The Stop Baseless Searches Bill (AB 93, Bryan) prevents police from asking for “consent” to search someone during a traffic stop when they have no probable cause to conduct a search.
These unwarranted searches are more likely to target Black and Latino Californians and more likely to target people on bikes, so this measure is critical to creating safe streets for all Californians.
“Consent” can’t be freely given in the context of the power imbalance and a history of police harassment of people of color. CHP has already adopted this guideline to make policing more equitable. AB 93 will expand the policy to local law enforcement.
AB 93, the Stop Baseless Searches Bill is in trouble.
AB 93 doesn’t have enough votes to pass the Assembly. It’s being held open right now while supporters try to gather more votes. Please email your assemblymember today and tell them to Vote YES on AB 93.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Black-bike-rider-bike-lane-street-BIPOC-scaled.jpg14402560Jared Sanchezhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngJared Sanchez2023-05-25 15:43:512024-07-22 09:40:26Act Now to Stop Baseless Searches of People on Bikes
Contact: Jared Sanchez, Policy Director, (714) 262-0921, jared@calbike.org
Governor’s May 2023 Budget Revise Continues Cuts to Active Transportation
Sacramento, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom’s “May Revise” of the state’s July 2023-June 2024 budget fails to provide the funding needed to support biking, walking, and public transit. The governor claims to include $1.4 billion for active transportation projects. However, the budget maintains a major reduction to the Active Transportation Program and falls severely short of what’s needed to stem the emission-driven global climate crisis.
The governor’s May budget is a missed opportunity to allocate the funding California needs to build an equitable transportation system and achieve our state’s climate goals. California needs to move quickly to make biking easier — and Newsom’s proposed budget just isn’t enough to build the needed bike infrastructure to significantly reduce automobile vehicle miles traveled and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Walkable, bikeable communities offer the biggest return on investment among transportation solutions to the climate crisis. The budget’s $9 billion agenda for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) is a misguided effort to curb climate change that will ultimately fall short. We must think beyond increasing motor vehicle traffic and expanding the freeway system to support it, and instead build a low-carbon future based around walkable, bikeable communities.
What is missing in the budget?
E-Bike funding
The California Bicycle Coalition has been tracking interest in the new Electric Bicycle Incentive Project, administered by the California Air Resources Board. The governor’s budget doesn’t include funding to continue this popular and vital electric vehicle incentive.
CalBike has received interest from more than 17,000 Californians who want to participate in EBIP. Based on the $7.5 million currently available through the program after administration, education, and outreach costs, the pilot will offer between 3,000 and 7,000 vouchers. Because the program only has a fraction of the funding it needs to meet the demand, CalBike expects funds to be exhausted very quickly, leaving many low-income Californians without resources to get the transportation they need.
In a letter signed by a coalition of environmental groups, CalBike has requested $50 million for e-bike incentives in the next budget.
“The California Electric Bicycle Incentive Project offers a huge bang for the buck being spent to reduce the state’s climate pollution. Expanding this program will provide more equitable access to clean transportation and help the state meet our climate goals. It’s a win-win,” said Jared Sanchez, Policy Director, CalBike.
Complete Streets funding
California should invest much more in active transportation projects that build complete bikeway networks — no more bike lanes to nowhere or bikeways made unsafe by impassable intersections. This should include funding for a program that rewards cities whose leaders quickly install protected networks that create true active transportation grids. It’s particularly crucial that these bike networks connect bike infrastructure to local destinations, including offices, schools, and shopping areas.
Investments in disadvantaged communities
In our racialized economy, Black and brown Californians are disproportionately affected by inflation and need better, more affordable mobility options. In addition, many communities of color suffer from decades of disinvestment and should be prioritized for new active transportation investments. As inflation hits Californians hard, safe biking is a lifeline to millions of Californians who can’t afford to fill their gas tanks without sacrificing other priorities, like healthy food and secure housing.
What happens next?
The legislature will now revise the governor’s proposal and negotiate with him on a final budget for approval by June 15. There are many fantastic bills in the legislature this year that will make our streets safer. The budget needs to include enough active transportation funding to pay for these excellent pilot projects and meet the demand of ongoing programs across the state.
CalBike’s Invest/Divest campaign
At CalBike, we believe California should devote a minimum of 50% of its transportation budget to support active transportation: biking, walking, public transit, and Complete Streets infrastructure. The CalBike Invest/Divest campaign aims to shift California’s transportation spending from our current traffic-inducing, climate-killing system to sustainable mobility options, equitable treatment of all road users regardless of race, and a transportation future where it is easier and safer for more people to get around by biking, walking, or using public transportation.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Allan-Crawford-separated-lanes-2594.jpg8381258Kevin Claxtonhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngKevin Claxton2023-05-16 07:30:002023-05-15 17:55:25CalBike Response to May Revise
On April 26, 2023, CARB held another well-attended work group meeting to gather feedback on the details of its Electric Bicycle Incentive Project. One of the major takeaways is that the statewide program launch is pushed back yet again: Most Californians won’t be able to apply for a voucher until at least the third quarter of 2023.
