CalBike In the News

Articles, editorials, news features, and podcasts

Caltrans districts and local cities have bike and pedestrian safety plans, but too often Caltrans uses excuses – including cost and delay – to avoid following them. This bill would stop that practice.

Register for the Bike Summit soon – but first, here’s a preview session.

A radio show dedicated to the idea that people should be able to ride bikes safely, and roads aren’t just for cars.
Priorities: Heads of Active Transportation Organizations on their legislative Priorities: Kendra Ramsey, Executive Director of CalBike.

The citizen-led initiative on the March 5 ballot aims to hold city officials accountable for previous promises to increase street safety.

Calbike has an action alert that allows its members to write directly to legislators with their feelings on whether or not the ATP funding should be restored before the legislature votes on the budget in June.

There is a certain class of Eureka citizen that loses their minds quite easily when it comes to their motor vehicular freedom. It seems that any new development that threatens their ability to drive speedily in a straight line to their desired destination and to park their motor vehicle right in front of that destination, freely and without restriction of any sort, will cause members of this class of citizenry to panic and grumble anew.

The proposed legislation would also ban e-bikes for riders under 12 years old.

Two California lawmakers want to crack down on kids riding electric bicycles, citing safety concerns in the wake of a series of high-profile crashes.

Training is important, but requiring a license to ride a e-bike would have other negative consequences.

February 6, 2024

An electric boost

As electric bicycles become more popular in California, there’s also a growing concern about the safety of these vehicles and how they could be regulated to keep riders safe.

A bill that would streamline the process for adding new bike lanes within the coastal zone passed the state Senate Jan. 29. The bill, SB 689 by Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), would eliminate a requirement for cities to complete a traffic study when they want to convert a vehicle lane into a bicycle lane.

Cycle Jerks covered what Calbike’s working on currently as well as “safe Routes to School” and some of the challenges of securing funding. E Bike’s are also playing a big role in planning and expanding opportunities to improve cycling infrastructure for on and off road.

Speed-governor bill S.B 961 would also require trucks to have safety guard rails. A companion bill, S.B. 960, would mandate Caltrans to build for safety

In California, our transportation sector contributes more than any other sector to climate pollution. The Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) lays out a limited set of plans and goals for reducing emissions from transportation. However, it’s not enough. And climate change isn’t a problem we can push off into a hazy future; it’s here now.

Jeanie Ward-Waller started this week as director of transportation advocacy for Fearless Advocacy. Her first clients at Fearless will be nonprofits ClimatePlan, TransForm and the California Bicycle Coalition, where she previously served as policy manager.

It’s electricity storage that can feed power into the grid for more than four hours. That’s the limit for most of the lithium-ion batteries that constitute the majority of the state’s storage right now.

Want to make your streets safer without spending a ton of dough? Implement an LPI.

Transportation officials in the San Francisco Bay Area are working on a plan to use Glydcars — small, electric and autonomous vehicles — to make last-mile connections to more traditional forms of transit.

From lowriders to speed cameras, California’s new traffic laws taking effect in 2024 cover a lot of ground.

“Dooring” and “doored,” colloquialisms among bicyclists, refer to a collision caused by a driver or passenger opening a car door into an oncoming cyclist.But collisions such as these, they say, can be prevented with greater awareness and better infrastructure.

Representatives from the State of California are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates right now for COP28, the climate summit where world leaders make agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our state is promoting itself as a climate leader, and in some respects, that’s accurate. But California can’t claim the mantle of responsible climate stewardship while it continues to build freeways that increase emissions and pollute vulnerable communities.

California is still spending billions of dollars on highway and interchange expansions that increase reliance on driving, drain household budgets, and make traffic worse. Governor Newsom should step in.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 413 and Assembly Bill 645 late last week, among 900 pieces of legislation sent to him by lawmakers this year.

There’s no bigger source of climate pollution in California and across the country than transportation. Some of California’s newest laws should help — and some of the bills vetoed by Newsom might have too.

A bill designed to increase visibility at crosswalks in California was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Studies show tons of reasons why e-bikes are good for communities and individuals.

