• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
CalBike
  • About Us
  • Get Involved
    • Petition: $10M for E-Bikes!
    • Petition: Decriminalize Jaywalking
    • Petition: Support the Safety Stop
    • Volunteer
    • California Dream Ride
    • Join/Renew
  • What We Do
    • $10M E-Bike Affordability Program
    • Decriminalize Jaywalking
    • Legalize the Bicycle Safety Stop
    • More…
  • Resources
    • Free Quick-Build Bikeway Design Guide
    • COVID-19 & Bicycling
    • Learn to Bike at Any Age
    • Map & Routes
    • Crash Help
    • Register Your Bike
    • California Bicycle Laws
    • All Our E-Bike Work
  • Shop
    • Get our beautiful jersey!
    • Pre-order a bicycle-themed license plate
    • Donate
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • What We Do
  • Resources
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Donate

Archive for category: Press Release

CalBike Announces New Legislation to Eliminate Jaywalking Tickets in California

March 25, 2021/in Press Release, The Latest /by Jared Sanchez

March 25, 2021

California Walks logo Complete Streets Supporters

March 25, 2021

For Immediate Release

Contact:

  1. CalBike: Jared Sanchez, jared@calbike.org |  714-262-0921
  2. California Walks: Caro Jauregui, caro@calwalks.org | 562-320-2139
  3. Los Angeles Walks: John Yi, john@losangeleswalks.org | 213-219-2483

CalBike Announces New Legislation to Eliminate Jaywalking Tickets in California

San Francisco: Jaywalking is arbitrarily enforced throughout California. When it is, tickets are disproportionately given to Black Californians, and sometimes these encounters with police turn life-threatening. In an effort to reform this unfair system, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) — along with CalBike, California Walks, and Los Angeles Walks — has introduced AB 1238, The Freedom To Walk Act, which would decriminalize jaywalking.

“Whether it’s someone’s life or the hundreds/thousands of dollars in fines, the cost is too much for a relatively minor infraction,” said Ting at a San Francisco press conference. “It’s time to reconsider how we use our law enforcement resources and whether our jaywalking laws really do protect pedestrians and all road users.”

The Freedom To Walk Act promotes the fair and equitable use of roadways by:

  • Legalizing crossings, when safe, outside of a marked or unmarked crosswalk or against a traffic light;
  • Stopping the undue financial burden of jaywalking tickets on low-income people, whose fines can range to hundreds of dollars, if not more, because of added fees tacked on by the court, county, city, and others;
  • Preventing police from using jaywalking as a pretext to stop Black Californians; and
  • Ending the criminalization of people in disadvantaged communities that lack adequate pedestrian infrastructure.

“Jaywalking laws do more than turn an ordinary and logical behavior into a crime; they also create opportunities for police to racially profile. A stop for a harmless infraction like jaywalking can turn into a potentially life-threatening police encounter, especially for Black people, who are disproportionately targeted and suffer the most severe consequences of inequitable law enforcement,” said Jared Sanchez of the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike), co-sponsor of The Freedom To Walk Act.

“Low-income communities and communities of color are more likely to be cited for crossing unsafely due to societal racial bias and poor crosswalk conditions in their neighborhoods that emphasize drivers’ needs over other road users. Walking should not be a dangerous activity in the communities where people rely on walking for transportation,” said Caro Jauregui, Co-Executive Director of California Walks.

“It’s time we stop blaming pedestrians for trying to navigate streets that all too often prioritize cars and fast traffic. If we want neighborhoods that are community-centered, where our children and seniors can move with safety and ease, let us begin by treating those who walk or roll with some dignity,” said John Yi, Executive Director of Los Angeles Walks.

There are many examples of where a jaywalking stop has gone wrong in California. The most recent case occurred in September of 2020, when San Clemente Police killed Kurt Reinhold. In the Bay Area, Chinedu Okobi was killed more than two years ago in Millbrae by San Mateo County deputies. And in 2017, Nandi Cain Jr. was beaten by Sacramento Police. The victims in each of these cases were Black, and video captured each incident.

