Call to Action for Bike-Friendly California Legislation
The many bike-friendly bills CalBike is tracking and the one bad bill we are opposing are moving through the Senate after passing the Assembly. Several of them have hearings in the next two weeks. CalBike is reaching out strategically to our members who have legislators on key Senate Committees: Transportation, and Judiciary. If you are one of those people, your call or email to your State Senator could make the difference in making California more bikeable, our streets safer for all users, and future generations safer from the climate crisis.
If your senator isn’t on one of those committees, we’ll be sure to tell you when the issue is up for a floor vote and it’s time for you to reach out.
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Here’s your guide to emailing and calling to help push bike-friendly bills forward.
AB 371: Save Bike-Share
This bill would impose burdensome and unprecedented insurance requirements on bike-share and scooter-share operators. CalBike would like to see bike and scooter sharing become elements of public transportation systems, operated by transit authorities and priced like other forms of transit. AB 371 would take California in the opposite direction. If it passes, no shared mobility systems, public or private, will be able to operate in our state.
Status:
In the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Hearing Date:
TBD (postponed from 6/22)
Take Action:
- Use CalBike’s tool to email your senator and tell them to vote NO on AB 371.
- The bill will come before the Senate Judiciary Committee soon. If your senator is on the committee, call them and urge them to kill AB 371 in committee. Here’s the list of committee members:
- Senator Thomas J. Umberg (Chair) – Orange County: (916) 651-4034
- Senator Andreas Borgeas (Vice Chair) – Fresno/Oakdale/Sutter Creek: (916) 651-4008
- Senator Anna M. Caballero – Salinas/Modesto: (916) 651-4012
- Senator María Elena Durazo – Los Angeles: (916) 651-4024
- Senator Lena A. Gonzalez – Long Beach/South LA: (916) 651-4033
- Senator Robert M. Hertzberg – San Fernando Valley: (916) 651-4018
- Senator Brian W. Jones – El Cajon/Escondido: (916) 651-4038
- Senator John Laird – Monterey/Santa Cruz: (916) 651-4017
- Senator Henry I. Stern – Simi Valley/LA: (916) 651-4027
- Senator Bob Wieckowski – Hayward/Fremont: (916) 651-4010
- Senator Scott D. Wiener – San Francisco/Daly City: (916) 651-4011
AB 122, the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill
Also known as the Idaho stop, the bicycle safety stop allows people on bikes to treat stop signs as yields. The safety stop has been proven to reduce collisions involving bicyclists in states that have adopted it. AB 122 (Boerner Horvath) easily passed the Assembly, but it’s meeting more opposition in the Senate.
Status:
In Senate Transportation Committee
Hearing Date:
Tuesday, 6/29/21
Take Action:
- Use CalBike’s tool to email your senator and tell them to support the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill, AB 122.
- Or, if your senator is on the Transportation Committee, make a phone call to ask them to support this and our other bills that will be heard by them in the next few weeks. Jump to the list of committee members and their contact information to reach out to them directly.
AB 1238, the Freedom to Walk Act
The Freedom to Walk Act would repeal California’s unjust jaywalking laws. These laws shift blame for unsafe driving from car drivers to walkers, are unfairly enforced against Black Californians, and initiate potentially deadly police interactions. AB 1238 (Ting) is an essential step toward safer streets for all.
Status:
In Senate Transportation Committee
Hearing Date:
Tuesday, 6/29/21
Take Action:
- Use CalBike’s tool to email your senator and tell them to support the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill, AB 1238.
- Multiple bills that are important for safer streets will come before the Senate Transportation Committee next week. Jump to the list of committee members and their contact information to reach out to them directly.
AB 117, the E-Bike Affordability Act
CalBike’s E-Bike Affordability Program would help 10,000 low-income Californians buy the cleanest electric vehicle: an electric bike. AB 117 (Boerner Horvath) creates the program, and the budget process will provide the funding to make it happen.
