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CalBike Executive Director Responds to California’s Unprecedented Support for Active Transportation

October 7, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

This was an unprecedented year for bike-friendly and active transportation legislation in Sacramento. CalBike worked hard with our members and allies to advocate for bike-friendly measures, and it’s clear that our elected officials have heard the message that Californians want safer streets, more space for biking and walking, and strong measures to tackle climate change. 

We can’t drive ourselves out of the climate crisis; California needs to fundamentally alter its transportation system. The 2022 legislative session shows that our elected leaders recognize the value of bikes and other modes of active transportation to help bring the changes we need. Several new laws will bring vital changes to our communities, reducing pollution, mitigating the effects of climate change, and improving equity and quality of life for all Californians.

Pedestrians aren’t “jays”

Car companies invented the concept of “jaywalking” 100 years ago. At the time, jay was an insulting word for a country bumpkin, and the implication was that country folk were too uneducated to know how to walk on city streets filled with cars. The auto manufacturers did this as part of a PR campaign as sentiment rose against the new vehicles for mowing down children in the streets (something that autos continue to do, but now with sadly little awareness or outrage). 

With the governor’s signature on AB 2147, the Freedom to Walk Act, California joins a growing movement to decriminalize safe, midblock street crossings. The law leaves jaywalking statutes on the books but will prevent police from ticketing people who cross without endangering themselves or others. 

The Freedom to Walk Act won’t affect most people’s walking behavior: Everybody jaywalks, and that will continue. But it will make the streets safer for Black and Latino Californians, who are disproportionately targeted while walking or biking, sometimes leading to lethal police encounters or economically harmful tickets.

CalBike applauds Assemblymember Phil Ting for writing this bill, and for his unwavering support for passing it into law.

Planning for the future

CalBike also cosponsored the Plan for the Future Bill, SB 932, which requires a specific change to a somewhat obscure planning document, but the bill will have a tremendous impact on our neighborhoods in the years to come. Cities and counties base their long-term planning decisions on General Plans, which are only updated every 15 years — sometimes even longer. The changes outlined in General Plans may take years or decades to come to fruition, if they are ever built.

The Plan for the Future Bill requires local governments to update the circulation element of their General Plans (which governs all elements of transportation into and through a community) to include Complete Streets and other features that enhance safety for people walking and biking, and plans must be updated by the middle of 2024. Then they have two years to start building what they have planned, so good ideas don’t gather dust. The bill also creates a state fund to help pay for the costs of these changes.

We can’t wait decades to create communities where it’s safe and appealing to get on a bike or take the bus rather than driving a personal car. The Plan for the Future Bill recognizes this and takes bold action to move California into the future we need. We thank Senator Anthony Portantino for authoring this bill and our friends at Streets for All for cosponsoring it and working with us to pass it.

Accelerating the speed of change

SB 922, which grants permanent CEQA exemption for active transportation infrastructure projects, will help the plans created under SB 932 become reality. The measure extends an exemption granted temporarily during the pandemic. 

CEQA, California’s environmental review law, is crucial to assessing the potential impacts of construction projects on our fragile environment. However, the law has often been twisted by anti-development forces. A CEQA lawsuit delayed the implementation of San Francisco’s bike plan for many years, putting that city’s bike riders in harm’s way and delaying the shift toward a sustainable transportation system.

SB 922 recognizes that bikeways have a positive impact on the environment by making active transportation safer and enabling more people to choose alternatives to driving. We thank Senator Scott Wiener for his leadership on this issue.

Bikes belong on California streets

The OmniBike Bill, AB 1909, makes four essential changes to the California vehicle code:

  • Car drivers must change lanes to pass bike riders wherever possible.
  • E-bikes, including Class 3 bikes, can’t be excluded from most bikeways.
  • Cities can’t enforce bicycle licensing regulations, which have often been used to harass Black and brown bike riders.
  • People on bikes can advance on a walk signal, even if the traffic light is red in their direction.

