• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
CalBike
  • About Us
  • Get Involved
    • Support the Bicycle Safety Stop
    • Legalize Safe Street Crossings
    • Plan for the Future Campaign
    • Pass the OmniBike Bill
    • Email Your Representatives: $2 Billion for Bikes
    • Save Bike-Share!
    • Volunteer
    • Join/Renew
  • What We Do
    • $2 Billion for Bikes
    • Be the first to Know: E-Bike Purchase Incentives
    • $10M E-Bike Affordability Program
    • Bike the Vote 2022 Endorsements
    • 2022 Legislative Watch
    • California Bicycle Summit
    • More…
  • Resources
    • Free Quick-Build Bikeway Design Guide
    • Learn to Bike at Any Age
    • Map & Routes
    • Crash Help
    • Register Your Bike
    • California Bicycle Laws
    • All Our E-Bike Work
  • News
    • Blog
    • CalBike In the News
    • Press Releases
    • CalBike Insider
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • What We Do
  • Summit
  • Resources
  • News
  • Shop
  • Donate

Tag Archive for: bike share

Posts

AB 371 Goes Dormant and Bike Share Lives — for Now

July 19, 2021/in The Latest /by Dave Snyder

Thanks to CalBike and the “all-powerful bicycle lobby,” AB 371, the Kill Bike Share Bill, has halted its journey through the California legislature. The bill included a burdensome and unfair insurance requirement for bike and scooter sharing systems that would have ended shared micromobility in California. The bad news is that we might have to fight this fight all over again next year.

Kill Bike Share Bill could return in 2022

AB 371 isn’t technically dead — it is a two-year bill, which gives it another chance to pass the legislature in the 2022 legislative session. 

A lot could happen between now and 2022. The bill’s author could decide not to bring it back, or he could revise it to remove the insurance requirement. CalBike will continue to work hard for one of those outcomes.

However, unprecedented bike share operator indemnity seems to be a zombie idea that just won’t die. CalBike and our allies succeeded in excising a similar insurance requirement from a bill in 2020, and yet it came back again in AB 371.

Contradictory California policies

California desperately needs more carbon-free transportation options to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. To further that goal, the state’s recently-announced Clean Mobility Opportunity (CMO) grants included several bike sharing programs. 

Ironically, the insurance requirements in AB 371 are at odds with the state’s policies because they would put an end to all bike share in California. The insurance requirement, as currently written, would make system operators liable not only for accidents related to equipment failure but for those caused by bike share users. Such an insurance policy doesn’t currently exist and, if it did, it would be so expensive that it would make bike and scooter sharing systems impossible to operate. This would not only put venture capital-backed systems like Lime and Lyft out of business; it would also end the LA Metro municipal bike share and close down the very projects California’s CMO has funded.

Bike sharing systems have a tremendous safety record. A 2016 study found that bike share riders are less likely to get into accidents than people on their own bikes. If legislators are worried about traffic injuries not covered by insurance, shared micromobility is not the target with the most significant impact. 

About 16.6% of California motorists are uninsured — the tenth highest rate in the nation. That’s almost 2.5 million uninsured, 3000-pound, gas-powered vehicles on our streets. There’s a problem worth solving.

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/E-bikes.jpg 1365 2048 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2021-07-19 16:35:532022-06-01 17:24:22AB 371 Goes Dormant and Bike Share Lives — for Now

CalBike Heralds a Victory for Bike Sharing in California

August 27, 2020/in The Latest /by Dave Snyder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Sacramento, August 27, 2020: The California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) announced a victory today in its campaign to protect bike share systems from a threat from the California State Senate. An amendment to Assembly Bill 1286 removed a provision that would have transferred all liability for any impact onto providers of shared bikes and scooters. The provision would have made it impossible for shared mobility systems to get insurance and likely forced the removal of such systems throughout the state.

In a letter to the legislature, CalBike’s Executive Director Dave Snyder thanked the author of the bill, Assembly Member Al Muratsuchi (D-South Bay), for “his support of this low-cost, low-impact form of transportation.” Snyder said that his organization wants to see expansion of shared micromobility through greater public support of the services and integration with public transit. AB 1286 threatened that expansion until the removal of the liability provision, a change that was made at the very last hour that amendments were allowed.

“Shared bikes and scooters are fun, affordable, and eco-friendly ways to get around, reducing car trips and air pollution,” said Assembly Member Muratsuchi. “AB 1286 will make these devices safer for both users and the general public, with basic consumer protections for users.”

“In a matter of days we put together a coalition of local bicycling advocacy organizations and environmental groups that helped to convince the Assembly Member to pull that provision,” said Snyder. “We’re strong when we act together,” added Eli Akira Kaufman, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.

CalBike had objected to other aspects of the bill, as well. One provision will increase the amount of insurance a provider must carry. Snyder said this will drive up the cost of providing shared mobility but isn’t a reason to oppose the bill because it has its benefits for users. Another mandates that a provider acquire a permit before operating. CalBike supports the intent of this provision but is concerned that some cities may use it disingenuously to effectively ban shared mobility. Snyder said that “we can deal with that if and when it happens.”

Floor Alert – AB 1286 neutrality

https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/bike-share-narrow.jpg 481 1024 Dave Snyder https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Dave Snyder2020-08-27 11:40:022020-09-11 17:23:15CalBike Heralds a Victory for Bike Sharing in California

Latest News

  • bike the voteElection Recap: June 2022 PrimaryJune 21, 2022 - 11:36 am
  • save bike shareCoalition Opposed to Kill Bike Share BillJune 21, 2022 - 11:17 am
  • girl in pink helmet headerThe Quietly Transformative OmniBike Bill, AB 1909June 8, 2022 - 10:35 am

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.

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
  • 2022 Legislative Watch

RESOURCES

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

EVENTS

  • California Bicycle Summit: April 2022
  • California Dream Ride
CalBike Logo

California Bicycle Coalition | 1017 L Street, #288, Sacramento, CA 95814 | 916-258-5189

Made by Zac Maybury

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