prohibits police officers from stopping or detaining the operator of a motor vehicle or bicycle for a low-level infraction.
AB 819 Bryan: Decriminalize Transit Fare Evasion. Removes misdemeanor classification for transit fare evasion, retains fines as a penalty.
AB 1266 Kalra: No More Warrants for Infractions. Eliminates the use of bench warrants for minor infractions.
CalBike calls on California legislators to support these bills as a critical step toward making our streets safe and welcoming for all identities and bodies.
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https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/police-car-lights-scaled.jpg17072560Jared Sanchezhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngJared Sanchez2023-03-29 13:43:562023-04-03 09:48:21Biking Is Not a Crime!
Electric cars are eligible for a federal tax rebate, but electric bikes are not. A federal e-bike rebate provision didn’t make it into the final version of the climate and infrastructure bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. But Congressman Jimmy Panetta, who represents District 19 along California’s central coast, today introduced the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act.
The E-BIKE Act would provide a refundable federal income tax rebate of up to 30% of the cost of buying an e-bike, capped at $1,500. The rebate would be available to people earning up to $150,000 for single people, up to $300,000 for a two-person household. Because it’s a refundable tax credit, people who owe less in tax than the amount of the incentive will get a check for the difference and income-qualified applicants may be able to take the rebate as a point of sale discount.
CalBike strongly supports this legislation, as do many of our allies, including the League of American Bicyclists, which has long advocated for a measure like this. “The League knows life is better for everyone when more people ride bikes, and we know e-bikes make biking a more accessible and easier option for more Americans,” said Bill Nesper, the League’s executive director. “We’re encouraged by congressional leadership on the E-BIKE Act, a bill that, if passed, will enable Americans to fight climate change and improve public health through the simple act of bicycling.”
“E-bikes are not just a fad for a select few, they are a legitimate and practical form of transportation that can help reduce our carbon emissions,” said Congressman Panetta. “My legislation will make it easier for more people from all socio-economic levels to own e-bikes and contribute to cutting our carbon output. By incentivizing the use of electric bicycles to replace car trips through a consumer tax credit, we can not only encourage more Americans to transition to greener modes of transportation but also help fight the climate crisis.”
CalBike’s policy director, Jared Sanchez, said, “The route the E-BIKE Act takes to encourage bike ridership and reducing carbon emissions is different from the program we helped shape in California, but the goals are the same. An income tax rebate will help many more Americans choose this healthy, economical mode of transportation.”
CalBike focuses most of our efforts on advocacy within California, but we’ll be supporting our national partners in helping to get this critical bill through Congress. We’ll let you know about opportunities to reach out to representatives and senators to support a federal rebate for e-bike purchases.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/e-bike-single-man-cropped.jpg200544Laura McCamyhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngLaura McCamy2023-03-21 10:28:312023-03-30 16:16:11Federal E-Bike Rebate Back on the Table
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/sidewalk-riding2-scaled.jpg25601707Jared Sanchezhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngJared Sanchez2023-03-17 18:25:372024-07-17 13:39:44Support AB 825 for Safe Passage for People on Bikes
Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for 2023 cuts some of the funds added to the Active Transportation Program last year. CalBike and our allies recently sent a letter to the California Senate and Assembly leaders and the budget committees of each branch, urging them to not only restore those funds but to fully fund the ATP and create an additional fund to help communities build Complete Streets.
Invest in active transportation, divest from freeway building
Our budget advocacy is a critical element of our Invest/Divest Campaign. Despite a predicted budget shortfall this year, we believe California can fully fund active transportation projects if it adjusts its transportation budget to align with its climate and equity goals.
However, even without shifting money from climate-killing freeway projects, California has additional transportation funding from the federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act that should be directed to projects that support safe biking and walking.
More money for the ATP
Last year, thanks to advocacy by CalBike and our allies, the ATP got a one-time funding boost, so Cycle 6 had $1.6 billion to dole out to projects across the state rather than the usual amount of $400 to $600 million. But it’s still not enough.
