Bike Advocacy Roundup: Safe Passing and More

Spring has sprung and that means crunch time for many state legislatures. Across the country, bicycle advocates have their eyes and ears turned toward their state capitol to ensure policymakers advance, rather than curtail, cyclists’ rights and safety.

With that in mind, here’s this week’s advocacy roundup:

Nebraska legislators have sent a three-foot safe passing bill to the Governor in record time. Introduced in January 2012, LB1030 will provide a safe passing distance for bicyclists, pedestrians, and electric personal assistance mobility devices.

“After several incidents in my district, we had to do something to raise the level of awareness for motorists and bicyclists about both their rights and responsibilities,” notes state Sen. Tom Hansen. “Nebraska has lots of great roads for bicycling, and we need to be a bicycle-friendly state.” Keep your eyes open for the Tour de Mac ride being planned around Lake McConaughy to enjoy some of those roads.

Missouri cyclists were rightly concerned about a bill introduced last week requiring all bicyclists to wear reflective vests. More than 10,000 residents contacted Rep. Cauthorn, the bill’s sponsor, and the message was received: no reflective vests. The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation will be working with Rep. Cauthorn to examine if there are any needed changes to state law to improve cyclist visibility and create safer rural roads for all users.

Pennsylvania’s four-foot safe passing law went into effect Monday, April 2. Good news for cyclists in the Keystone State. It’s a great start to Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes’ 2012 priority campaigns, including a statewide Complete Streets policy and implementation strategy and reforming PennDOT’s bicycle occupancy permit.

Do you have news from your advocacy organization? Let me know: [email protected].