These changes legalize logical and safe choices for people on bikes, and reduce potential police harassment, discrimination, and pretextual policing. The change lanes to pass provision gives drivers clear direction about how to safely pass bike riders and will make it easier for police to ticket offenders.

This law has a bonus provision because AB 2264, which also became law, gives pedestrians a 3-7 second head start to walk before cars get the green. Called a leading pedestrian interval (LPI), this measure has been shown to reduce collisions involving people walking by up to 60%. Under AB 1909, bikes will be able to advance on the LPI, increasing safety for people on bikes as well. 

We thank Assemblymember Laura Friedman, who authored the OmniBike Bill and several other critical active transportation measures, for her leadership on these issues.

Electric bicycle incentive program takes shape

In 2021, CalBike helped win a budget allocation for an e-bike incentive, similar to the rebates that California offers residents who buy electric cars. This year, we have worked with CARB to provide input to help shape the program. And we have mobilized over 8,000 people who care about the program, which makes e-bikes more affordable for more Californians, to add their voices to the discussion. CARB expects the pilot project to launch by the end of March 2023.

These are just a few highlights from a historic slate of active transportation bills that became law this year, and CalBike is thrilled with the results. This progress signals rapidly growing support for the transportation mode shift that California needs, not just to EVs but to biking, walking, and transit. We look forward to building on this momentum in 2023 to ensure that all Californians have access to healthy, sustainable transportation options, to safe and welcoming streets, and to joyful, connected, liveable communities.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Father-and-daughter-bike-path-scaled.jpg 1440 2560 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2022-10-07 12:22:032022-10-12 12:36:30CalBike Executive Director Responds to California’s Unprecedented Support for Active Transportation

Freedom to Walk Becomes Law in California

October 3, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

For Immediate Release: October 1, 2022

Contact: CalBike: Kevin Claxton, kevin@calbike.org | 909.274.0137

Governor Newsom Signs Freedom to Walk Act

Bill ends jaywalking tickets when it’s safe to cross

Sacramento, CA — Governor Newsom has signed the Freedom to Walk Bill (AB 2147, Ting). This bill will prevent police from issuing jaywalking tickets unless the street crossing is truly dangerous. Governor Newsom vetoed a previous version of this bill in 2021, but the author revised it so police can still issue jaywalking tickets for dangerous behavior.

“We are pleased the Governor signed this important bill,” said Jared Sanchez, CalBike Senior Policy Advocate. “The Freedom to Walk Bill legalizes what people are already doing: finding the best routes to safely walk in their neighborhoods. This bill will reduce targeted policing that mostly penalizes Black and Latinx Californians and people who live in communities without complete street infrastructure.”

Inequities in neighborhood design and street infrastructure leave many lower-income California neighborhoods less than pedestrian-friendly. Because of this, policing jaywalking often amounts to punishing people for the lack of government services in their community. And jaywalking tickets can be the gateway for dangerous police interactions, especially for BIPOC folks. Police data show that Black residents are as much as four times as likely as White ones to be ticketed for jaywalking. 

When a police officer cites someone for jaywalking under CVC 21955, crossing the road outside a designated crosswalk, they may face a fine as high as $250. That amount can get higher as additional violations are added. This jaywalking fine is higher than most parking tickets and some common traffic citations. 

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/cropped-jaywalking.jpeg 866 1600 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2022-10-03 10:12:232022-10-03 10:12:25Freedom to Walk Becomes Law in California

Governor Signs SB 932, Plan for the Future Bill

September 29, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

For Immediate Release:  9/29/22

Contact: CalBike Kevin Claxton, 909.274.0137, Kevin@CalBike.org 

Plan for the Future Bill Signed by Governor

SB 932 will accelerate green cities and active transportation

Sacramento, CA – Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 932, the Plan for the Future Bill. 

SB 932 requires a county or city to identify high-injury streets and intersections in its General Plan and prioritize safety improvements to reduce traffic collisions.