Every year, more and better projects vie for ATP funding as municipalities across the state recognize the value of Complete Streets and seek help to upgrade their infrastructure. That demand will only grow as communities begin to update the circulation elements in their general plans and look for resources to implement those plans pursuant to SB 932.
Yet, even with significant additional funding, Streetsblog reported that there was funding only for projects with a score of 89 (out of 100) or higher. That’s better than in Cycle 5, when projects needed a score of 92 to get funded, but it means that many worthy biking and walking projects won’t get built because our state isn’t providing enough support to tackle these much-needed improvements.
California needs Complete Streets
A Complete Street is a roadway that serves the needs of all users: people biking, walking, driving, and taking public transit. Complete Streets connect to popular local destinations via protected intersections. Bike lanes and sidewalks don’t abruptly disappear. Bus riders have shelter and seating, and bus-only lanes ensure that transit is a fast and appealing alternative to driving a private vehicle.
Complete Streets are safe for everyone. People from 8 to 80 can feel safe enough to bike on protected bikeways. And people of all races, ethnicities, genders, and other identifications feel safe to move freely in their community without fear of biased and often brutal police action against them.
State policies prioritize Complete Streets, but there’s no money to support that priority. That’s why we need dedicated funding to help communities build Complete Streets, and CalBike is advocating for just that.
For years, bike and pedestrian advocates have been fed budget crumbs. We’ve been told to be patient, that we have to wait. At the same time, our state has pumped billions into the status quo: freeways that lead to more congestion and pollution, which leads to more freeway construction, in an endless loop of doom.
California can’t afford not to fund the safe streets we need to mitigate the climate crisis and create livable communities for all residents, and CalBike is bringing this agenda to the forefront in this year’s budget negotiations. But we’re up against vested interests from various private industries as well as years of entrenched policy at state agencies such as Caltrans.
How you can help: We’ll be calling on CalBike members and supporters to reach out to your representatives to tell them to fund active transportation NOW. If you’re not on our list, please join us to get the latest updates and opportunities to speak up for safe streets.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/green-lane.jpg200600Jared Sanchezhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngJared Sanchez2023-03-16 13:07:362023-03-24 15:23:19CalBike’s 2023 Budget Agenda: Fully Fund Active Transportation and Complete Streets
Sacramento, CA – Despite California’s reputation as an environmental leader, our transportation sector remains the main source of toxic emissions, climate pollution, and fatalities on our streets. To address this reality, the California Bicycle Coalition today launched its 2023 campaign Invest/Divest: Invest in Our Transportation Future/Divest from Regressive Road-Building.
Invest/Divest is an ambitious campaign to shift California’s transportation spending from traffic-inducing, climate-killing, over-policed, and community-destroying motor vehicle road expansions, to Complete Streets and other projects that make it easier and safer for more people to get around by biking, walking, or using public transportation.
CalBike’s agenda for 2023 continues momentum from last year, lifting up multi-year campaigns like the Bicycle Safety Stop and Complete Streets.
“California prides itself on being a climate leader. But our state doesn’t deserve that title as long as it keeps spending billions on transportation projects that increase greenhouse gases while underfunding or completely ignoring much cheaper projects that could bring about the green transportation revolution we desperately need. The Invest/Divest campaign is the logical path forward to create a green, sustainable transportation future for our state.”
– Jared Sanchez, CalBike Policy Director
The Invest/Divest campaign aims to build communities where all Californians have equitable access to safe streets, improving health and increasing joy along the way.
Priorities of the INVEST/DIVEST Campaign
Invest in Complete Streets: Prioritize new safe, accessible, and equitable infrastructure that makes biking, walking, and micromobility convenient and appealing. Invest in safe roadways for all transportation modes, bringing us closer to Vision Zero and our ambitious climate goals.
Invest in Just Streets: We’re expanding the definition of a Complete Street to mean one where people of all identities and bodies are safe from police harassment. To accomplish this, we must decriminalize biking and walking, including bikes treating stop signs as yields—often used in biased, pretextual policing—to make our complete streets safe for all identities and bodies. Remove discriminatory barriers based on class, race, gender, age, ability, and other identities and invest in communities where the safety of all residents is paramount.
