As we all should know, the Virginia General Assembly is in session. Now’s the time to concentrate on bike legislation, to support bills that are in the works.
Bud Vye has been very busy at the Capitol this week. Here’s his report on the progress of bills that Virginia cyclists should be concerned about. First, a rails-to-trails bill:
HB260, patroned by Del. Fralin of Roanoke — Allowing the Dept. of Conservation & Recreation to acquire abandoned Railroad corridors, apparently met a quick demise as it was tabled on 1/12.
The following two bills, in the Senate and House respectively, would require motorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Currently the language is yield, which is toothless. Naturally, our sister organization BikeWalk supports this too. Though pedestrian-oriented, VBF believes this legislation benefits cyclists, and we strongly support it. We urge you to do the same.
SB644, patroned by Sen. Ticer of Alexandria, was heard yesterday afternoon before the full Senate Transportation Committee. Sen. Ticer did a nice job of presenting it, and a number of witnesses (all from Northern VA, except me) spoke in favor of it. Two witnesses, both from Northern VA, spoke against it, one stating that it “would cause gridlock on the busy streets of Fairfax county” Sen. Ryan McDougle of Hanover county (a defense attorney by profession) picked at it several times, citing his displeasure with some of the language, which he felt might have unintended consequences.
Since we were late in the afternoon, Sen. Ticer offered to request that the bill be passed by until next week’sCommittee Meeting (Thursday, 1/31) if Sen. McDougle will meet with her to improve its language. After some hesitation, he agreed to do so, and the bill was carried over.
I got the impression that Sen. McDougle was sincerely trying to improve the bill (rather than gut it) and that it has a good chance of being reported out at next week’s meeting. We shallsee, and the real test will be over on the House side. Sen. Ticer is a real pleasure to work with, and Sen. Yvonne Miller, the new Chair of the Committee, does a nice, even-handed job of conducting the meeting.
No word yet on HB1270, the identical bill which Del. Ebbin is patroning on the House side. It is assigned to House Transportation Sub-Committee 2 and may be heard on Monday at 7:30 a.m. but the docket has not been posted yet.
Finally, we have HB 855, establishing regional VDOT bike/ped committees, as we reported a few days ago:
During a break in the action, I spoke to Steve Martin, who was representing VDOT at the meeting, and who I have never previously worked with. When I asked him what VDOT’s position on HB 855 was (it would require them to establish regional pedestrian and bicycle advisory committees in each of the highway construction districts) he replied that they were discussing the bill with the patron, Del. Ebbin. I have not yet had a chance to talk to Del. Ebbin to see what was discussed.
Again, VBF urges you to support this legislation, and to pass the word about it. Contact your delegates, and members of the House Transportation Committee. Alert your city/town/county officials and staff to the existance of these bills, and ask for their support. Forward this to your bike club and other mailing lists. Use the “share this” link below to promote through social media sites. If you’re a webmaster, help spread the word by blogging this, linking to it, or just republishing it.
With your support we can get this done!
Bud (and probably Sheryl and Allen) will be back at the Capitol this week, with more to report over the next few days. So stay tuned!
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