SB 932 will also create an annual grant program to award funding to help cities implement timely and effective short-term efforts to mitigate bicycle, pedestrian, and other active transportation. The Act mandates that cities and counties begin to implement those plans within two years after the adoption of the new circulation element. 

Though California has been leading efforts to create safer streets, traffic deaths have dramatically increased in recent years.  In some cities, the most dangerous streets and corridors have been identified, but no plans exist to remedy these deadly situations. In other cases, safety measures detailed in General Plans are never built.

“By putting active transportation safety and access at the center of local planning, SB 932 will create more livable communities in California,” said Jared Sanchez, CalBike Senior Policy Advocate. “And mandating planning for safe active transportation is essential to meeting California’s emissions reduction goals,” 

The bill’s author, Senator Portantino, said, “This bill is not just about cyclists; it’s about the safety of everyone who ventures into the public right of way. SB 932 is an effective way to mitigate injuries and fatalities. The Governor’s signature on this important public safety bill will yield positive change for our communities.”

Marc Vukcevich, Co-Director of State Policy at Streets for All, said, “SB 932 is a transformative policy that will require cities and counties to plan for biking and walking as transportation. This bill will also have cities address their high injury networks of streets in a time when roadway fatalities of both drivers and pedestrians are at an all-time high.”

CalBike and Streets for All are sponsors of Senator Portantino’s Plan for the Future Bill.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Black-male-bike-rider-Lake-Merritt-BIPOC-scaled.jpg 1440 2560 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2022-09-29 13:37:002022-10-03 20:14:43Governor Signs SB 932, Plan for the Future Bill

Active Transportation Bills Advance to Governor’s Desk

September 7, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

For Immediate Release 9/7/22

Contact: Jared Sanchez, CalBike (714) 262-0921, Jared@CalBike.org

CalBike: Active Transportation Bills Now on Governor Newsom’s Desk

Sacramento, CA – A slate of active transportation bills backed by the California Bicycle Coalition is now on Gov. Newsom’s desk. He has until September 30 to sign them into law. These bills make it easier and safer for Californians to choose biking, walking, and public transit as their everyday transportation.

Jared Sanchez, senior policy advocate at CalBike, said, “The success of this legislation shows that our elected officials take the climate crisis seriously and are prepared to address it. Active transportation helps reduce the climate impacts of California’s transportation system and invests in clean alternatives for low-income communities who suffer the most from California’s air pollution.”

Two Cal Bike-sponsored bills on the Governor’s desk 

The Plan for the Future Bill (SB 932, Portantino) will require general plans to include active transportation in their circulation elements and build them rather than sitting on those plans. 

The Freedom to Walk Bill (AB 2147, Ting) will prevent police from issuing jaywalking tickets unless the street crossing is truly dangerous.

Bills CalBike supported in 2022 awaiting signature

The OmniBike Bill (AB 1909, Friedman) edits the California Vehicle Code to make it more bike-friendly, including requiring cars to change lanes to pass bikes when possible.

The E-Bike Incentives Bill (AB 117, Boerner Horvath) codifies a program included in last year’s budget with a $10 million allocation to give low-income Californians vouchers to help them purchase an electric bicycle. 

CalBike also strongly supports these active transportation bills awaiting the governor’s signature:

  • AB 2438 Friedman – Align transportation funding with climate goals
  • SB 457 Portantino and Wilk – Car-free tax credit
  • AB 2097 Friedman – No auto parking minimums near transit
  • SB 1079 Portantino – Sound-activated enforcement devices
  • SB 1472 Stern – Speeding and reckless driving  
  • SB 307 McGuire – Great Redwood Trail Agency authorization
  • SB 1230 Limon – Zero-emission and near-zero emission vehicle incentive programs  
  • SB 922 Wiener – CEQA exemptions for transit and active transportation infrastructure
  • AB 1919 Holden – Free student transit passes
  • AB 2264 Bloom – Pedestrian head start at crossing signals
  • SB 1107 Dodd – Protect California Drivers Act of 2022 increases liability insurance
  • AB 2863 Wilson – Bike parking standards in building codes (research)

We hope Governor Newsom signs every one of these bills into law. 

