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Tag Archive for: active transportation slate

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

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.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/California-flag-scaled.jpg 2560 2203 Jared Sanchez https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Jared Sanchez2022-09-06 16:39:572022-09-09 16:17:59Legislative Update: Active Transportation Wins Outnumber Losses as Bills Head to the Governor

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

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