2022 california legislation Archives

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Legislative Recap: CalBike and Our Allies Deliver Wins for Bikes in Sacramento

October 11, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

The 2022 California legislative session ended on a high note, with CalBike’s sponsored legislation and many bike-friendly bills we supported becoming law. Breaking it down:

The legislature sent 19 excellent active transportation bills to the governor
The governor signed 15 of these bills into law
The governor vetoed four bills, mostly citing budget concerns
One bill we opposed became law, but with modifications that make it less harmful
An additional five bills died in the legislature

CalBike supporters played a key role in this victory, sending more than 5,500 emails, Tweets, and petition signatures to support active transportation legislation. Here’s a detailed recap.

CalBike-sponsored bills become law

Among the many excellent bills that passed the legislature this year are CalBike’s two sponsored bills.

The Plan for the Future Bill (SB 932, Portantino) will require general plans to include active transportation in their circulation elements and start building safe streets quickly. We co-sponsored this bill with our partners at Streets for All.

CalBike supporters sent over 2,200 emails and Twitter messages to Sacramento in support of the Plan for the Future Bill.

The Freedom to Walk Bill (AB 2147, Ting) doesn’t fully decriminalize jaywalking but prevents police from issuing tickets unless the street crossing is truly dangerous. It is a welcome first step to stop the over-enforcement of an outdated statute invented a century ago by car companies. And we know we’ve touched a nerve in the cultural zeitgeist because, for the second year in a row, this measure made it as a clue on NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!

CalBike supporters sent over 1,000 emails and Twitter messages to Sacramento in support of the Freedom to Walk.

Many more wins for active transportation

CalBike supported a historic slate of active transportation bills this year. Of 25 bills introduced, 15 (including our two sponsored bills) became law. That’s good news for people who get around by bike and for all Californians.

CalBike supporters sent over 500 emails and Twitter messages to Sacramento in support of the active transportation slate.

The OmniBike Bill (AB 1909, Friedman) makes bike-friendly changes to the California Vehicle Code. These small but significant amendments will make biking safer and increase access for e-bikes. The most significant change is that a car driver will be required to move over a full lane to pass a person riding a bike, where possible.

More than 1,800 CalBike supporters sent emails or signed a petition in support of the Omnibike Bill.

Here are the other active transportation bills that passed:

AB 2097 Friedman – No auto parking minimums near transit
SB 922 Wiener – CEQA exemptions for transit and active transportation infrastructure
AB 2264 Bloom – Pedestrian head start at crossing signals
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 1107 Dodd – Protect California Drivers Act of 2022 increases liability insurance
AB 2863 Wilson – Bike parking standards in building codes (research)
AB 2174 Chen – Treat bikes and scooters as vehicles for purposes of towing regulations

AB 371 passes, but bikes spared from insurance requirement

For the past two years, we called AB 371 the Kill Bike-Share Bill because it initially imposed an outsized insurance requirement on bike and scooter sharing system operators that might have put an end to shared micromobility in California. Unfortunately, the bill passed, and the governor signed it. However, CalBike and our allies in the legislature were able to work with the bill’s author to remove the insurance requirement for shared bikes and reduce the coverage amount for scooters.

So the bad news is much less bad than it might have been, and bike-share still thrives in California. We’ll keep an eye on potential bicycle insurance requirements and be prepared to oppose it if it comes back again.

What got vetoed

The governor vetoed four excellent active transportation bills. The reason he gave for three of those vetoes was budgetary concerns because they required expenditures that weren’t in the budget passed in 2022. Those measures may come back, accompanied by budget allocations. And CalBike will work to get money set aside for an annual e-bike incentive program, even though AB 117, the bill codifying the program, got vetoed.

SB 457 Portantino and Wilk – Car-free tax credit
AB 1919 Holden – Free student transit passes
AB 117 Boerner Horvath – E-bike incentives program
AB 2438 Friedman – Align transportation funding with climate goals

What didn’t make it out of the legislature

Our biggest disappointment in 2022 was the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill. The safety stop allows people on bikes to treat stop signs as yields, and it’s been successfully implemented in several other states. It passed the legislature, but the author withdrew it ahead of a threatened veto from Governor Newsom.

Four more bills stalled out during the legislative process:

AB 2336, Friedman – Automated speed enforcement pilot program
AB 1778, C. Garcia – Prohibits any state funds or personnel from funding freeways in high-poverty or polluted areas
AB 1975 Nazarian – California bus shelter funding
AB 2237 Friedman – Regional transportation improvement plans

All five of these bills are excellent measures that would make our streets more welcoming to people on bikes, increase road safety, and make California more resilient to climate change. It sometimes takes more than one try to get a bill through, and we hope these bills come back in future sessions.