Bills already signed

The governor has already signed some of the bike-friendly bills that reached his desk, two relating to bicycle education.

  • AB 1946 (Boerner Horvath) requires Caltrans to develop statewide safety standards and training programs for users of e-bikes.
  • AB 2028 (Davies) expands permitted school bicycle safety education partnerships in elementary and middle schools to include any agency or organization (not just law enforcement) at any public school.
  • AB 2174 (Chen) will treat bikes and scooters as vehicles for purposes of towing regulations.  
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Girl-with-father-under-BART-tracks-Ohlone-Greenway-Bikeway-BIPOC-scaled.jpg 1440 2560 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2022-09-07 14:35:002022-09-28 13:23:11Active Transportation Bills Advance to Governor’s Desk

Active Transportation Slate Poised to Pass Legislature

August 31, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

Updated August 31, 2022.

For Immediate Release: 8/18/22

Contact: Jared Sanchez, CalBike (714) 262-092, Jared@CalBike.org

Historic Active Transportation Slate Poised to Make it to the Governor’s Desk 

Sacramento, Calif – As we head into the final stretch for legislation in 2022, a slate of excellent active transportation bills has been voted on in the Senate and Assembly. Almost all of the bills we supported are already on the governor’s desk, including at least two that have been signed into law. Of the 18 active transportation bills that made it to the end of the session, one was withdrawn by the author (the Bicycle Safety Stop), and only one remains to be voted on. The other 14 bills have passed both houses and are on their way to Governor Newsom’s desk, if they aren’t there already.

CalBike applauds the California legislature for recognizing the critical role that biking, walking, and public transit will play in our response to climate change and our efforts to create healthier communities.

Jared Sanchez, senior policy advocate at CalBike, said, “We’re encouraged by the overwhelming support for most of the bills we have been following in 2022. The success of this legislation shows that our elected officials take the climate crisis seriously and are prepared to address it. Active transportation helps reduce the climate impacts of California’s transportation system, and it’s frankly, the healthy and fun way to get around town!”

Here is an update of the active transportation bills CalBike supports that are still in play in Sacramento:

ON GOVERNOR’S DESK


AB 2147 Ting – Safe Street Crossings

Legalizes safe pedestrian mid-block crossings.
Enrolled and presented to the governor

SB 932 Portantino – Plan for the Future Bill 

Requires cities to ensure that a modified circulation element additionally includes bicycle and pedestrian plans and traffic calming plans.
Enrolled and presented to the governor

AB 2438 Friedman – Aligning transportation funding with climate goals

Requires all transportation projects funded at the local or state level to align with the California Transportation Plan and the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure adopted by the Transportation Agency
Enrolled and presented to the governor

SB 457 Portantino and Wilk – Car-Free Tax Credit

Creates a rebate program for each person without a car in a household

Enrolled and presented to the governor

AB 2097 Friedman – No auto parking minimums near transit

Cities can’t impose automobile parking minimums on new construction within a half mile of transit.
Enrolled and presented to the governor

SB 1079 Portantino – Sound-activated enforcement devices.

Authorizes cities to use sound-activated enforcement devices to capture vehicle noise levels that exceed the legal limits.
Enrolled and presented to the governor

SB 1472 Stern – Speeding and reckless driving  

Enrolled and presented to the governor

SB 307 McGuire – Great Redwood Trail Agency

Allows the Great Redwood Trail agency further authority to build out the Great Redwood Trail, a 320-mile, world-class, multi-use rail-to-trail project connecting California’s San Francisco and Humboldt Bays.
Enrolled and presented to the governor