Jaywalking citation statistics highlight the way that this harmless behavior is used to target and victimize communities of color through pretextual policing. From 2018-2020, data compiled by the California Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) shows Black Californians are disproportionately stopped for jaywalking, up to four-and-a-half times more than their White counterparts.

Jaywalking laws were invented in the 1930s by the emerging auto industry as an attempt to shift the blame from drivers to walkers after the number of deadly car crashes skyrocketed. Over the years, street design has prioritized the needs of drivers, failing to accommodate people who aren’t in cars.

California has already begun making changes. In 2018, crossing at a traffic light after the countdown meter has begun was legalized. The Freedom to Walk Act  repeals the state’s remaining jaywalking laws. Other countries, including the United Kingdom, have shown that this can be done safely. The U.K. allows pedestrians to cross mid-block, yet it has roughly half as many pedestrian deaths as the United States.

In March 2021, Virginia became the first state to decriminalize jaywalking. Last summer, the New York Attorney General recommended that the State of New York do the same. California needs to pass The Freedom to Walk Act and decriminalize jaywalking. It’s the right thing to do.

Decriminalize-Jaywalking-graphic
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/jaywalking-scaled.jpeg 1455 2560 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2021-03-25 13:03:432021-03-30 16:09:59CalBike Announces New Legislation to Eliminate Jaywalking Tickets in California

CalBike Welcomes Laura Friedman as Assembly Transportation Committee Chair

December 12, 2020/in Press Release, The Latest /by Dave Snyder
Read more
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/friedman-on-a-bike-e1607803171939.jpg 906 1075 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2020-12-12 12:00:362020-12-14 21:29:46CalBike Welcomes Laura Friedman as Assembly Transportation Committee Chair

CalBike Releases Quick-Build Guide to Create Safer Streets

October 13, 2020/in Press Release, The Latest /by Dave Snyder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 13, 2020

Contact: Dave Snyder, California Bicycle Coalition, dave@calbike.org | 916-251-9433‬

CalBike Releases How-to Guide for Building Safer Streets Quickly and Cheaply

The California Bicycle Coalition and Alta Planning + Design today released a Quick-Build Guide for planners, officials, and community leaders to encourage the construction of safe bikeways quickly and affordably. 

The guide promotes the “quick-build” method for safety improvements. Quick-build projects use materials that can be installed quickly and at a low cost. Quick-build design allows active transportation projects to be completed in months rather than years. Because quick-build projects rely on inexpensive materials, they are a good fit for California’s COVID-strapped municipal budgets.

The 77-page Quick-Build Guide, created by Alta Planning + Design, is available for free. This resource will help planners, city staffers, and advocates understand the tools and processes that lead to successful quick-build projects. 

In addition to the guide, the project includes a 4-page introductory brochure. Both are available online at calbike.org/quickbuild.

“We hope this guide will help California capitalize on the huge increase in biking and walking we’ve seen during the pandemic,” said CalBike Executive Director Dave Snyder. “Quick-build allows communities to build on that momentum to create the kinds of safe, separated spaces that people of all ages need to feel comfortable biking and walking in their neighborhoods. There’s no good reason to wait years for safer streets and plenty of reasons to act quickly.”

“Rapid implementation of bike and pedestrian networks through Quick-Build is one of Alta’s core priorities for transformative investment in transportation,” said Brett Hondorp, President of Alta Planning + Design. “This guidebook gives communities the resources to quickly, inexpensively, and equitably create safe spaces for people on our streets, turning the pandemic walking and biking boom into sustained active transportation mode shift.”

The partnership to create this guide matches Alta Planning’s design expertise and experience with CalBike’s network of planning and advocacy communities throughout California. It will give cities a tool they can use to build safe biking infrastructure when and where it’s needed.

The Quick-Build Guide was made possible by funding from the Seed Fund and the SRAM Cycling Fund.