Earlier this summer, Brodee Champlain Kingman, a 15-year-old, was hit and killed by a driver while riding an e-bike in the city of Encinitas. Following his death and another crash that involved a car striking a teen e-bike rider, the city declared a state of emergency. Officials blamed “conditions of extreme peril … caused by the increased prevalence of [e-bikes], other similar electric or motorized mobility devices, and traditional bicycles on city streets.”

California is embracing the future of transportation by investing in electric bikes (e-bikes), an eco-friendly mode of transit that is garnering immense interest across the state. With the California Bicycle Coalition (Cal Bike) leading the charge for over three decades, the state’s transportation landscape is experiencing significant changes.

AUGUST 12, 2023

Push Back on Bikelash

A radio show dedicated to the idea that people should be able to ride bikes safely, and roads aren’t just for cars.
Fight Back: Talking Back To Bikelash with CalBike’s Kevin Claxton.

Long Beach aims to launch an e-bike lending program to provide residents with up to 40 bikes — in one of the latest efforts in California to increase accessibility with green transportation.

In areas like Los Angeles, investing into a car is becoming a more difficult situation as folks sometimes are priced out from getting a new pair of wheels or are frustrated with the traffic that can offset its importance. These accessibility terms, along with the greater issue of the climate crisis, has made folks turn to alternatives like electric bikes. As popularity grows, however, what policies are out there to regulate those riding E-bikes on roads? There is the recent AB 530, which would prohibit those younger than 12 to ride EBs and also create a state licensing process for drivers.

Riding a bike instead of taking a car is good for your health and for the planet. But in car-centric California, most people still rely on vehicles for daily trips like commuting to work. For cyclists in the state, that means getting around can be risky, especially when they’re asked to share a road with two-ton metal boxes that are often moving very fast. So what would it take to make cycling safer in California, and how can we improve the state’s biking infrastructure to encourage more riders?

In the end, when Governor Newsom signed the budget, the claw-back of ATP funds was gone.

Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) made a significant stride in promoting cycling and bicycle-friendly communities in California with the introduction of Senate Concurrent Resolution 67 (SCR 67). Today, on the Senate Floor, Senator Portantino presented SCR 67, which proclaims May 2023 as National Bike Month in the state of California.

This last workgroup discussed the “final proposed criteria” for the program, including eligibility, funding, and application process.

The Assembly Transportation Committee readily passed a few key bills to improve safety for people on foot and on bikes (and everyone else) on Monday.

Officials are experimenting with rebates, vouchers and tax credits to lower the cost of electric bicycles and ease car congestion.

There is a lot of pressure to get the program right, and a lot of interest and participation in program workgroups. And questions.

Electric bikes — or e-bikes as they’re known — are more popular than ever. Kids use them to get to and from school, surfers ride them to their favorite spot, and many people view them as an alternative to cars.

California is about to affix a variety of different cities and states within the US providing rebates and tax credit for electrical bicycles. California’s Electrical Bicycle Incentives Venture has been over a yr within the making, and we lately noticed new updates to the deliberate rebates.

How long does it take to get an e-bike rebate program off the ground? That question is being asked across the country as bike shops in Hawaii seem unaware that their state has a rebate program (the program went live last July 1) and Washington, D.C. lawmakers begin to work on passing their own rebate program.

Assembly Bill 1909 makes four changes to laws affecting bicyclists, as well as drivers and pedestrians who share California roads. Advocates say the bill will make biking safer.

In the quest to electrify the transportation sector, some state and city leaders see the future arriving not on four wheels, but on two.

Recorded at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, with Not My Job guest Ralph Macchio and panelists Alzo Slade, Emmy Blotnick and Adam Felber.

While hot summer days are sure to return next year, jaywalking tickets like the one Hamilton received are likely to become much less common due to a new law passed this year.