SB 1230 Limon – Zero-emission and near-zero emission vehicle incentive programs  

Enrolled and presented to the governor

AB 1909 Friedman – OmniBike Bill

  • Increases access for e-bikes. 
  • Requires motorists to change lanes if possible to pass bikes. 
  • Allows bikes to go forward on a ‘walk’ sign 
  • Prohibits mandatory bike registration

Enrolled and presented to the governor

SB 922 Wiener – CEQA Exemptions

Extends environmental review exemptions for transit and active transportation infrastructure improvements. Forbids auto capacity increases.
Enrolled and presented to the governor

AB 1919 Holden – Free Student Transit Passes

Develops Youth Transit Pass Pilot Program that will allow transit agencies to provide free youth transit passes to all persons 25 years of age.

Enrolled and presented to the governor

AB 2264 Bloom – Pedestrian crossing signals

Requires Caltrans and cities to update all pedestrian control signals to operate giving a pedestrian a head start between 3 to 7 seconds to enter an intersection with a corresponding circular green signal
Enrolled and presented to the governor

SB 1107 Dodd – Protect California Drivers Act of 2022

Would modernize California’s outdated minimum auto financial responsibility limits (known as liability insurance) and would change our underinsured motorist law so that drivers get the full value of the policy they paid for.
Enrolled and presented to governor

AB 2174 Chen – Treat bikes and scooters as vehicles for purposes of towing regulations.  

Enrolled and presented to the governor

SIGNED BY GOVERNOR


AB 1946 Boerner Horvath – E-Bike Safety Training Program

Requires Caltrans to develop statewide safety standards and training programs for users of e-bikes.
Approved by the governor and chaptered

AB 2028 Davies – School instruction for bike and scooter safety

Expands permitted school bicycle safety education partnerships from law enforcement agencies in elementary and middle schools to any agency or organization at any public school.
Approved by the governor and chaptered

WITHDRAWN


AB 1713 Boerner Horvath – The Safety Stop

Requires adults on bikes to yield at stop sign-controlled intersections instead of stop unless stopping is necessary for safety.
Withdrawn by author

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/iStock-598565062_purchased-scaled.jpg 1707 2560 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2022-08-31 17:54:072022-09-02 11:33:52Active Transportation Slate Poised to Pass Legislature

California Bike-Sharing in Danger

August 5, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

For Immediate Release 8/5/22

Contract: Jared Sanchez, CalBike, (714) 262-0921, Jared@calbike.org

Unless Fixed, AB 371 Could Kill Bike-Sharing in California

Sacramento, Calif. – The California State Senate is considering a bill that will endanger bike and scooter sharing in California.

The Kill Bike-Share Bill (AB 371) would require providers of shared bikes and scooters (whether a private company or a transit agency) to carry insurance to pay for injuries caused through no fault of their own, including by the rider’s own negligence. It’s unprecedented and will drive up the costs of bike and scooter sharing so severely that many programs will have to be canceled. AB 371 could end hopes of expanding these programs into low-income communities. 

CalBike opposes AB 371 unless it is amended to remove the insurance mandate. The bill must leave the Senate Appropriations Committee by August 11th.

“California should drastically expand bike-share, not hobble it with prohibitively expensive requirements,” said Jared Sanchez, senior policy advocate, CalBike. “AB 371 punishes shared scooters and shared bikes, while strangely boosting mopeds masquerading as e-bikes. Reducing active transportation options will cause increased driving and worse pollution in already burdened neighborhoods. This bill will also reduce economic security for low-income people who rely on these low-cost shared mobility options to get to jobs, school, and recreational activities.”

The Kill Bike-Share Bill was amended in June 2022 to reduce the amount of the insurance requirement. However, AB 371 in its current form will still have a devastating impact on equitable mobility in California. The bill demands a type of policy that isn’t available on the insurance market. 

AB 371 also mandates bodily injury coverage out of proportion to the potential that low-speed, human-powered and electric vehicles have to cause damage or injury. 