Download the Quick-Build Guide 2020.

From the Quick-Build Guide:

“Quick-build works to meet mobility needs by helping people to choose active modes more often. Those mobility needs will vary depending on the community and may include safer crossings, slower streets, an extended bikeway network, or safer routes to transit, schools, and essential workplaces. In every case, people require a safe, connected, and comfortable network for active transportation.”

“We as transportation experts need to be thinking strategically about whether or not we need to spend three years talking about doing something important, or three weeks to just try something.”

― Warren Logan, Transportation Policy Director of Mobility and Interagency Relations at Oakland Mayor’s Office

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/replace-Adeline-on-cover-of-4-pager-scaled.jpg 1920 2560 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2020-10-13 13:49:032020-10-15 12:50:25CalBike Releases Quick-Build Guide to Create Safer Streets

Court Decision Protects Cyclist Rights

October 7, 2020/in Newsroom, Press Release, Streets for Everyone /by Dave Snyder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dave Snyder, dave@calbike.org | (916) 251-9433‬

COURT OF APPEALS RULING AFFIRMS RIGHT OF CYCLISTS TO SAFE ROADS

The California Court of Appeal recently rejected an appeal by the County of Sonoma that would have threatened the safety of everybody who rides bikes on roads “for recreation.”

The case stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Catherine Williams, who suffered severe and permanent injuries when she struck a large pothole on a county road. The 4-inch deep, 13 square foot wide pothole had been reported to the County six weeks earlier. The jury sided with Williams, declaring the road to be an illegal “dangerous condition.”

The County’s appeal claimed that Williams was engaging in a “sport” and therefore had to assume the risk of a crash, according to state law that exempts the state from liability for dangers inherent in a sport. The Court disagreed, stating that the County already owed a duty to other foreseeable users of the road to repair the pothole, the policy reasons underlying the primary assumption of risk doctrine support the conclusion that the County owes a duty not to increase the inherent risks of long-distance, recreational cycling.

The decision is incredibly important to everyone who rides a bike on public roads.

Eris Weaver, Executive Director of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, hailed the victory. “As California burns, the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and get people out of cars is visible in the smoky air. The vast increase in bike sales since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates great interest and willingness among our residents to shift their mode of transportation. The ruling in this case affirms the rights of ALL users to safe transportation and puts cities and counties on notice that cyclists cannot be treated as second-class citizens.”  with the County, the government would have no expectation of safe conditions on the roadway

Napa appellate specialist Alan Charles “Chuck” Dell’Ario represented Williams on appeal following an excellent trial presentation by Oakland lawyers Todd Walburg and co-counsel Celine Cutter. “This is an important victory for the cycling community statewide,” Dell’Ario said. “All public entities have a duty not to increase the inherent risks of cycling.”  The state association of counties and league of cities had filed briefs supporting the county.

“We’re grateful that the Court demonstrated common sense. Bicycling is a joyful thing and not a dangerous sport if the government maintains the roads in the condition that they should,” said Dave Snyder, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition.

Williams v. County of Sonoma  Cal. Ct. App. (09-28-20) 2020 WL 5757662

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/dream_ride_2018-4958-XL.jpg 576 1024 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2020-10-07 15:57:072020-10-09 18:46:47Court Decision Protects Cyclist Rights

CalBike Statement on Governor’s Executive Order to Promote Clean Transportation

September 23, 2020/in Press Release, The Latest /by Dave Snyder

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

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

Governor’s Executive Order to Promote Clean Transportation Is Weak and Vague on the Most Important Strategies to Address the Climate Crisis

Sacramento, CA—Governor Gavin Newsom today released Executive Order N-79-20,  calling for reduced carbon pollution from the transportation sector. Cars and trucks account for nearly 40% of all greenhouse gases emitted in California. The order gives strong support to electric cars but fails to set goals for reducing dependence on automobiles. California needs much more if we are to have any hope of forestalling a severe climate crisis and worsening poverty. 