Advocates of the bill decriminalizing jaywalking argued that it will end instances of racial profiling

A new law signed on Friday will allow Californians to legally jaywalk without being ticketed.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has until midnight Friday to determine the fate of the more than 550 bills on his desk — or risk turning into a pumpkin.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

E-Bikes: Getting Up to Speed

Sometimes, all it takes is a gentle nudge for people to pause what they are accustomed to doing and replace it with something more “sustainable,” i.e., something lighter on the environment.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

Ebikes: A snapshot of today

Ebikes have quietly been turning a corner this year. Options have climbed, and awareness and acceptance have expanded. Purchase incentives are coming into play, supporting social and economic equity. And a shift in riders continues, from early adopters, to vast numbers of every-day people seeking more practical, healthier, convenient and environmentally friendly transportation.

On Friday, September 16th, Assembly Bill 1909 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Burbank) was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. AB 1909 addresses a number of California bicycle laws to improve safety and save lives. The bill is part of the state’s climate package to help secure California’s world-class leadership on climate action.

The driver who killed 44-year old Costa Mesa resident Randon Cintron as he rode his bike on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach was arrested shortly after the crash.

Throughout the pandemic, California’s shared bike and scooter programs have served as a lifeline for residents to safely travel to work, school, and appointments. It’s disappointing that California state lawmakers have recently passed a draconian bill with the potential to destroy these necessary programs.

The bill, which is awaiting the governor’s signature, rewards lower-income households that choose public transportation.

Tucked inside California’s wide-ranging suite of new policies to address climate change is a $1,000 tax credit for people who live without a car. Yes, the state is paying people to not drive.

After eight months, California’s legislative session came to a close on Sept. 1 with a final flurry of frantic activity. Lawmakers rushed to pass hundreds of remaining bills before the clock struck midnight on Aug. 31. For a select few measures, with urgency clauses that allow them to take effect immediately upon the governor’s signature, the votes stretched into the wee hours the next day.

This time around, California might begin to reform its ineffective and unfair jaywalking laws, as Assemblymember Phil Ting’s A.B. 2147 has passed the legislature and is on its way to Governor Newsom.

CalBike is asking people to call their Senators and urge them to vote yes on A.B. 1713.

California and the rest of the United States are playing catch up with an electrified mode of transit that is firmly cemented in Asia and Europe: the e-bike.

There is no single way to advocate for more bikeable communities, and bike advocacy has evolved over the years. Recently, we noticed a set of new advocates jumping in to push for things like closing JFK Drive in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and closing streets in Los Angeles’s Griffith Park. So CalBike decided to talk to some of them about what motivated them to step up, how their approaches are different from some of the more established bike coalitions, and how newer and more seasoned advocates work together.

Santa Barbara’s burgeoning electric bike-share operations could hit a serious pothole if the state legislature passes a bill — Assembly Bill 371 — that would require private bike-share companies to obtain insurance that would cover the cost of injuries and deaths caused by negligent riders. Statewide bicycle lobbyists with CalBike argue the additional costs could put “most, if not all shared micromobility systems out of business.”

There’s widespread agreement that bicyclists should treat stop signs as yield signs. The governor has rejected that proposal in the past.

There’s not much that Democrats and Republicans agree on in this era of extreme political polarization. But almost everyone who ride bicycles agrees that it makes no sense for them to completely stop at every stop sign.

Bikes have understandably and justifiably been a key transportation “alternative” for individuals in low-income communities to access jobs, resources, and public transit.

In 2017, a CalBike-commissioned poll showed that Californians across the state and across all major political and demographic groups support building Complete Streets—roads with safe sidewalks, visible crosswalks, and protected bike lanes—that are safe places for everyone and not strictly thoroughfares for driving. That was the impetus for the project.

Michael Schneider, founder of the transformational transportation Political Action Committee Streets For All, is the latest to accuse Caltrans and LADOT failing to protect bike riders on the new $588 million 6th Street Viaduct.

Last year, the California legislature set aside $10 million to create a program that would provide incentives for e-bike purchases. Program details were mostly left up to the Air Resources Board, but a few requirements were included in the bill. For example, it set a launch-by date of July 1, 2022 – which has passed without any announcement from CARB.