We don’t see the momentum for biking, walking, and public transit slowing down, and we’re already planning for a more ambitious agenda in 2023. Our progress this year shows that when we all raise our voices, we can bring about big changes!

Thank you to all of you who sent an email, tweeted, or signed a petition to support better biking, and congratulations on the role you played in moving California in the right direction. If you didn’t, there’s always next year.

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.

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.

Legislative Update: Active Transportation Wins Outnumber Losses as Bills Head to the Governor

September 6, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

The 2022 California legislative session included an impressive number of bike-friendly bills. At the end of the session on August 31, the active transportation scorecard is impressive:

3 bills have already been signed into law
16 bike-friendly bills are waiting for the governor’s signature
4 bills died in the legislature
1 bill was withdrawn by the author (in the face of a presumptive veto)
1 bill that will harm active transportation passed the legislature

End of session tally: 19 wins and 6 losses. Of course, this isn’t the end, since 16 bills still need the governor’s signature, and he has an unfortunate history of vetoing excellent, bike-friendly bills that have strong support in the legislature and the community. We will continue to advocate for all these bills — and you can, too. Please email Governor Newsom and ask him to sign all the remaining bills in the active transportation slate.

All the bike-friendly bills in the governor’s hands

Among the many excellent bills that passed the legislature are CalBike’s two sponsored bills.

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

The Freedom to Walk Bill (AB 2147, Ting) is a modified version of a bill we sponsored last year to decriminalize safe midblock crossings. The author reworked the bill to overcome the objections that led Governor Newsom to veto it last year, so this bill doesn’t decriminalize jaywalking but prevents police from issuing tickets unless the street crossing is truly dangerous. It will prevent over-enforcement of a “crime” invented by car companies to take control of the streets away from the people and reduce biased policing targeting Black Californians.

We’re also excited about the OmniBike Bill (AB 1909, Friedman), which edits the California Vehicle Code to make it more bike-friendly, including requiring cars to change lanes to pass bikes when possible.

And the E-Bike Incentives Bill (AB 117, Boerner Horvath), which became a two-year bill in 2021, is headed to the governor. The program was included in last year’s budget with a $10 million allocation to give low-income Californians vouchers to help them purchase an electric bicycle. CARB is in the process of getting the program off the ground, so this bill won’t materially affect the program launch. Still, the governor’s signature will strengthen the case for making this an ongoing program like EV rebates, with an annual budget allocation. That’s particularly critical because all indications are that this will be a very popular program, and the first round of vouchers will disappear quickly.

Here are the rest of the fantastic 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.

A few bills have already been signed

The governor is ahead of the game and has already signed some of the bike-friendly bills that reached his desk, two relating to bicycle education. AB 1946 (Boerner Horvath) requires CHP 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. And AB 2174 (Chen) will treat bikes and scooters as vehicles for purposes of towing regulations.

AB 371 is still a threat to shared micromobility

AB 371, a two-year bill that stalled out in 2021, has passed the legislature. We have been calling it the Kill Bike-Share Bill because it initially imposed a crippling insurance requirement on bike and scooter sharing system operators that likely would have put an end to shared micromobility in California.

Thanks to Senator Anthony Portantino’s leadership, and intense advocacy by CalBike and our allies, bike-share has a reprieve. The author amended the bill to replace the insurance requirement for bike-share with a study of bike insurance. However, it still requires unprecedented insurance on shared scooters. That’s likely to price any shared scooter systems that survive out of the range of the people who scooter the most: residents of disadvantaged communities that are often underserved by public transit.

CalBike continues to oppose this bill, and we’re asking Governor Newsom to veto it. The more voices he hears in opposition, the more likely we will get our veto. Please email him now.

A disappointing end for the Bicycle Safety Stop

In 2021, CalBike sponsored the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill, and we supported it when Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath reintroduced it with modifications in 2022. The safety stop allows people on bikes to treat stop signs as yields. This year’s version of the bill limited the safety stop to bike riders over ages 18 or older to address the safety concerns cited by the governor in his veto message last year.

Unfortunately, the author withdrew AB 1713 before the Senate could vote on it, reportedly because it was headed for another veto. The author plans to introduce it again, but it’s unclear what changes would convince Governor Newsom to sign it. We may have to wait for a new governor before California can join a growing list of states and the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration in endorsing this bike-friendly traffic law. Read CalBike’s statement about the Bicycle Safety Stop.