The first five of the order’s 12 clauses relate to converting gas-powered vehicles to electric. They set the goal of prohibiting the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and call for various other measures necessary to meet that goal. Other clauses refer to gradual reductions in oil extraction in California.

Only one clause calls for giving Californians better ways to get around than private electric cars. It requires the state’s transportation agencies to “identify near term actions and investment strategies to improve clean transportation.” The order specifies that those strategies should include “supporting bicycle, pedestrian, and micro-mobility options, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities in the State, by incorporating safe and accessible infrastructure into projects where appropriate.” This is too vague and weak at a time when bold action is called for.

Statement from CalBike

“We’ll never solve the climate crisis unless we also address the economic crisis, and we can’t do either without reducing our dependence on cars and trucks. California needs to replace gas-powered cars with electric ones, very quickly, but doing that alone is a recipe for total failure. We need to make it dramatically easier for people to walk, bike, and take transit to reduce greenhouse gases from the transportation sector and still provide affordable mobility, improve health, and create good jobs.” — Dave Snyder, Executive Director, CalBike

This executive order is an important first step for California toward finally taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, where we have made next to no progress toward California’s climate goals. 

Governor Newsom’s order provides specific direction to six state agencies to achieve the important and necessary goal of eliminating sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035. It calls for a just transition to a carbon-free transportation sector by emphasizing the creation of good jobs and the improvement of infrastructure in disadvantaged communities. 

However, the order is vague when it comes to the transition away from automobiles to public transit, walking, and biking. This transition is critical, especially for the state’s disadvantaged communities. Public investment in charging stations in disadvantaged communities will not serve the majority of households in these neighborhoods who cannot afford an electric car, even with a subsidy. Nor will such investment in electric cars serve the one-in-three households in low-income communities in the Bay Area, for example, who don’t even have a car.

Reducing the need for cars and trucks is paramount to the successful mitigation of climate change. Reducing car dependence reduces costs for the lowest-income Californians, improves health and safety for everyone, and creates more jobs than other transportation investments. 

The Governor’s order specifically calls out the need to support micro-mobility in disadvantaged communities. Expanding access to public transit by including shared bikes and scooters as part of public transit systems is the key to equitable mobility. CalBike’s work to create the Clean Mobility Options for Disadvantaged Communities program supports this expansion, but much more investment is needed. 

The Governor specifically called on three agencies to improve clean transportation: the California State Transportation Agency, the Department of Transportation, and the Transportation Commission. CalBike will work with all three to help define a future where Californians have clean transportation options beyond gridlocked freeways and expensive EVs. As the agencies ‘identify the near term actions” necessary to implement Governor’s order, CalBike will work to ensure they focus on making the improvements needed by those who would bike, walk, or take public transit if given the opportunity.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/44006449071_58830a130d_z.jpg 427 640 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2020-09-23 17:40:212020-09-23 17:41:20CalBike Statement on Governor’s Executive Order to Promote Clean Transportation

California Bicycle Coalition Applauds Caltrans Move to Add Complete Streets to SHOPP Projects

May 14, 2020/in Newsroom, Press Release, The Latest /by Laura McCamy

For immediate release 5/14/2020

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

California Bicycle Coalition Applauds Caltrans Move to Add Complete Streets to SHOPP Projects

At the May 13, 2020 meeting of the California Transportation Commission (CTC), the Director of the State Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Toks Omishakin, asked the CTC to set aside $100 million from the 2020 State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) for bike and pedestrian safety improvements in SHOPP projects. CalBike applauds Caltrans leadership for championing the Complete Streets improvements that many California streets desperately need. Please take a moment to thank Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin.

A technicality at the CTC meeting prevented the commission from approving the whole $100 million. However, the conversation among commissioners made it clear that they intend to approve the rest of the funding at its next meeting in June.