The Kill Bike-Share Bill will undermine California policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by penalizing active transportation. Indeed, many bike-sharing programs funded with state grants will be forced to close if this bill becomes law. California will fall behind other states instead of being a leader in providing low- and no-carbon transportation alternatives.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/44006449071_58830a130d_z.jpg 427 640 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2022-08-05 11:20:572022-08-31 13:19:57California Bike-Sharing in Danger

SB 932  Is a Plan for the Future that California Must Embrace 

August 2, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

For Immediate Release: 8/2/22

Contact: Jared Sanchez, CalBike (714) 262-0921, Jared@CalBike.org

SB 932  Is a Plan for the Future that California Must Embrace 


Sacramento, Calif. –
The California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) supports Senator Portantino’s Plan for the Future Bill (SB 932) to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety and fix the most deadly roads in our cities.  The bill will be heard in Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, August 3.


SB 932 would require a county or city to identify high-injury streets and intersections in its General Plan and prioritize safety improvements to reduce traffic collisions. SB 932 would also create an annual grant program to award funding to help cities implement timely and effective short-term efforts to mitigate bicycle, pedestrian, and other active transportation.


The bill will also help reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and create safer and healthier streets for active transportation in communities statewide.

“By putting active transportation safety and access at the center of local planning, SB 932 will create more livable communities in all parts of California,” says Jared Sanchez, CalBike Senior Policy Advocate. “And the Plan for the Future Bill is essential to meeting California’s emissions reduction goals. We need strong legislation like this if we want to have any hope of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.

Specifically, SB 932 would:

  • Require cities and counties to update the circulation element of their general plans by 2024 to include “a balanced, multimodal transportation network … and to ensure that the plan includes bicycle and pedestrian plans and traffic calming plans for any urbanized area[.]”
  • Mandate that cities and counties begin to implement those plans within two years after the adoption of the new circulation element.
  • Establish a grant program to help cities build Complete Streets.

Background

Americans have recently seen a significant rise in traffic fatalities. In 2021, 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year, a 10.5% increase from 2020 and the highest number of fatalities since 2005.

California has taken a lead nationally in creating safer streets. We know what works. 

Many cities lack data on how to address deaths caused by accidents and serious injuries to pedestrians, cyclists, and other human-powered-transit users. In many cities where the most dangerous streets and corridors have been identified, no plans exist to remedy these deadly situations. Even in cities that have developed safety plans, meaningful changes that would actually save lives have yet to be implemented.

Also, many safety plans on paper never make it to the street, which is why the grant program is critical to this legislation’s success. By using data-driven plans to improve street safety, we can save lives and encourage more people to walk and bike to their destinations. SB 932 will mitigate injuries and fatalities and will yield positive change for our communities. 

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/LosAngelesStOpening316Jun16-scaled.jpg 1525 2560 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2022-08-02 10:30:282022-08-02 10:30:30SB 932  Is a Plan for the Future that California Must Embrace 

Executive Director Dave Snyder Announces Departure

July 19, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

July 19, 2022

Contact: Kevin Claxton, kevin@calbike.org, 909-274-0137

CalBike Executive Director Dave Snyder Leaving to Join PeopleForBikes

CalBike to Begin Executive Director Search

Sacramento: CalBike’s Executive Director, Dave Snyder, will leave the organization in August to take a position as Senior Director of Local Innovation at national advocacy organization PeopleForBikes.

Since joining CalBike as Executive Director in 2010, Snyder has grown the organization into a respected voice for bicycling in the state’s capital and an influential leader among organizations that advocate for bicycling in communities across California. CalBike is grateful for his tenure and excited to continue collaborating with him in his new role at PeopleForBikes.

“I am glad to have had the chance to serve CalBike’s mission as its executive director for a decade,” Snyder said. “We’ve built a strong team that is ready to take this organization to the next level as a powerful voice for equitable and prosperous communities where bicycling is an  easy and safe choice for all Californians.”

