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Legislative Update: Status of Active Transportation Bills at the Midpoint

June 2, 2022/in The Latest /by Jared Sanchez

May 27 was the deadline for bills to move from one house of the California legislature to the other. Anything that didn’t move by that date is dead for this year, with the exception of two-year bills that made the move last year. At the midpoint, all but two of the bike- and climate-friendly bills CalBike supports have advanced. And one two-year bill we oppose remains stubbornly alive.

As these measures move ahead, we’ll need many voices speaking out for creating more space for bikes on our streets, decriminalizing safe street crossings, forward-thinking transportation planning, and much more. Look for opportunities to take action and sign our list to be the first to know about upcoming votes.

First, the bad news

The Appropriations Committees of both houses wield outsize power over the fate of legislation. Bills over a certain fiscal threshold get placed in the suspense file. If someone doesn’t want to see a bill advance, then it never makes it out of suspense. Any bills left in suspense won’t get a floor vote and won’t advance to the other branch of the legislature.

Unfortunately, two bills that CalBike supported got killed in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB 1975 would have put more bus shelters on the streets, a welcome change. We hope this is just a temporary setback for a worthy idea.

And AB 2336, which was another try at a speed camera pilot, also ended up stuck in suspense, with no reason given. Speed is what kills on our streets, and speed cameras, if implemented well, could truly enforce posted speed limits. However, most Californians drive, as do most members of the Assembly, and people who drive don’t like to get speeding tickets, so this one is a tough sell. And some progressive advocates worry that speed camera programs could reinforce bias if camera surveillance focused on disadvantaged neighborhoods, leading to increased fines, which would have a disproportionate impact on low-income populations. So this worthy project is dead for another year, but we hope that legislators and advocates will find a version that everyone can live with in the near future.

Bike-share still in danger

AB 371, the Kill Bike-Share Bill, sits where it stopped last June, in the Senate Committee on Insurance. The bill imposes heavy insurance requirements on shared bike and scooter systems, and the cost would end shared micromobility in California as those systems continue to grow in popularity and usefulness. CalBike is committed to promoting bike-share and making it better[link], and we are working hard to defeat this bill.

Although this harmful legislation hasn’t moved yet in 2022, we expect action soon. It’s critical that our elected representatives understand just how unpopular it is. Please tell your senator to oppose AB 371.

Tell Your Senator to Vote NO on AB 371 to Save Bike-Share

CalBike-sponsored bills move forward

CalBike is sponsoring a bill to decriminalize safe, mid-block street crossings (formerly known as jaywalking) and one that will get California communities to build safer, more equitable streets quickly. We’re also including the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill in this category even though we aren’t officially sponsoring it this year because we strongly support that measure and are working to help it through the legislative process.

Stop Ticketing Safe Street Crossings

AB 2147 (Ting) will direct police not to ticket for safe pedestrian mid-block crossings. Ending enforcement of this offense, which was invented by car companies to reserve civic space for car dominance, will reduce opportunities for police encounters that too often become violent for people of color. It passed the Assembly and will now move through committees in the Senate.

Tell your senator to vote YES on AB 2147 to legalize walking

Plan for the Future Bill

SB 932 (Portantino) will require cities to revise the circulation element of their general plans to include bicycle and pedestrian facilities and start implementing the changes within two years. The bill has passed the Senate and is currently in the Assembly Local Government and Transportation Committee.

Tell your assembly member to support SB 932, the Plan for the Future

Bicycle Safety Stop Bill

AB 1713 (Boerner Horvath), is a revised version of last year’s campaign to pass the Bicycle Safety Stop that will allow people on bikes who are over 18 to treat stop signs as yields. CalBike is not an official sponsor this year, but we’re strongly supporting this measure. The bill passed the Assembly and will now move through the Senate.

Tell your senator to vote YES on the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill

Other critical active transportation bills moved forward

This is a good year for human-powered transportation bills in California. Several other bills that CalBike strongly supports are advancing. Some have jetted ahead, and others will require a huge effort to overcome entrenched opposition from automotive, freeway building, oil, and other special interests.

OmniBike 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. It’s hard to overstate the significance of the OmniBike Bill. If it passes into law, it will signal that California recognizes that bikes belong on our streets. This measure is already in the Senate Transportation Committee, where it’s scheduled for a vote on June 14.