The request came as part of the director’s stated commitment to make good on the governor’s promise that Caltrans will implement the intent of last year’s Complete Streets Act despite his veto. “While the state has a long way to go to turn the SHOPP and other state programs into funding sources for safety and sustainability and equity, this unprecedented action indicates the agency is serious about changing how it implements the SHOPP. These funds are essential to make desperately needed improvements for biking and walking safety,” said Dave Snyder, CalBike Executive Director.

Prior to the meeting, Commissioners received a letter from CalBike as part of a coalition of organizations led by Esther Rivera of California Walks. The letter commended the proposal to set aside $100 million, but expressed concern that Caltrans might not spend that money on the projects that would make the most difference because of its poor record of community engagement. Caltrans did identify 22 projects that would benefit from $50 million of the funding, but at the CTC meeting, Director Omishakin made clear that Caltrans would work with community partners to improve outreach. Several other high-ranking Caltrans staff have already reached out to CalBike offering to collaborate on outreach so that they can make the best decisions on how to prioritize that $100 million.

When Governor Newsom vetoed the Complete Streets for Healthy Living bill (SB 127 – Wiener) last year, it was a blow for the safe streets movement. The bill would have required Caltrans to consider adding Complete Streets elements to repair projects on state routes that double as local streets. It also created a public comment process if Caltrans decided Complete Streets features were infeasible. However, the governor issued a statement with his veto that made it clear that he expected Caltrans to find a way to implement the spirit of the law. With the 2020 SHOPP, we can see that Caltrans takes the need for Complete Streets seriously.

There has never been a more important time to build streets that encourage biking, walking, and taking transit. Changing our transit choices is a critical element of climate change mitigation. In addition, the current pandemic has shown us how vital California’s street spaces are to provide safe places to exercise and get fresh air. And bikes have become an even more important transportation option, to create space on public transit for those who need to ride and provide healthy and inexpensive transit for essential workers. 

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Paul-Krueger2-1.jpg 1276 1920 Laura McCamy https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Laura McCamy2020-05-14 18:32:482020-09-03 20:07:32California Bicycle Coalition Applauds Caltrans Move to Add Complete Streets to SHOPP Projects

CalBike calls for expanded shared micro mobility to prevent CoViD spread

March 20, 2020/in Newsroom, Press Release /by Dave Snyder

For Immediate Release [pdf here]

March 19, 2020

 

Contact: Forest Barnes, forest@calbike.org, 415-484-3143

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

 

California Bicycle Coalition Calls for Free Rides
on Shared Bikes and Scooters for Essential Travel

 

While Californians heed the extraordinary orders to maintain social distance, those who still have to travel risk spreading the virus if they normally rely on public transit and don’t have an alternative. Shared bikes and scooters can provide safe mobility in this time of crisis. Governments and bike- and scooter-share companies should do everything they can to encourage this healthy mode of travel.

 

CalBike is calling for shared mobility providers to maintain their fleets and to make them free for new users who normally rely on transit and who need to travel for essential activities. CalBike commends the Breeze Bike Share system in Santa Monica for waiving all fees and the gruv system in Oakland and San Jose for providing a $10 coupon and free rides for first responders, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and grocery store employees.

 

Bike use has boomed in cities around the world as people protect themselves and others from the coronavirus through social distancing. Some cities, like New York and Bogota, are building emergency protected bikeways to encourage the increase in bike use, and Copenhagen encourages people to switch from transit to bikes if possible.

 

This crisis shows the importance of shared micromobility and why cities should have more control over the systems, even if it means subsidizing the systems to support their operations when they are not profitable. They are as essential as public transit and provide redundancy to make our transportation system more resilient in the event of an emergency.

 

“There are many co-benefits of biking in addition to helping you avoid transit crowds.  Sharing bikes and scooters after hand sanitizer and/or gloves affords protection. In addition, exercise is crucial for physical and mental health. Sunlight boosts the immune system, and the UV in sunlight kills the CoVid virus. Drink lots of water and enjoy community while staying six feet away from anyone,” says Dr. David Pepper, a physician and public health educator based in Berkeley, California.