Under Snyder’s leadership, CalBike’s tenacious, hardworking team has passed model e-bike legislation, pushed through Complete Streets reform at Caltrans, defeated a helmet mandate, legalized protected bike lanes, and gotten several bills passed to protect bicyclists, including the Three Feet for Safety Law requiring motorists to give bicyclists 3 feet of space when passing. They have gotten more funding for bicycling as well, securing an increase in state-level funding for biking and walking from around $100M to over $1B, and winning $10M for e-bike purchase incentives. 

CalBike has helped to coordinate more than twenty local advocacy organizations with a combined membership of over 100,000, influencing elections for the California State Assembly and Senate and building support for ballot measures such as the successful defeat in 2018 of a proposed repeal of the gas tax. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to Dave for all he’s done for the California Bicycle Coalition, and we’re delighted he’s staying in bicycle advocacy. Dave has built a strong, talented team to continue this legacy of building safer, more equitable communities so all Californians can prosper. We’re also excited about CalBike’s next chapter and have begun the process to identify new executive leadership to take us to the next level,” said Cynthia Rose, CalBike’s Board Chair. 

The Board has appointed Kevin Claxton, CalBike’s Operations Manager as Interim Director. “I’m delighted to take the helm at CalBike, supporting staff and board as we continue the great work that Dave has led. It’s a critical time for transportation, with many terrific opportunities for our policy team to advance our mission to create healthy, equitable communities through bicycling.”

###

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Dave-Snyder-in-Bogota-cropped-header-scaled.jpg 1134 2560 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2022-07-19 06:30:002022-07-18 16:07:35Executive Director Dave Snyder Announces Departure

Active Transportation Bills to Watch This Week 

May 18, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

For Immediate Release: 5/18/22

Contact:
Jared Sanchez, CalBike (714) 262-0921, Jared@CalBike.org

CalBike: Active Transportation Bills to Watch This Week

Update: SACRAMENTO, May 21: All the active transportation bills advanced out of the Appropriations Committee except AB 2336 (speed cameras) and AB 1975 (bus shelters).

SACRAMENTO – The California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) is following multiple bills in Sacramento this year that address issues of concern for Californians who walk, bike, and use our streets for active transportation. 

Eight bills essential to preserving California’s climate, increasing equity, and making our communities safer for residents of all ages will be heard by the California Assembly Appropriations Committee this week.

“Bills are often killed in the Appropriations Committee,” said CalBike Senior Policy Advocate Jared Sanchez. “That’s why this week’s hearings are so critical. These bills represent a major step forward to make it safer to bike and walk, improve air quality, reduce climate-killing pollution, and advance transportation justice.”

Bills being considered on 5/18 at the Assembly Appropriations Committee

AB 2438 (Friedman) – Transportation Funding and Climate Goals: The Bike to the Future Bill

This bill requires all transportation projects funded at the local or state level to align with the California Transportation Plan and the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure adopted by the Transportation Agency. This effort will codify California’s efforts to align transportation funding with our climate goals.

AB 1778 (C. Garcia) – Ending Freeway Expansion: The Restoring Healthy Communities Bill

This bill will prohibit any state money from funding or permitting freeway widening projects in areas with high rates of pollution and poverty. As decades of research have shown, low-income communities of color are most burdened by highway pollution that causes unnecessary cases of asthma and other major health issues. 

AB 1975 (Nazarian) – California Bus Shelter Bill: The Safe Bus Stops Bill

The bill would ensure that bus and pedestrian shelter and street furniture is treated as a critical and funded infrastructure asset to prioritize shade as an essential need for all Californians.

Bills being considered on 5/19 at the Assembly Appropriations Committee

AB 2147 (Ting) – Safe Street Crossings: The Freedom to Walk Bill

This bill is the sequel to the Freedom to Walk legislation that passed the assembly and senate last year. After Governor Newsom’s veto, Assemblymember Phil Ting revamped the bill to address the governor’s concerns. The revised version will direct police not to ticket for safe pedestrian mid-block crossings while keeping jaywalking laws on the books. Ending enforcement of safe midblock crossings will reduce opportunities for police encounters that too often become violent for people of color.