Invest in Complete Communities: No more bike lanes to nowhere. Invest in connected bikeways and pedestrian paths that provide safe, integrated access to essential destinations, making active transportation a viable option for more Californians.
Invest in Thriving Communities. Invest in long-term neighborhood safety, security, and wealth that connects sustainable transportation options with affordable housing that is integrated with healthy destinations. We must empower the communities most impacted by harmful transportation investments to choose their own goals, strategies, and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, local toxic air, and lethal streets.
Divest from Freeway Expansion: Don’t build one more mile of dead-end infrastructure that increases traffic, damages communities, increases fossil fuel dependence, and creates new maintenance bills that California can’t afford to pay. Divest from failed traffic mitigation policies that lead to gridlock, and invest those funds in infrastructure to move California into the future.
Divest from Climate Collapse: Transportation is the biggest contributor to GHG emissions, so we must divest from projects that increase VMT and invest those funds in low- or no-carbon transportation alternatives.
Divest from Environmental Racism: Low-income communities of color are harmed the most by toxic air, freight distribution, displacement, and gentrification pressures. It’s time to divest from projects that bring environmental degradation and invest those funds in historically marginalized communities.
Divest from Enforcement and Criminalization: Californians need safety from the violence of cars, freight trucks, and other forms of publicly-subsidized harm that especially burden and criminalize Black and brown bodies/communities. Divest from racist, militarized traffic enforcement and invest in community resources to support and protect vulnerable residents.
Divest from Policing as a Street Safety Solution: Law enforcement is often positioned as the prevailing authority on street safety, ignoring other forms of community protection. We cannot trust the police to enforce traffic laws equitably without the removal of white supremacy from law enforcement. Therefore, we must remove police enforcement from Vision Zero and other safe streets strategies.
Jared Sanchez has been integral to CalBike’s advocacy efforts since he joined us in 2017, and he now heads our policy team. We spoke with him about what he’s excited about as the new legislative session gets into full swing and what the workday of a bicycle policy advocate looks like.
CalBike: What are you excited about as you approach this new year of advocacy at CalBike?
Jared Sanchez:Would it be too broad to say the whole Invest/Divest campaign? What I’m excited about is the way it’s going to frame our work in ways that are bold and cutting-edge, not just one-off and piecemeal. I like how it brings together a variety of issues that didn’t have such cohesion before. The movement, the policy, and the politics are all moving in the same direction to approach issues we’ve always faced, but in a more powerful way. What do I mean by more powerful? It just occurs to me — maybe it’s not new — that when we address one issue, it becomes more multi-faceted and forges connections among different agencies. For example, with Complete Streets, we can address that through the budget, agency action, and legislation all at the same time. It gets us out of our silos. The more our state leaders try to separate out the issues, the harder it is to make progress. Invest/Divest will also create more accountability on these issues by showing how one agency is connected to the actions of other agencies or the budget committee, etc. It shows you the depth of the problem more. It’s not just “find money to do X;” it’s actually about finding solutions to several crises — climate, social justice, transportation inequities — that aren’t different problems but are all interconnected, so the solutions should be interconnected, too.
CB: Getting into specifics, what agency advocacy is at the top of your agenda for this year?
JS: I would say four major agencies: CTC, OTS, CHP, and Caltrans. All of them have something to do with Invest/Divest. With Caltrans, it’s Complete Streets. With CTC [the California Transportation Commission, which oversees the Active Transportation Program], it’s about freeway funding and active transportation funding. OTS [Office of Transportation Safety] and CHP [California Highway Patrol], it’s about safety grants and police as a safety solution.
CB: How about the budget process?
JS: My top priority is bringing attention to the fact that there’s plenty of money in our transportation budget. From a quick estimate, there’s at least $2B going to highway expansion, which reverses progress toward California’s climate goals instead of moving us forward. The CTC has to approve this funding. We will show up and make an issue of this in a way that will keep them accountable for their goals and connect that to fiscal policy. Of course, part of this will include addressing the backlog of ATP projects due to the lack of funding and the lack of money going to active transportation projects, specifically Complete Streets infrastructure. We’ll be pointing all this out to the legislators on the budget committee.