For nearly a century, jaywalking has been illegal in most states and localities. But several recent reports have shown that police in some areas disproportionately ticket people of color. And critics say citing people for crossing at the wrong place just gives them another reason to drive instead of walk.

For nearly a century, jaywalking has been illegal in most states and localities. But several recent reports have shown that police in some areas disproportionately ticket people of color. And critics say citing people for crossing at the wrong place just gives them another reason to drive instead of walk.

America, in case you haven’t heard, is in the midst of an e-bike boom. The Light Electric Vehicle Association reports in a recent study that the U.S. imported about 790,000 electric bicycles in 2021–a 70% increase over the year prior. For comparison, the U.S. imported 652,000 electric cars in 2021, making that year the second in a row where e-bike imports surpassed EV imports. And the trend doesn’t appear to be letting up anytime soon: Deloitte projects that 130 million e-bikes will be sold worldwide between 2020 and 2023.

The California legislature is currently on its summer break, and when lawmakers return in early August they will have a month to clear out all the unfinished business of this two-year session, which will end officially on August 31.

In the name of safety, A.B. 371 would require burdensome and outsized insurance coverage for bike- and scooter-share companies – far beyond what is currently required for motor vehicles. This is supposedly to help people who may be injured by people using the devices recover damages, but it is not at all the same thing as improving safety.

A newly revised pitch to make bike, e-bike and e-scooter shares buy insurance in case their customers hit pedestrians or otherwise hurt bystanders has both raised alarms in the bikeshare world and potentially started a rift.

Three bills from Senator Scott Wiener were passed by the Assembly Natural Resources committee yesterday, as the California legislature begins the final months of its session.

The 2022 worldwide Ride of Silence will, for the 20th year in a row, honor people killed or injured while riding a bike on public roadways. The silent group rides are both a remembrance of lost loved ones and a call for drivers and policymakers to do more to keep cycling safe.

Four Democrats are vying to represent the newly redrawn 69th Assembly District during the June 7 statewide primary — and essentially become the successor to longtime Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell.

Scott Lappe, loving son, brother, nephew, cousin and grandson, passed away peacefully on April 9, 2022.

Co-host of the podcast The Weekly Spoke, Elizabeth Bowersox talks about the groups trip to the Cal Bike Summit in Oakland, CA.

SBill 932, a measure introduced by State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Pasadena) to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety, passed the Senate Transportation Committee today.

CalBike helped win a $10 million grant for an electric bike purchase incentive program, to be administered by the California Air Resources Board starting in July of 2022.

As the California Bicycle Summit 2022 kicks off for the first time in-person since 2019 in Oakland this week, one of the big topics of discussion is likely to be Governor Newsom’s $11-billion gas rebate proposal, which would give car owners $400 each for up to two registered vehicles.

Sadly, traffic violence continues to climb on Los Angeles streets. The latest news comes as a young brother and sister were run down as they shared a bike in LA’s Sylmar neighborhood.

A fissure has developed between advocacy groups for safe transportation over California Assembly Bill 371 Shared Mobility Devices: Insurance and Tracking (A.B. 371).

As a preview of the upcoming California Bicycle Summit, CalBike recently offered “Advocacy Success Stories,” a sort of mini-summit session.

Assemblymember Laura Friedman, Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, has introduced a “bicycle omnibus bill.” Is this the first time the legislature has seen “bicycle” and “omnibus” in the same phrase?

Earlier this week, Senator Anthony Portantino (D-San Gabriel Valley) introduced legislation that would require cities to begin planning to create safe streets and passageways for bicyclists and pedestrians if they aren’t already doing so.

If backers obtain the required signatures, L.A. City voters will have their say this November on a ballot measure mandating implementation of the city’s Mobility Plan.

A new effort to get Washington state legislators to adopt a “transportation bill of rights” is prompting conversation about what might be possible if more American cities stopped treating universal access to sustainable mobility as a far-off goal, and started treating it as something all their residents are entitled to today.

The steep rise in biking and walking during the pandemic added urgency to a long-standing problem—long lead times and high costs make it challenging to build the infrastructure we need now. CalBike, California’s statewide bicycle coalition, advanced a solution: a guide to quick-build design principles.