Tell your senator to vote YES on the OmniBike Bill

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. This bill is a long shot and it barely squeaked through the Assembly, but it’s a critical measure that recognizes the environmental and societal destruction wrought by building freeways. It would be a significant step toward reversing the state’s emphasis on choking our cities with highways instead of improving public transit and creating complete streets. We will be pushing hard to get this measure to the governor’s desk, and we hope you will too.

Many more active transportation bills have momentum

Several more bills that CalBike supports are moving through the legislature, demonstrating that California legislators recognize that support for active transportation and safer streets is the logical choice.

These bills have moved from the Assembly to the Senate:

Signals for Pedestrian Crossings AB 2264 (Bloom)
Sustainable Regional Planning AB 2237 (Friedman)
Aligning Transportation Funding with Climate Goals AB 2438 (Friedman)
No Auto Parking Minimums Near Transit AB 2097 (Friedman + Lee, Skinner, Wiener)
Free Student Transit Passes AB 1919 (Holden)
E-Bike Safety Training Program AB 1946 (Boerner Horvath)
Bike and Scooter Safety Instruction AB 2028 (Davies)
Advance Pedestrian Crossing Signals AB 2264 (Bloom)
Bike and Scooter Towing AB 2174 (Chen)
Driving Privilege Suspension AB 2746 (Friedman)
Bike Parking Guidelines AB 2863 (Wilson)

These bills have moved from the Senate to the Assembly:

CEQA Exemptions SB 922 (Wiener)
Sound-Activated Enforcement Devices SB 1079 (Portantino)
Speeding and Reckless Driving SB 1472 (Stern)
E-Bike Incentives SB 1230 (Limon)
Protect California Drivers Act of 2022 SB 1107 (Dodd)

Some of the bills CalBike supports will have a tougher route to passage in their second house. And, even if the legislature does the right thing, Governor Newsom has often vetoed bike-friendly legislation. See the status of all the legislation we’re watching on our 2022 Legislative Watch page and look for opportunities to take action to help grow support for a more bike-friendly California.

Update: Assembly Transportation Committee Supports Landmark Active Transportation Slate

March 30, 2022/in The Latest /by Jared Sanchez

Updated 3/30/22

On March 28, 2022, the California Assembly Transportation Committee held a historic hearing with an opportunity to advance seven bills that advance active transportation. We’re happy to report that the committee voted to support all seven critical pieces of legislation. Thank you to all of you who sent emails and tweets to your assemblymembers on the committee to ask them to vote yes on the Active Transportation Slate of seven bills!

7 vital bills that lift up active transportation

Here’s what’s in these critical bills and which committees will consider them next.

The Bicycle Safety Stop

(AB 1713, Boerner Horvath): As written, the bill allows all bike riders aged 18 and over to treat stop signs as yields. CalBike asks the committee to amend the bill to lower the age to 16. If someone is old enough to drive, they are mature enough to responsibly practice the Bicycle Safety Stop. Next stop: Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Legalize Safe Street Crossings

(AB 2147, Ting): A critical step forward in reducing over-policing of Black and brown Californians, this bill eliminates jaywalking ticketing for safe midblock crossings. Next stop: Assembly Appropriations Committee.

The Bikes Belong Bill

(AB 1909, Friedman): This bicycle omnibus bill changes several sections of the California Vehicle Code to enhance safety for people on bikes and expand where people on e-bikes may ride. It’s California’s endorsement of the idea that bikes belong on our roads and streets. The changes in this measure include:

Car drivers must switch lanes to pass a bike if there is a passing lane.
Bikes can enter an intersection with the pedestrian walk light and don’t have to wait for the traffic light to turn green.
Municipalities can’t require bicycle registration.
Removes the prohibition of Class 3 e-bikes on bike paths and trails. Local ordinances may bar e-bikes from equestrian and hiking trails, but not bikeways.

These changes, taken together, will make the streets safer and more equitable for people on bikes. Next stop: Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Leading Pedestrian Crossing Signals

(AB 2264, Bloom) A measure that would require a headstart for pedestrians before traffic can move when a light turns green, improving pedestrian safety. If implemented along with the Bikes Belong Bill, this measure will also enhance bike safety by giving bike riders a head start at busy intersections. Next stop: Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Bicycle Highways Bill

(AB 2237, Friedman): This measure requires regional transportation plans to be written to include visionary elements such as 15-minute neighborhoods and bicycle highways. Next stop: Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

Speed Camera Pilot

(AB 2336, Friedman): Speed kills on California streets and this bill creates a pilot program to study speed cameras for better and more equitable enforcement of speed limits. Next stop: Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee.