 

“It’s great to see so many sectors of society come together to accomplish this critical goal of slowing the pandemic. I’m proud of Californians, our political leaders, and those companies and their employees who are working to keep their fleets in service,” said Dave Snyder, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition. “We’d love to see more, and urge mobility companies to continue to provide shared bikes and scooters for essential travel, including discounts and free service to new customers, especially people providing essential services.”

 

Every transit passenger who is able to switch to a bike or scooter makes it easier for other transit passengers to maintain social distance when they take the bus or train, Snyder said, adding that regardless of ridership declines on public transit, “public transit remains essential and should continue to operate at full strength to provide the necessary capacity to allow passengers to maintain social distance.”

 

###

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/breeze-bike-share.jpg 522 789 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2020-03-20 13:14:152020-03-20 13:19:12CalBike calls for expanded shared micro mobility to prevent CoViD spread

CalBike Statement on Club and Group Rides

March 19, 2020/in Newsroom, Press Release, The Latest /by Dave Snyder

As any responsible organization should, CalBike completely supports the official order to maintain strict social distance in every occasion until health authorities lift the recommendation. It’s imperative to halt the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Solo bike riding for exercise or for essential travel is not prohibited by any official order, provided that you maintain social distance. As we noted earlier this week, we strongly encourage everyone to get on a bike and use it for essential travel and for exercise and recreation. Now more than ever, biking provides exercise that is good for your physical and mental health. Being out in the sun boosts your immune system and your mood. CalBike encourages bike riding with two important conditions.

First, CalBike recommends that organized group rides and club rides are cancelled.

Among friends and riding buddies it’s difficult to maintain social distance. This advice may change if health authorities relax the social distancing order, or if we develop specific guidelines for social distance bike rides. Social distance requirements do not apply to people with whom you’re isolating, so go for that family ride! The roads are particularly safe right now.

Second, CalBike recommends extra caution.

An injury requiring hospitalization will put unnecessary pressure on an already overtaxed health system. Now is not the time for testing your limits on your bike, but for more casual and safe rides. While less afflicted countries are encouraging cycling to give people an alternative to public transit, Italy and Spain have banned recreational bicycling because of the potential for injuries and the stress that can place on the health care system. We don’t want that to happen here so be careful.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/solo-rider-1.jpg 1538 1584 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2020-03-19 16:20:262020-03-24 16:08:30CalBike Statement on Club and Group Rides

Linda Khamoushian Promoted to CalBike Policy Director

November 15, 2019/in Newsroom, Press Release, The Latest /by Dave Snyder

The California Bicycle Coalition is pleased to announce the promotion of Linda Khamoushian to the position of Policy Director. Khamoushian will lead CalBike’s statewide policy agenda in the legislature and the legislative agencies that play a role in making our communities more equitable, inclusive, and prosperous.

Khamoushian came to CalBike in October of 2016 as a Senior Policy Advocate. She has been in Sacramento for the past two years, leading CalBike’s efforts to pass laws that give all Californians the ability to live healthy and joyful lives in bikeable and walkable neighborhoods.

Khamoushian’s new position is part of CalBike’s campaign to grow the influence of our coalitions in Sacramento and across California. Our increasing political power is the key to creating access to a healthy environment for all Californians.

“Linda’s new role will enable us to exert more influence and power at the highest levels of state government in California,” says CalBike Executive Director, Dave Snyder. “She will bring CalBike’s message of transportation justice to the leaders in the legislature and the agency decision-makers who have such a profound influence on Californians’ ability to safely enjoy their neighborhoods.”

