Although we only have a 46 day session this year, it seems to be off to a relatively slow start, as a number of bills we are interested in have yet to be listed on a docket.
Those that have include Buddy Fowler’s HB 1648, which has been heard in House Trans Sub 1 and unanimously passed on to the Full Trans Comm, where it also unanimously was reported on to the House floor. This bill adds the town of Ashland to the jurisdictions who may pass an ordinance that would call for a fine of as much as $500 for a driver who fails to yield to a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk.
Another bill that we had thought might have something to do with “Scooters ” bills, is HB 1786 carried by Del. Chris Hurst of Blacksburg which adds “other power driven mobility devices” to the list of devices that is permitted to be on sidewalks. During discussion, it became obvious that the bill was not referring to Scooters, but to something used by a disabled person, and the bill was also reported forward unanimously. At some point, I will get a description of what this mobility device is, but for now I will stop covering the bill and not worry about it.
Mid-day tomorrow in Senate Trans (shortly after adjournment of the Senate) we look forward to our number #1 bill of interest in this session which is SB 1341, carried by Sen. Stuart, with Sens. Wagner & Surovell as co-patrons. This is the Senate version of the bill to ban the use of “handheld personal communication devices” by drivers, and we are hopeful that it will do well with bi-partisan sponsorship this session, as it starts out in Transportation Committee. Note that its companion bill, HB 1811, carried by Del. Chris Collins, will be starting out in one of the House Courts of Justice Sub Comms, which meets on Mondays & Wednesdays a half hour after adjournment, has a long list of bills referred to it, and doesn’t appear to be among the bills listed for tomorrow.
We will watch for it next Monday in House Courts , as we will on next Tuesday at 7 a.m. in House Trans Sub 1 for Del. Plum’s bill, HB 2155, which requires a vehicle to stop and not pass a vehicle which is stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. We’ll also be watching next Tuesday to see if either of the “Scooter” bills will be listed for House Trans Sub 1, as it appears we will have a busy week in store.
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You know, it is really sad that something like HB 2155 needs to be passed, as one would think it would have already been covered in whatever law says to stop for peds in crosswalks. (I and many of my friends have nearly been hit by someone doing this exact thing).
I agree with Mike E. It’s just common sense that you wouldn’t pass another vehicle that is stopped at a crosswalk. I know of at least 3 instances where a cyclists was attempting to cross in front of a stopped motorist and was struck by another motorist who passed the stopped vehicle.