CB: Last but not least on the agenda: What legislation are you most excited about this year? Other than all of it?
JS: AB 1525 [sponsored by the Greenlining Institute], for sure. It’s an exciting bill about prioritizing funding for communities of color that would be really transformative. CalBike has led on this issue in past years, and I’m excited others are moving it forward. Also, the Biking is Not a Crime Slate [AB 825, AB 93, & SB 50], and, of course, the freeway stuff. The freeway data bill [SB 695] — we need to be excited about it because it’s public information that’s not available to us. We’ll be able to state our case for Invest/Divest based on how much money is going to highway expansion and what goals are being met by such investments. Right now, we have to broadly estimate. Also, my background is in racial/social justice, and everything that I’ve been mentioning has that element. It’s something the state wants to prioritize, we want to prioritize.
Forest Barnes, Jared Sanchez, and Jenn Guitart at the 2022 California Bicycle Summit
CB: That’s a big agenda. So what does your day look like, working in all these different areas to bring it all together?
JS: In order to make a strong case for breaking the silos of our transportation policy, there are different pieces of my work day. First, doing the research on the background, context, how these things connect to each other, and how these things work in such a complex system takes up a lot of my time. Another part is reaching out to state agencies, state staff, and our partners (well-established and new) about these issues and connecting with people who have a stake in these issues, whether it’s coalition building or figuring out who has a stake. Another part is meetings: partners around strategies or with agencies or legislators around data or a piece of legislation. Whatever the topic is, there are always a bunch of meetings. Coordinating around strategy with others is always more effective than working alone. And, as things heat up, I’ll be attending hearings: policy, budget, appropriations. Meetings involve preparation for testifying or showing up to support, as well as submitting position letters to committees and agencies. Staying up to date about the constantly shifting landscape of the budget and the legislature is a big task. The most time-consuming part is staying on top of the amendments that get added to the bills all the time. Another big part of my day, maybe even a third, is connecting with people who have questions about our work. I am available, with limited capacity, of course, for technical policy assistance — we used to call it policy rapid response — to a variety of issues across the state.
CB: I didn’t realize connecting with others was such a big part of your work. Can you talk more about that?
JS: It’s a lot, either researching what the issue is or finding out what I can do to help. This morning, I spent time talking to bike advocates in Toronto about the Bicycle Safety Stop. The Freedom to Walk Act is a big one — people want to learn about our campaign because they want to do something similar wherever they’re at. Another one that comes up is the bikes in general plans bill — people want to know how to implement it in their city. There’s always follow-up to bills: What does this mean for me? A lot of organizations that work on legislation ignore that. Passing legislation is the exciting part that people pay attention to, but often it’s the nitty gritty, getting into the implementation of these new laws, that has the biggest effect. Obviously, there’s a lot of bills that pass every year, and it would be hard to follow up on every single one of them. It’s a job for a whole other organization.
CB: What’s something you do that would surprise people?
JS: One thing people don’t realize is how involved we are in writing the language of these bills. I feel like that’s a pretty influential thing to do. We’re talking to Senate and Assembly offices about what they’re proposing to do, and we’re giving them amendments, basically writing law that brings it closer to our mission.
CB: So, that’s a lot. And you’re a new dad (congratulations!), which is a whole other set of demands on your time. Do you still find time to get out on your bike? What’s your favorite place to ride?
JS: Yes! Being a dad now provides a whole new depth to my life that I thoroughly enjoy, but not without new stressors, of course. Unfortunately, this has cut into my biking time, but I can’t wait until my daughter gets older where she can ride with me! I’ve been daydreaming about biking her around Lake Merritt, my favorite place to be in my hometown of Oakland.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jared-Sanchez-2022-summit-scaled.jpg11062560Laura McCamyhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngLaura McCamy2023-03-02 16:00:132023-03-02 16:00:14A Day in the Life of CalBike’s Policy Director, Jared Sanchez