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Linda_Photo.jpeg 400 400 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2019-11-15 15:34:132019-11-18 14:22:33Linda Khamoushian Promoted to CalBike Policy Director

Governor Vetoes Complete Streets Bill – Chooses Against Safety

October 12, 2019/in Newsroom, Press Release, The Latest /by Dave Snyder

For Immediate Release: October 12, 2019

Contact:
Linda Khamoushian, California Bicycle Coalition, 916-668-9401, linda@calbike.org
Tony Dang, California Walks, 510-464-8052, tony@calwalks.org
Jamie Morgan, American Heart Association, 916-431-2359, Jamie.Morgan@heart.org
David Azevedo, AARP, 626-616-9539, dazevedo@aarp.org
Margo Pedroso, Safe Routes Partnership, 301-292-1043, margo@saferoutespartnership.org

SB 127: Gov. Gavin Newsom VETOES “COMPLETE STREETS” BILL

SACRAMENTO, Calif.– Late this evening, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the Complete Streets for Active Living Bill (Senate Bill 127) championed by Sen. Scott Wiener.

The bill would have required the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to consider bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements when it repairs or repaves state routes that serve as local streets. This bill aimed to ensure state roads that run through local communities (e.g. 19th Avenue in San Francisco, Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, San Pablo Avenue in the East Bay, Santa Rosa Street in San Luis Obispo) are safe for people to walk, bike and use wheelchairs along those routes.

The Complete Streets for Active Living Bill had strong and widespread support. A recent poll found that 78% of California voters support a policy requiring safety improvements when improving a road. They want children to be able to safely walk or bike to school. Hundreds of schools exist within a half-mile of a California State Route and these streets remain some of the deadliest in the state.

Linda Khamoushian, Senior Policy Advocate, California Bicycle Coalition,:
“Gov. Newsom’s decision blatantly ignores the immense support for this critical policy change. People risk their lives everyday just to walk or bike along dangerous state-owned streets. Without more aggressive complete streets policies, our transportation system will continue to operate business as usual. SB 127 was a rare opportunity to create livable streets for everyone. This decision was ill-informed by the faulty cost estimates from Caltrans that were proven illogical based on actual practice, and unfortunately will only perpetuate distrust without resolution. Communities demanded better from the Governor, but now are left in the dust.”

Jamie Morgan, Government Relations Regional Lead, American Heart Association:
“Californians want safer, more livable streets that support local businesses and local jobs. They want the ability to walk and bike safely. By vetoing SB 127, Gov. Newsom missed out on the opportunity to create more livable streets for our children, our residents and our communities.”

Tony Dang, Executive Director, California Walks:
“We are appalled by Governor Newsom’s decision to derail SB 127 despite overwhelming support by the public and the Legislature. Families and children deserve to be able to walk, bike, and cross their community’s local and main streets without fear–the veto of SB127 lets Caltrans off the hook and leaves the safety of our vulnerable residents to chance.”

Margo Pedroso, Deputy Director, Safe Routes Partnership:
“The Safe Routes Partnership is so disappointed that Governor Newsom vetoed the Complete Streets for Active Living Bill into law. As SB 127 made its way through the legislative process, it became clear that legislators understood this bill would create safe routes for everyone when Caltrans repaired state highways in populated areas. This legislation was a common-sense and cost-effective way to get more kids and families walking and biking to school safely when those schools are located next to state highways.”

COMPLETE STREETS BACKGROUND

In California from 2007-2013, nearly 1.7 million people were injured in traffic incidents, including 95,758 while walking along or across the street. In those crashes, 22,117 people were killed, with pedestrians accounting for one-fifth of the total persons killed. The problem is often concentrated around Caltrans roads that go through low-income neighborhoods where more people get around via transit, biking and walking.

Caltrans often claims to make streets safer when they repair them. But in practice, they prioritize fast traffic over the communities demanding more livable streets almost every single time. The Complete Streets for Active Living Bill would have brought safety improvements necessary to stop the killing and maiming on state-owned roads.