Status:
In Senate Transportation Committee and ongoing budget negotiations
Hearing Date:
Thursday, 6/24/21
Take Action:
- Use CalBike’s tool to email your senator and tell them to support the E-Bike Affordability Bill, AB 117.
- If you are a constituent of one of these six legislators, contact them to ask them to include $10 million for e-bikes in next year’s budget:
- Assemblymember Phil Ting – San Francisco: (916) 651-4019
- Senator Bob Wieckowski – Hayward/Fremont: (916) 651-4010
- Senator Nancy Skinner – East Bay: (916) 651-4009
- Assemblymember Richard Bloom – Santa Monica: (916) 319-2050
- Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles: (916) 319-2063
- Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins – San Diego: (916) 651-4039
- Multiple bills that are important for safer streets will come before the Senate Transportation Committee next week. Jump to the list of committee members and their contact information to reach out to them directly.
AB 1147, Reform Regional Active Transportation Planning
This visionary bill would pave the way for 15-minute neighborhoods and bicycle freeways. AB 1147 (Friedman) will incentivize the kinds of changes California needs to make our communities more livable and climate-resilient.
Status:
In Senate Environmental Quality Committee and ongoing budget negotiations
Hearing Date:
Thursday, 7/1/21
Take Action:
- Sign CalBike’s petition in support of AB 1147’s forward-thinking active transportation planning reforms
- If your senator is on the Environmental Quality Committee, contact them and ask them to vote YES on AB 1147:
- Senator Benjamin Allen (Chair) – Hollywood/Westside/South Bay: (916) 651-4026
- Senator Patricia C. Bates (Vice Chair) San Diego/Orange County: (916) 651-4036
- Senator Brian Dahle – Redding/Gold River/Grass Valley: (916) 651-4001
- Senator Lena A. Gonzalez – Long Beach/South LA: (916) 651-4033
- Senator Nancy Skinner – East Bay: (916) 651-4009
- Senator Henry I. Stern – Simi Valley/LA: (916) 651-4027
- Senator Bob Wieckowski – Hayward/Fremont: (916) 651-4010
More bills to watch
AB 43 (Friedman): Changes the 85 percentile rule to allow communities to set lower speed limits
Status:
In Senate Transportation Committee
Hearing Date:
Tuesday, 7/13/21
AB 1401 (Friedman): Ends mandated parking minimums for new buildings near transit, moving California away from the car dependency that’s driving the climate crisis.
Status:
In Senate Governance and Finance Committee
Hearing Date:
Not yet set
Take Action:
- Sign CalBike’s petition in support of AB 1401 and ending parking minimums near transit.
Contact the Senate Transportation Committee
Senate Transportation Committee members:
- Senator Lena A. Gonzalez (Chair) – Long Beach/South LA: (916) 651-4033
- Senator Patricia C. Bates (Vice Chair) San Diego/Orange County: (916) 651-4036
- Senator Benjamin Allen – Hollywood/Westside/South Bay: (916) 651-4026
- Senator Bob Archuleta – Norwalk: (916) 651-4032
- Senator Josh Becker – San Mateo: (916) 651-4013
- Senator Dave Cortese – Campbell: (916) 651-4015
- Senator Brian Dahle – Redding/Gold River/Grass Valley: (916) 651-4001
- Senator Bill Dodd – Napa: (916) 651-4003
- Senator Mike McGuire – San Rafael: (916) 651-4002
- Senator Melissa Melendez – Murrieta: (916) 651-4028
- Senator Dave Min – Costa Mesa: (916) 651-4037
- Senator Josh Newman – Brea: (916) 651-4029
- Senator Susan Rubio – West Covina: (916) 651-4022
- Senator Nancy Skinner – East Bay: (916) 651-4009
- Senator Thomas J. Umberg – Orange County: (916) 651-4034
- Senator Bob Wieckowski – Hayward/Fremont: (916) 651-4010
- Senator Scott Wilk – Lancaster: (916) 651-4021
Join CalBike’s list to get timely updates on all the bills you care about.
Check out CalBike’s Legislative Watch page for an update on all the bills we’re working on.