Transportation and Climate

(AB 2438, Friedman): If this bill becomes law, all transportation projects will have to align with California’s climate goals in order to receive state or local funding, which means putting active transportation and public transport at the center of California’s transportation future. Next stop: Assembly Appropriations Committee.

All these measures are worthy of support. Taken together, they represent an exciting leap forward to mitigate climate change, create more livable communities, and make our streets more equitable and safe for all Californians. CalBike urges the committee members to Vote YES on each of these seven critical bills.

Use the form above to contact your assemblymember. The members of the Assembly Transportation Committee are:

Laura Friedman (Chair)	AD 43
Vince Fong (Vice Chair)	AD 34
Marc Berman	AD 24
Jordan Cunningham	AD 35
Tom Daly	AD 69
Laurie Davies	AD 73
Mike A. Gipson	AD 64
Ash Kalra	AD 27
Alex Lee	AD 25
Jose Medina	AD 61
Adrin Nazarian	AD 46
Janet Nguyen	AD 72
Patrick O’Donnell	AD 70
Christopher M. Ward	AD 78
Buffy Wicks	AD 15

Legislative Wrap-Up: Everything-but-the-Governor Edition, 2021

September 16, 2021/in The Latest /by Dave Snyder

September 10, 2021, was the last day for bills to make it out of their second house in the California legislature. CalBike’s three sponsored measures were all effectively passed by the legislature: one is fully funded, and two have passed both houses. But CalBike engaged with many bills during this legislative session. Here’s where they stand now.

Next stop Newsom’s desk

Now that voters have decisively rejected the undemocratic and dangerous recall, we can move our attention back to transforming our communities through bicycling. Besides our two bills that decriminalize everyday behavior by all of us, there are many important bills we are working on getting the governor to sign.

*Bicycle freeway in Auckland, NZ; photo courtesy of Alta Planning*

Regional transportation planning reform (AB 1147, Friedman)

One of the most exciting bills in this legislative session, AB 1147, came in a plain brown wrapper. Assemblymember Friedman’s visionary bill will change the priorities in regional transportation planning documents. Among the priorities AB 1147 would enshrine into law is creating bicycle highways and 15-minute neighborhoods. We hope the governor recognizes the value of this measure for combating climate change and creating livable communities. Sign our petition to support AB 1147.

Allow lower speed limits (AB 43, Friedman)

The 85th percentile rule forces communities to let people who drive too fast set speed limits on most California streets. While it doesn’t eliminate the 85th percentile rule, AB 43 gives communities more flexibility to lower speed limits in high-injury corridors. Add your name to show your support for this bill.

More Slow Streets (AB 773, Nazarian)

AB 773 will make it easier to continue the Slow Streets we enjoyed during the pandemic and open up safe neighborhood spaces for walking and biking.

The Great Redwood Trail (SB 69, McGuire)

SB 69 is a step towards building a bike path along the mostly unused right of way of the old North Coast Railway, from Sonoma County to Humboldt County.

Bill CalBike opposed that didn’t move forward: Shared Micromobility Insurance

Shared micromobility insurance (AB 371, Jones-Sawyer) would have imposed such steep and unprecedented insurance requirements on bike share and scooter share providers that those services would likely disappear from California. That would be a significant setback in CalBike’s work toward equitable transit systems that provide low-cost, low-impact transportation.

The author held this bill back in the Senate after hearing the concerns from CalBike and our allies. We will continue to work with him to develop a solution that will allow bike sharing systems to thrive. That solution will also need to address the issue of liability, and insurance coverage for people injured by, for example, tripping on scooters left carelessly on the sidewalk,

The bills we wish had made it

Fleet electrification (AB 1110, Rivas). This bill would have made it easier for public agencies to convert their fleets to electric vehicles, including electric bicycles, by enabling statewide contracts to reduce local agencies’ costs.