SB 127 Co-Sponsors:

California Bicycle Coalition, California Walks, American Heart Association, AARP, Safe Routes Partnership

Supporting Organizations:

350 Bay Area Action, 350 Silicon Valley, Active SGV, American Lung Association in California , Alameda County Transportation Commission, Berkeley Climate Hub, Bicycling Monterey, Bike Bakersfield, Bike Concord, Bike East Bay, Bike San Diego, Bike Santa Cruz County, Bike SLO County, BikeVentura, California Alliance for Retired Americans, California City Transportation Initiative/NACTO, California Democratic Party, California Interfaith Power & Light, California Park and Recreation Society, California ReLeaf, CALSTART Inc., CALPIRG, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Stockton, Cedars, Center for Climate Change and Health, Central California Asthma Collaborative, City Heights Community Development Corp., City of Encinitas, City of Half Moon Bay, City of Long Beach, City of Los Angeles, City of Oakland, City of Sacramento, City and County of San Francisco, City of Santa Monica, City of San Luis Obispo, Climate Action Campaign, ClimatePlan, Climate Resolve, Coalition for Clean Air, Coalition for Sustainable Transportation-Santa Barbara, Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities, Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets, Compton Unified School District, Cultiva La Salud, Davis Bike Club, Day One, East Bay Recreational Park District, Elders Climate Action (NorCal), Environment California, Fossil Free California, Inland Empire Biking Alliance, Investing in Place, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, La Verne Bicycle Coalition, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, Local Government Commission, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, Los Angeles Walks, Lyft Inc., Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Move LA, Napa County Bicycle Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Office of Mayor London Breed – San Francisco, Orange County Bicycle Coalition, Office of the Mayor, San Francisco, Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition, Planning and Conservation League, PeopleforBikes, PolicyLink, Public Advocates, Redwood Community Action Agency, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Rural Counties Representative of California, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, San Francisco Transportation Municipal Agency, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco Planning Department, SFBA Families for Safe Streets, Santa Monica Spoke, Save The Bay, Seamless Bay Area, Shasta Living Streets, Sierra Club California, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, Sunflower Alliance, Transform, Transportation Agency for Monterey County, Trust for Public Land, Vision Zero Network, Walk Bike Berkeley, Walk & Bike Mendocino, Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, Walk Sacramento, Walk San Francisco, and Walk Long Beach.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ghost-bike-memorial.png 495 742 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2019-10-12 23:27:442019-10-15 15:19:14Governor Vetoes Complete Streets Bill – Chooses Against Safety
Page 1 of 41234

Latest News

  • e-bike father with kidsTransportation Committee Endorses E-Bike AffordabilityApril 9, 2021 - 3:56 pm
  • e-bike Phoebe Ford#ebikestories Episode 6: E-Bikes Replace Car TripsApril 9, 2021 - 3:33 pm
  • cycling for sustainable citiesBook Review: Cycling for Sustainable CitiesMarch 30, 2021 - 3:56 pm

BLACK LIVES MATTER

California will never have the equitable, prosperous and inclusive communities that CalBike advocates for until we address and redress anti-Black violence. We want to actively contribute to ending systemic racism, especially in transportation policy, and most especially in bicycling advocacy. We promise to listen and learn how we can best do this work. To our community members who experience the violence of racism on a daily basis: we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.

Join the movement for better biking in California

Be the first to hear about the latest news and actions you can take to help create bike-friendly communities.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

DONATE

JOIN/RENEW

CONTACT US

ABOUT US

  • About Us
  • Financials & Governance
  • Staff
  • Board of Directors
  • Local Partners
  • State and National Allies
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us

WHAT WE DO

  • Current Projects and Campaigns
  • Past Campaigns and Projects
  • California Bicycle Summit
  • Sign-On Letters

RESOURCES

  • Fact Sheets and FAQs
  • Design Best Practices
  • COVID-19 and Bicycling
  • Tips and Tricks for Happy Biking
  • Crash Help
  • Our Video Channel
  • 2021 Legislative Watch

EVENTS

  • California Dream Ride
CalBike Logo

California Bicycle Coalition | 1017 L Street, #288, Sacramento, CA 95814 | 916-778-0746

Made by Zac Maybury

California Bicycle Coalition
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
Scroll to top