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Tag Archive for: AB 3153

Bike Parking Bill Killed by COVID-19

August 14, 2020/by Kevin Claxton

Add one more item to the (loooong) list of legislative priorities that have been derailed by the coronavirus pandemic: Assembly Member Robert Rivas’s bike parking incentive bill. It is the last of many bills that CalBike was working on in 2020 to improve the policy environment for biking. 

CalBike now has more capacity to plan and campaign for bills in the next session which starts in December. We also have more capacity to invest in a handful of close races for Assembly and Senate. More bike-friendly legislators can make a huge difference.

CalBike started this year with a full docket of bills in the Legislature. Our priority bill would have given the same purchase incentives for e-bikes that California gives for electric cars. Another would add the Dutch Reach to California driver’s education manuals. We were working on changes in how speed limits were set. All those bills were pulled by their authors in March as the legislative session got upended by the pandemic. 

The Bike Parking Bill

One key bill was not pulled. Assembly Member Robert Rivas proposed a fantastic statewide incentive for bike parking and car-sharing: incentives to build bike parking in new housing. AB 3153 would have allowed housing builders to reduce the amount of car parking they would be required to build if they built a certain amount of bike parking or car-sharing spaces instead. Thanks to hundreds of CalBike supporters who called and emailed in support of this measure, it made it through the Assembly and into the Senate. Even with that outpouring of support, however, this pandemic year created too great a headwind in Sacramento. 

The bill would not have made a huge impact on California’s housing stock, because it provided an optional incentive (instead of a mandate) and would only have impacted new housing in some counties. But where it applied, it would have overridden local zoning laws, making an incredibly bold statement on behalf of sustainable transportation. Housing builders could have used this law to build less car parking and more bike parking than local regulations require, and local officials could not have prevented it. It would have encouraged new local ordinances to reduce car parking requirements and increase bike parking requirements in the name of local control. 

Support AB 3153 for better bike parking

CalBike’s bike parking campaign continues

Minimum parking requirements are among the worst zoning laws. By forcing developers to add the cost of car parking to new homes, parking requirements add to the already high cost of housing construction. In addition, these laws increase inequality and impede sustainable transportation. Unfortunately, legislators are extremely unlikely to change minimum parking requirements at a statewide level. 

However, legislators are happy to impose a new statewide building code. For example, as of January 1 2020, all new residential buildings must have solar panels. 

Thanks to your tremendous show of support for the Bike Parking Bill, we are looking forward to positive developments in 2021. Senator Mike McGuire (SD 2) has committed to working with us to bring a bill about bike parking in next year’s session and has already reached out to CalBike to discuss it.

In the next legislative session, CalBike will launch a campaign to change the state’s mandatory residential building code to require bike parking in all new residential buildings. While such an initiative would not have the benefit of incentivizing a reduction in subsidized car parking, it would have a much more dramatic impact on the availability of secure bike parking in new residential buildings. 

Are you interested in supporting a campaign for mandatory bike parking in new California residential construction? Add your name to the form below to join the movement for better bike parking.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/California_State_Capitol_in_Sacramento.jpg 1000 1500 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2020-08-14 16:42:242020-09-11 17:23:47Bike Parking Bill Killed by COVID-19

Bike Parking Bill Passes the Assembly

June 10, 2020/by Kevin Claxton

The Bike Parking Bill (AB 3153-Rivas) passed the California State Assembly on June 8, 2020 with an overwhelming vote of 52-11. The bill, sponsored by CalBike, creates a statewide incentive for developers to build more bike parking and carshare spaces, in exchange for reduced car parking minimums.

We put out a call Monday morning to call your assembly member and ask them to vote yes on AB 3153. Thank you to the many of your who made that call. Your voices made a difference.

Many municipalities require new buildings to include a minimum number of car parking spaces. These mandates make new residential buildings more expensive to build. In effect, every unit of human housing has to also include vehicle storage, whether or not the future occupants will own a car. 

CalBike’s bill allows developers to reduce the number of parking spaces by up to 30% and replace them with bike parking spots or carshare parking spaces. The amount of the reduction depends on whether the building qualifies for a density bonus and whether it’s located within half a mile of a “major transit stop.”