The bills that didn’t make it — this year

The five bills that died during their legislative journeys were all terrific measures that would have improved California’s climate and made our state more liveable. Two bills by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (speed cameras and adding visionary active transportation elements to regional plans) were also shot down in 2021.

We hope all these bills come back in future legislative sessions because they are important measures that California needs in order to transition to a more livable and less resource-intensive transportation system.

AB 2336, Friedman – Automated speed enforcement pilot program
AB 1778, C. Garcia – Prohibits any state funds or personnel from funding freeways in high-poverty or polluted areas
AB 1975 Nazarian – California bus shelter funding
AB 2237 Friedman – Regional transportation improvement plans

Thank you to everyone who sent an email or tweeted at your representatives about the active transportation slate or individual bills. A huge tide of support from the CalBike community was critical to advancing these crucial measures. With your help, we hope to convince the governor to sign many, if not all of them, into law.

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

All the Bike-Friendly Bills Introduced in California in 2022

March 3, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

It’s that time of year again when legislators introduce hundreds of new bills that could change the law in California. As always, as your leading statewide bicycle advocate, CalBike is keeping an eye on this for you. It takes a community of dedicated bike riders to get bike-friendly bills passed (and stop the bad ones)—we couldn’t do it without your support.

Happily, there were many bills that will support safer streets and better biking introduced this year, so 2022 will provide lots of opportunities for engagement and advocacy. We’re following measures that will improve biking and all forms of active transportation, mitigate climate change, and make California more liveable.

The bike-friendly bills list includes several pieces of legislation similar to bills introduced in 2021 coming back for a second try at becoming law, including two CalBike measures that passed the legislature, thanks to thousands of emails from CalBike members but were vetoed by the governor.

Here are the bike-friendly bills CalBike is watching.

Bicycle Safety Stop

AB 1713 (Boerner Horvath) is a reprise of last year’s campaign to pass the Bicycle Safety Stop and will allow people on bikes to treat stop signs as yields. In 2022, however, in response to the governor’s veto message on child safety, the new law will only apply to adults (age 18+). CalBike will be following this measure closely, and we’ll let you know when it’s time to ask your legislators and the governor for support.

Legalizing Safe Street Crossings

AB 2147 (Ting) is the sequel to the Freedom to Walk Act 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 (jaywalking). Ending enforcement of safe midblock crossings will reduce opportunities for police encounters that too often become violent for people of color, and CalBike will work to help pass this bill.

Sustainable Transportation Project Streamlining

SB 922 (Wiener) will help agencies install sustainable transportation infrastructure by exempting certain projects from unnecessary CEQA review. It applies to bike lanes, transit lanes and stations, HOV lanes, and related projects, as long as the projects are within existing rights-of-way and do not add automobile capacity. The bill will make permanent a temporary CEQA exemption put in place during the pandemic and add requirements for equity analysis.

Fix Deadly Roads Bill

SB 932 (Portantino) will require cities to adopt significant bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic calming elements when they develop and revise their general plans. General plans serve as blueprints for the future, prescribing policy goals and objectives to shape and guide the physical development of cities. In the past, plans in some communities have ignored the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders. As our planet warms, we can’t afford to bake unsustainable auto transportation into our city planning. CalBike strongly supports this measure.

Bikes Belong Bill

AB 1909 (Friedman) will change the state vehicle code to facilitate biking across our state. Elements of this legislation include requiring vehicles to switch lanes when passing people on bikes and expanding where it’s legal to ride e-bikes.

Signals for Pedestrian Crossings

AB 2264 (Bloom) requires Caltrans and cities to update all pedestrian control signals to give pedestrians a head start of 3 to 7 seconds. People walking will get to enter an intersection on the green light before cars get the green, which will improve visibility and, we hope, reduce crashes involving pedestrians.

Bicycle Highways

AB 2237 (Friedman) when the governor vetoed AB 1147 in 2021, he said that the critical changes to regional planning it envisioned would be better accomplished through the budget process. Yet, money to implement bicycle highways and 15-minute neighborhoods is not in the governor’s proposed budget. CalBike and our supporters continue to advocate for $2 billion for bikes, which could fund some of the connected bicycle networks in this important bill. This bill is a transformative piece of legislation, and we hope, given a second chance, the governor will sign it into law.

Ending Freeway Expansion

AB 1778 (C. Garcia) 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.

Transportation Funding and Climate Goals

AB 2438 (Friedman) 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.

The process of passing legislation is messy and complex, so things will undoubtedly change. Provisions may get added or removed from some bills that change CalBike’s position. We will work to strengthen and support these bike-friendly measures, and we’ll keep you up to date as the session progresses. See the status of all the legislation we’re watching on our 2022 Legislative Watch page.