Housing for people, not cars (AB 1401, Friedman). This bill would have reduced parking mandates in new construction near transit, making more room for homes. Unfortunately, it died in the suspense file in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Speed Safety Systems (AB 550, Chiu). This measure would have allowed communities to use automated speed enforcement. That would remove police from speed enforcement, which is often the beginning of dangerous police encounters for people of color. Speed cameras, on the job 24/7, reduce injuries and crashes wherever communities install them. Despite collaboration with diverse stakeholders to ensure equity and privacy in the implementation of camera enforcement, this critical measure died an early death in the Assembly. We hope to see more automated speed enforcement proposals in the future.

Several other bills that CalBike supports became two-year bills. Check our Legislative Watch page for all the details.

Proposed Law Would Bring the 15-Minute City and Bicycle Highways in California

May 7, 2021/in The Latest /by Dave Snyder

Despite ambitious goals, California has made little progress toward building safe and convenient bike routes. Safe bikeways don’t connect the destinations people need to reach. Roads and intersections that prioritize cars make bike trips unpleasant at best, dangerous at worst. A bill working its way through the legislature could change this landscape. AB 1147 (Friedman) would emphasize people-centric concepts like 15-minute cities and bicycle highways in new transportation plans.

California’s investments in active transportation infrastructure are not big enough nor strategic enough to create genuinely bike-friendly communities. However, one of California’s strongest champions for bicycling, Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Laura Friedman, has introduced a bill that could make a huge difference.

AB 1147 would hold regions accountable for their goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. It provides tools and incentives to achieve these goals, including a new block grant program that has CalBike very excited.

Onramp to the bicycle highway

The block grant program in AB 1147 supports two kinds of planning and infrastructure efforts. One is inspired by the idea of a 15-minute city. A 15-minute city is a place where practically everything people need is accessible by a 15-minute bike ride or walk. The other is a program to fund the development of bicycle highways.

We’ll repeat that since you probably just dropped your coffee: bicycle highways. A bicycle highway is a limited access, fast-moving, separated route for bikes only. Imagine riding across town without dodging cars or pedestrians.

Of the few examples in the United States, the Minneapolis Midtown Greenway best illustrates a separated bikeway connected to the street grid by highway-style ramps. Bicycle highways create safe places for the majority of people who don’t feel safe sharing streets with cars. At the same time, they also serve confident riders who seek fast and convenient bike trips.

The bill’s grant program for 15-minute cities could provide funding for CalBike’s proposed bikeway network grant program. The program would provide substantial funding to communities willing to design safe bikeways that offer continuous connections to key destinations. It would also include incentives to avoid the compromises that create roadblocks in otherwise connected networks. For example, the bill would discourage city officials from refusing to approve parking or traffic lane removal that’s necessary to bridge a gap in an otherwise safe, low-stress bikeway network.

What is a 15-minute city?

Friedman’s grant program may be Inspired by the commitment of the Parisian mayor to make Paris a 15-minute city. A 15-minute city is a city where residents can reach the services they need within 15 minutes without getting in a car. The 15-minute city requires mixed-use zoning where grocery stores and other shops, schools, medical offices, and workspaces are situated among or near residences.

Cities use different definitions of the 15-minute city radius: it could be walking distance, biking distance, or 15 minutes on public transit.

That’s why Friedman suggested that the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) host the 15-minute city grant program. The SGC brings together people from multiple state agencies to coordinate efforts to create a more sustainable California. AB 1147 would fund multi-faceted planning and land-use changes needed to increase density. This will bring key destinations closer to where people live. The 15-minute city could be coming to a neighborhood near you if AB 1147 becomes law.

Next steps for AB 1147

This bill is a wonky piece of legislation with dozens of provisions about compliance and policies and process. It only has a number, not a name. But sometimes visionary change comes in a deceptively bland wrapper. Assembly Bill 1147 is a truly innovative piece of legislation that could open the door to more liveable communities, more humane commutes, and stronger neighborhoods.

CalBike strongly supports the concepts of bicycle highways and 15-minute cities. We are working with legislators to ensure the bikeway network concepts in AB 1147 are clearly defined and fully funded.

Initially, funding for the projects in this bill was slated to come from the Active Transportation Program (ATP). However, the ATP is already oversubscribed. We don’t want to see funding stripped from other worthy active transportation projects to meet the very worthy goals of this initiative. Instead, a group of nonprofits is asking that the funding come from California’s $15 billion budget surplus.

We are excited to watch the evolution of this revolutionary bill. Stay tuned for opportunities to voice your support as it makes its way through the legislature and to the governor’s desk.