Secure bike parking is essential if we want people to be able to ride their bikes for everyday transportation. AB 3153 will give more Californians that option. See the Streetsblog article for more on the Monday’s vote.

The next step for the Bike Parking Bill is the Senate. We will need your help again to pass it in the Senate and get Governor Newsom to sign it. Stay tuned for the next opportunity to advocate for more bike parking in new California buildings.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/vertical-bike-parking-Dero-2.jpg 336 728 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2020-06-10 17:26:112020-06-10 17:26:11Bike Parking Bill Passes the Assembly

Bike Parking Bill Moves Forward in Sacramento

May 14, 2020/by Kevin Claxton

For bicycles to be truly useful as everyday transportation, people need secure places to park them. CalBike is sponsoring the Bike Parking Bill (AB 3153–Rivas) to encourage housing developers to provide secure bike parking in new housing developments. At the same time, AB 3153 will increase housing affordability and reduce car dependence by allowing developers to build fewer car parking spots. 

The Bike Parking Bill is one of the few pieces of legislation not directly related to COVID-19 that is still on track for consideration this year. On May 12, it had a hearing in the Local Government Committee, which is now meeting by remote video conference. The Committee made some smart amendments and passed AB 3153 out of committee.

AB 3153 will not affect every development, but it will have a profound impact on the developments it does impact, if it passes and is approved by the Governor. It will represent a strong statement by the state that preserving every locally required car parking space is not more important than bike parking or affordable housing. CalBike is working with stakeholders to continue to improve this bill as it moves forward. We’ll keep you posted on its progress.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/California_State_Capitol_in_Sacramento.jpg 1000 1500 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2020-05-14 18:13:102020-05-14 18:13:10Bike Parking Bill Moves Forward in Sacramento

AB 3153 Will Create More Bike Parking and More Affordable Housing

April 22, 2020/by Kevin Claxton

One of the bills CalBike is sponsoring, AB 3153 (Rivas), seeks to alleviate two problems: housing affordability and last mile transportation. The bill allows developers to build fewer car parking spots than the minimum required by local planning regulations if they replace the car parking spaces with bike parking spots. The bill also allows developers to replace required car parking spaces with car sharing spaces. It is written to ensure that stronger local bike parking requirements will still apply. 

This bill is an important step forward. It’s one of many we need to develop the housing stock we need with the urban density to make car-free transportation a viable option.

Parking minimums and affordability

In the discussion of solutions to California’s housing crisis, the role of car parking gets too little attention. Many cities have minimum parking requirements for new buildings. Each unit of housing must also include a unit of car storage. This adds to the expense of the project and drives up the cost of housing. When units are sold or rented with parking, residents who don’t own cars are forced to pay for extra space they don’t need. Parking construction and especially parking minimums are another more way we embed car culture into our built environment.

AB 3153 makes it easier to get around by bike

AB 3153 will increase the amount of secure bike parking available in new buildings. It’s especially important where cities have no minimum bike parking requirements. If you don’t have a safe space to store a bike, a bike is a risky investment. If your only secure choice is to carry your bike up stairs into your apartment, you may have to forego the option of using a bike for transportation in your community.  Since bicycle parking spots are much cheaper to build than car parking spots, AB 3153 will reduce building costs while supporting green transportation. It’s a win for affordable housing and a win for affordable transportation.

California can’t wait till the pandemic passes to deal with its housing shortage. That’s why the bill’s author chose to keep this bill alive despite the pressure to reduce the number of bills moving forward. 

While many of the bills that were introduced in this session have been tabled because of the need to focus on solutions to the coronavirus crisis, AB 3153 will have its first hearing soon. CalBike will follow it every step of the way and advocate to keep it strong. The AB 3153 fact sheet has more information.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/construction-blueprints.jpg 331 500 Kevin Claxton https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Kevin Claxton2020-04-22 18:22:372020-04-29 14:29:53AB 3153 Will Create More Bike Parking and More Affordable Housing

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