Here’s what else we learned at the meeting. We’ve included the video and presentation below, in case you want to learn more.
New details about program implementation
As it has throughout the process, CARB has taken feedback from prior work groups and revised the program based on stakeholder input. For example, recipients can now use part of their incentives to purchase safety gear. The only gear listed was helmets, and CARB specifically excluded lights, reflective gear, and racks. The program requires eligible bikes to come with lights (most e-bikes have built-in lights), so that makes sense. However, based on feedback, we’re hopeful that cargo racks will also be an allowed expense. CalBike would like to see locks included, since a secure lock for an e-bike can be costly.
Participants will have 30 days to purchase a bike and redeem their vouchers and may ask for a one-time extension if they need more time. CalBike is advocating for extending that 30-day window, since researching and buying an e-bike is often a lengthy process.
Vouchers will be limited to one per person, but there is no household limit. Participants will be required to own the bike for at least one year.
Here are some of the other details we learned.
What do we know about the e-bike incentive application process?
We still don’t have all the details about the application process. CARB promises that a guide will be available online ahead of program launch so people interested in participating will have time to prepare.
CARB did share an outline of the application process as they envision it currently. Applicants would submit proof of income and residency, choose the bike they want to buy, take a 90-minute online bike safety and environmental class, then find out if they qualify for a voucher.
CalBike strongly objects to the process as currently outlined, and we have sent a letter to CARB detailing our recommendations. Our concerns include:
It will be hard to choose a bike without confirmation of the voucher amount because the person won’t know how much money they will need to come up with to complete the purchase.
While CalBike supports e-bike safety education and is excited for the resource being developed as part of this program, we feel that education should be a resource, and that any requirement of a lengthy class may serve as a barrier to many trying to access the incentives. We particularly object to requiring participants to sit through any content that isn’t directly related to safe operation and storage of an e-bike.
Requiring two extra steps before applications are vetted will further disadvantage applicants with the least time and/or access to a computer.
Because many Californians are more comfortable in a language other than English and those languages are diverse, an education component will inevitably exclude many potential participants. For comparison, the US Census is conducted in 12 languages in California.
We plan to meet with CARB to discuss these issues, and we’re hopeful that advocacy and lessons from the soft launch will lead to a better application process.
June soft launch
The first phase of the program will be a soft launch in June. With a budget of $300,000, the soft launch will provide 20-40 incentives to applicants in each of four communities that have been historically underserved by CARB programs:
Barrio Logan, San Diego
Fresno
Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco
California Native Tribal Governments
The soft launch will allow CARB and the administrator to test systems and get feedback on what works and doesn’t work before opening the program statewide.
When will the statewide program launch?
We don’t know exactly when California’s incentives will become available. However, we have heard that the soft launch is expected to take at least two months. Expect a full launch sometime in the fall, after CARB and the administrator have worked out glitches in the application process.
We realize this program has taken an excruciatingly long time to come online. Another reality check: Demand may far exceed the number of incentives available. If you’d like help to purchase an e-bike, check out this list of local programs.
Is anyone already in line to receive an e-bike voucher?
Several people who spoke at the April meeting shared that they had submitted an application for an e-bike voucher last year and wanted to know if they were in line for an incentive. CARB clarified that no one is in line for a voucher yet. Everyone will need to apply once the window opens, later this year.
We don’t know if there will be another work group before the soft launch in June or before the statewide program launch. If you sign up for our email list, we’ll let you know about future meetings and any other information on the status of the program and the application process.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/mom-and-kids-on-bike.jpeg8651305Laura McCamyhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngLaura McCamy2023-05-12 14:56:362023-05-12 14:56:37E-Bike Work Group Report Back: April 26, 2023
It is now that time of the year where California’s appropriations committees wield their influence in the legislative process, as the state’s budget begins to come into focus. Appropriations committees have outsize power and can affect the passage of a bill in unexpected ways. Here’s a look behind the scenes.
Kill bill
If a California senator or assemblymember wants to kill a bill, one of the sneakier ways to do so is in the legislative appropriations committees. One member with the ear of the appropriations chair can get a bill put into the committee’s “Suspense File,” possibly never to return.
What’s behind this seemingly undemocratic quirk of California’s legislature, and what can we do about it?
What is the appropriations committee?
In both the California State Senate and Assembly, as legislation moves through the process, any bill that requires money or has any fiscal impact will advance to their respective appropriations committees. The committees must approve any additional costs before the bill goes to a full vote.