JANUARY 16, 2022

California Report Podcast

On a hot june evening in Berkeley, California, last year, while his groceries sweated on the couch, 24-year-old Darrell Owens sent a tweet that changed his city.

On a hot june evening in Berkeley, California, last year, while his groceries sweated on the couch, 24-year-old Darrell Owens sent a tweet that changed his city.

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the Freedom To Walk Act, which would have largely decriminalized the common practice known as “jaywalking” in California.

At the very deadline for signing bills, Governor Newsom vetoed two important traffic safety bills that had garnered wide support among legislators as well as a broad range of organizations.

Faced with the opportunity to redefine the traffic safety regime in one of the nation’s most progressive states, Governor Gavin Newsom flinched.

California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed bills that would have allowed cyclists to treat stop signs like yields and repealed jaywalking laws. Both bills were supported by bike and pedestrian advocacy groups including CalBike.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected an effort to decriminalize jaywalking, despite supporters framing the issue as a social justice reform.

CalBike’s jaywalking bill is featured: listen for what rhymes with “jaywalking” in the limerick section.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday night vetoed a pair of bills designed to make streets more welcoming to non-vehicular modes of transportation, including a measure that would have decriminalized jaywalking and another that sought to allow bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected an effort to decriminalize jaywalking, despite supporters framing the issue as a social justice reform.

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Friday that would have allowed people to cross the street outside of crosswalks when cars were not present without facing the possibility of a pricey jaywalking ticket.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday rejected an effort to decriminalize jaywalking, despite supporters framing the issue as a social justice reform.

The governor has until Sunday to approve or veto a number of contentious proposals.

A bill is on the Governor’s desk that would make it legal for bicycles to move through intersections with stop signs without stopping. It sounds dangerous, but proponents believe it will actually make things safer.

California is poised to abandon one of the most problematic conventions in American transportation. On September 8, the California Senate advanced a bill that would eliminate fines for crossing the street outside of a crosswalk — the practice better known as jaywalking. Proposed by Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco, AB 1238 is part of a wave of similar decriminalization efforts across the nation, following a turbulent year of norm-shifting public crises.

California has recognized that there are environmental, public health and mobility benefits to getting people out of cars and into other modes of travel, including biking, walking and taking public transit. Yet in too many instances, state law still favors cars.

California cyclists could treat stop signs as yields if a new bill becomes law. KCBS’ Alice Wertz has this report.

When Parker Day approaches a stop sign while biking in San Francisco, he slows down, looks for any oncoming cars or pedestrians, and advances through the intersection if it is safe to do so.

Streetsblog recently joined BikeTalk and the California Bicycle Coalition in a conversation with new Deputy Director of Planning and Modal Programs at Caltrans, Jeanie Ward-Waller, about changes and challenges at Caltrans. Below is an edited version highlighting some of what we talked about; listen to the entire conversation at BikeTalk.

On a rainy Thanksgiving night in 2019, Jihad Muhammad, 62, was standing by a crosswalk on Adams Boulevard near West View Street when he was struck by a white Audi whose driver sped off, leaving him lying on the street.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is suing the city of Beverly Hills and the captain of the police department over a program called “Operation Safe Streets.”

Assembly Bill 122, also known as the Bicycle Safety Stop bill, has passed all committees and could be coming up for a vote on the Senate floor as early as this week. If passed and subsequently signed into law, the statewide pilot program would allow bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs until January 1, 2028.

One thing the group has been pushing for is to get California’s lawmakers to give e-bikes the same public support that larger electric vehicles have been getting. For example, one can get thousands off the purchase price of an EV (on top of federal tax credits) if their income is low enough, and that has helped spur the purchase of EVs. Similarly, it’s difficult for many Californians with lower incomes to purchase an e-bike, due to the extra expense.

A 66-year-old black man was given a nearly $200 ticket for walking across the street. Richard Milton of Culver City, California was recently fined $198 by two officers for jaywalking. After late fees including civil assessments given when he couldn’t pay, Milton was left with a bill of $500.