AB 2237 (Friedman) – Sustainable Regional Planning: The Plan for a Better Tomorrow Bill

This bill would bring local transportation planning and funding into alignment with sustainable community strategies (SCS) and the state’s climate and air quality standards. California has struggled to align land use with the need to reduce vehicle miles traveled and the corresponding emissions that cause air pollution and climate change. AB 2237 would require regional or county transportation agencies to rank their transportation projects and prioritize them according to adherence to sustainable communities strategies and state climate and air quality standards. Most importantly, funding would follow that prioritization, so that the projects that most support clean mobility (many bike projects) would be the first implemented. Projects that undermine climate and air quality standards would not be funded.

AB 2336 (Friedman) – Automated Speed Enforcement Pilot Program: The Speed Kills Bill

This bill establishes an automated speed enforcement pilot program in a few cities.

AB 1919 (Holden) – Free Student Transit Passes: The Transit Access Bill

This bill requires each transit agency to offer free transit passes to every person under the age of 26 years. This lack of a statewide program leaves millions of low-income and diverse youth without affordable or accessible transportation options. It also forces many to be dependent on greenhouse gas-emitting personal vehicles to the detriment of their communities’ environmental health. 

AB 2264 (Bloom) – Pedestrian crossing signals – advance signals: The Step Ahead Bill

Requires Caltrans and cities to update all pedestrian control signals to operate giving a pedestrian a head start between 3 to 7 seconds to enter an intersection with a corresponding circular green signal.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/California_State_Capitol_in_Sacramento.jpg 1000 1500 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2022-05-18 11:02:152022-05-25 12:23:25Active Transportation Bills to Watch This Week 

California Ranks Fourth Most Bicycle Friendly State in 2022

April 19, 2022/by Laura McCamy

For Immediate Release: 4/19/22

Contact:
Dave Snyder, CalBike, 916-251-9433, dave@calbike.org

California Ranks Fourth Most Bicycle-Friendly State in League of American Bicyclists 2022 Report

Sacramento, Calif. – California took 4th Place in the annual ranking of Bicycle Friendly States by the League of American Bicyclists released today in Washington, D.C.

The state Report Card found in today’s report praises California for…
“…significant advances in bicycle policy in recent years, but those advances must be institutionalized more thoroughly in local Caltrans offices and in funding decisions made by Caltrans and the state legislature. For example, while California’s Active Transportation Program has expanded in recent years, it still fails to meet the demand for biking and walking investments with a nearly $2 billion gap in funding in the last application round.”

CalBike’s $2 Billion for Bikes campaign aims to fill the funding gap identified by the League. Many excellent projects in the Active Transportation Program didn’t get funded in the last cycle due to lack of budget. Governor Newsom and the legislature have, so far, tentatively committed to $1.1 billion in additional funding for biking and walking infrastructure in the next fiscal year, which is an encouraging first step, but California needs more. 


Dave Snyder, executive director of CalBike, said of the League’s report:

“California being named the fourth most bike-friendly state is wonderful news. But California can and should be the MOST bike-friendly state in the nation. The pandemic showed us that Californians love to bike recreationally. But more Californians would love to use bikes for commuting and shopping too, if they felt the streets were safe enough. 

“While funding for bicycles in California has increased recently, we are still ranked at 39th in per capita spending and 23rd in safety nationwide. To catch up, let’s invest $2 billion in safe bikeways that reach destinations where people want to go. By vastly expanding our bike infrastructure, California can become the climate and equity leader we claim to be.“

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2B-for-bikes.jpeg 1150 2125 Laura McCamy https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Laura McCamy2022-04-19 10:59:502022-04-19 10:59:52California Ranks Fourth Most Bicycle Friendly State in 2022
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