How a bill gets killed in appropriations — the Suspense File
Led by the Senate and Assembly appropriations committees, any legislation that meets a certain fiscal threshold will be placed in the Suspense File (cue ominous music). Generally, if the cost of a bill is determined to be $50,000 or more to the General Fund, or $150,000 or more to a special fund, that bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Many bills stay in the Suspense File until the fiscal deadline passes, then disappear from the legislative process entirely. The Suspense File was developed as a mechanism for slowing the process and giving legislators a way to consider all the bills that are going to put significant pressure on the budget.
What really is the Suspense File?
The Suspense File is among the most opaque and secretive practices at the Capitol, and it allows legislative leaders to not only shelve proposals that are too expensive, but also more quietly dispatch those that are controversial or politically inconvenient. It’s well known at the state Capitol that powerful legislators can use the Suspense File as a political tool to keep controversial bills from reaching the Assembly or Senate floor — typically with no explanation, and sometimes without a public vote.
Coming back from the dead: moving bills out of the Suspense File
A bill still has a fighting chance until the Suspense File hearing, when the appropriations committees consider all the bills in the file and decide all at one time which get to move on for debate. Lobbyists, legislators, and constituents play an active and important role in deciding which bills move forward.
How CalBike fights for bills we support, with your help
Like any other civic process, shedding light and making noise can influence the course of a bill in appropriations. When one of CalBike’s bills is in danger of going into the Suspense File, we work behind the scenes to convince key legislators to move it forward. We also ask our members to send emails and make calls to support the bill.
Sometimes that works, and sometimes a good bill dies in appropriations. Knowing how the process works helps us fight for measures that improve biking, equity, and joy. We couldn’t do it without your help.
Which bills can you help get off suspense this year?
Most of our priority bills this year are or will be placed on suspense. Three bills in particular are in jeopardy, given their controversial nature and history. AB 1525, SB 50, and AB 645 are some of the most sensitive bills. If we feel one of our bills is likely to die on suspense, we’ll ask you to take action by emailing or calling your representative or the appropriations chair. Keep an eye out for action alerts and, if you see we’re up against the Suspense File, now you know what that means, and how meaningful your action can be.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CalBike-Insider-Image4.png7201280Jared Sanchezhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngJared Sanchez2023-05-10 16:23:482023-05-10 16:23:48Inside the Black Box of Appropriations
The Equity-First Transportation Funding Act (AB 1525, Bonta) will require 60% of California’s transportation funds to benefit “priority populations.” The money must provide a direct, meaningful, and assured benefit to such populations and must address an important mobility need. State agencies will need to develop a definition of priority populations, but we will advocate for historically marginalized communities, many already identified by California’s Air Resources Board and UCLA through their development of the Transportation Disparity Mapping Tool.
Transportation planning and policies have historically discriminated against, segregated, and displaced immigrants, low-income people, and communities of color, bolstering racial and class inequalities. Current mobility planning processes and decisions often perpetuate these harms.
CalBike is committed to working to undo the structural racism and inequity built into California’s transportation infrastructure and policymaking.
Low-income communities of color often suffer most from inadequate and unsafe transportation infrastructure, whether it’s a larger concentration of dangerous high-speed streets, more concentrated air pollution coming from cars and trucks, or simply terrible road conditions, as reported by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a report analyzing the correlation between poor road conditions and underserved communities. Remedying infrastructure inequality is long overdue and continues to be exacerbated by state policy.
Infrastructure as an instrument of inequity
Historically, policies on where and how to build roads and freeways have increased inequity, sometimes deliberately harming communities. For example, it’s no coincidence that roads and infrastructure up and down the state were built through Chinatowns (a freeway in Oakland, Union Station in Los Angeles, among others). Historically Black neighborhoods were isolated or decimated by freeway construction. A 2020 LA Times op-ed stated that “[The Los Angeles] freeway system is one of the most noxious monuments to racism and segregation in the country.”
Racist freeway projects aren’t an artifact of the distant past. In recent years, City Heights CDC fought the construction of a freeway designed to serve suburban communities through an area of San Diego already overburdened with pollution.
And transportation inequity at the neighborhood level is rampant. Across California, you’re likely to find poorly maintained or missing sidewalks, curb cuts, bus stops, traffic signals, bike lanes, and roads in disadvantaged areas.
A movement to fix our unequal roads
The Equity-First Transportation Funding Act will prioritize transportation funding for projects in disadvantaged neighborhoods, giving communities an incentive to begin to fix the inequities built into our public infrastructure. It’s part of a growing recognition of the connection between road building and racism and the beginnings of a movement to repair these harms.
A 2022 bill to ban freeway widening projects that negatively impact disadvantaged communities failed to pass the legislature, but AB 1525 is a fresh approach to providing equitable infrastructure for all Californians. CalBike strongly supports this bill, and we hope you will too.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/jamie-street-dQLgop4tnsc-unsplash-scaled.jpg18132560Jared Sanchezhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngJared Sanchez2023-05-09 14:05:222023-05-09 17:31:34Equity-First Transportation Funding: Reversing a History of Infrastructure Discrimination