Five years ago, Oakland planners broke ground on a bold project on Telegraph Avenue: a protected bicycle lane. It might not seem like that big of a deal until you see it. Most bicycle lanes in Oakland and the rest of California are the buffered type, which place bike riders in a painted strip next to vehicle traffic, with parked cars on their right. Protected lanes entirely separate bicyclists from moving traffic by putting a barrier in between them.

Within the budget bill awaiting the governor’s signature is $10 million for incentives to buy electric bicycles. This is included in a planned $425 million investment in the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which is part of nearly $1 billion in investments in clean vehicles, including trucks and transit and school buses.

In the next few weeks, current bills that have already passed their house of origin are being heard by committees in the other house. All must be passed – or held, or die – before the legislature goes on summer break, starting July 16.

The Walking College will provide fellows with an opportunity to hone their skills and knowledge around creating vibrant, safe, accessible communities for people of all ages and abilities. Fellows, paired with experienced leaders in the urban planning field, will learn about the historical underpinnings of the car-centric transportation landscape and the basics of design and policy that foster safe, inclusive, accessible design for non-motorized transportation while developing essential leadership skills. Over the course of the program, fellows will also create a blueprint to address a specific problem in their community. AARP California will cover the fellowship program fees and provide fellows who successfully complete the program with a $1,000 stipend.

Richard Milton walked out of his medical appointment in Culver City into the noon sun. He needed to get back to the garage space he calls home. Black, 66, and a proud Army veteran, Milton has struggled with homelessness for years. “The garage is my sanctuary,” he said. “I have privacy there.”

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The debate over e-bikes continues in Kern County. This time about whether or not they should be banned from bike paths at the Kern River Parkway.

In April 2017, Nandi Cain Jr., who is Black, was beaten by a Sacramento police officer. Following a verbal altercation, Officer Anthony Figueroa threw Cain to the ground and punched him repeatedly.

Sacramento, CA – A bill intended to seek fairness and prevent escalating police stops for jaywalking passed the California State Assembly on Wednesday.

JUNE 2, 2021

Assembly: Phil Ting

I’ve done it. You probably have, too. You’re walking on Clement or Irving streets, and a store on the other side of the street catches your eye. Giving in to temptation, you look both ways and cross in the middle of the block once it’s safe to do so. Most of us don’t realize we’re breaking the law, but that’s jaywalking – something you can get a ticket for.

I’ve done it. You probably have, too. You’re walking on Clement or Irving streets, and a store on the other side of the street catches your eye. Giving in to temptation, you look both ways and cross in the middle of the block once it’s safe to do so. Most of us don’t realize we’re breaking the law, but that’s jaywalking – something you can get a ticket for.

I’ve done it. You probably have too. A flower shop or a store catches your eye on the other side of the street while walking. Maybe coffee or ice cream is calling your name. Giving in to the temptation, you look both ways, and when safe, you cross in the middle of the block. Most of us don’t realize we’re breaking the law, but that’s jaywalking—something you can get a ticket for.

Black Californians are up to 4.5 times more likely to be stopped for jaywalking than their white peers, according to data the state collects under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA). The Freedom to Walk Act, a bill introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and pedestrian safety groups, aims to address this disparity by decriminalizing walking in the street outside of a legal intersection.

Circulate San Diego joined a coalition letter supporting AB 1238, the Freedom to Walk Act, which would repeal California’s “jaywalking” laws by legalizing certain common and safe street crossings that currently qualify as traffic infractions. The Freedom to Walk Act does not change existing law that requires pedestrians to avoid potentially hazardous situations on the roadway.

Jaywalking is one of those criminal offenses that many of us don’t think twice about committing. We need to cross the street, any approaching cars are a safe distance away, so off we trot from one side to the next mid-block.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A California lawmaker is proposing a new bill that would decriminalize jaywalking in the state.

California Assemblyman Phil Ting wants to repeal the state’s jaywalking law and supporters point to past cases where people have died at the hands of police after being accused of walking across the street against the light.