Great news! HB 657 (Bikes May Proceed on Walk Signal), HB 1077 (Standalone Safety Stop), and HB 1266 (Multiple safety changes, including Riding Two Abreast and Safety Stop) were passed by the Transportation Committee and are headed to the full House of Delegates for a vote.
Now is the time to let your delegate know that you support these bills and the necessary changes they make to improve the safety of all vulnerable road users. It’s also a good time to remind our representatives that we bike and we vote.
FABB recommends a short message such as this one modified from Virginia Bicycling Federation example:
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Dear [Delegate]:
I urge you to support HB 657 (Sullivan), HB 1077 (Carr), and HB 1266 (Willett) to reduce traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities on Virginia’s highways. All three bills are proven safety measures that have been adopted in other states.
HB 657 (Sullivan) would allow bike riders who are stopped at a red light on a roadway to begin entering an intersection that has a Leading Pedestrian Interval about 3 to 7 seconds before turning vehicles start moving. HB 657 would reduce crashes between bike riders and turning vehicles and remove an incentive for sidewalk bicycling which endangers pedestrians. The bill re-iterates that people on bicycles must stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. California, Washington DC, and New York City already have a similar law.
HB 1077 (Carr) would allow bike riders (aged 15 and older) to treat stop signs as yield signs in limited circumstances, a proven safety measure endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By enabling bike riders to get across small intersections much more quickly, this measure would reduce crashes and motorist delays. Motor vehicle crashes with people on bicycles at intersections decreased by 23 percent after this safety measure was enacted in Delaware; Idaho saw a 14% reduction in bike crashes after implementing the Safety Stop. Idaho cities are 30% safer for bicyclists compared to peer cities. Ten states and Washington DC have already adopted the proven safety measure.
HB 1266 (Willett) would end restrictions on two-abreast bicycling on multilane roads and on low-speed two-lane roadways and would retain a prohibition on persons riding two abreast from impeding “the normal and reasonable movement of traffic” on all two-lane highways with speed limits above 30 MPH. An existing prohibition against bicycling more than two abreast would remain unchanged. Multiple studies by VDOT and others show that two-abreast bicycling is a critical safety measure that 1) discourages unsafe motorist overtaking, 2) makes people bicycling more visible, and 3) allows parents buffer their children from roadway traffic.
This judgment about riding two abreast by a Delaware State Police Captain involved in the 2017 Bike Friendly Delaware Act emphasizes the importance of passing HB 1266: “In speaking with a vast number of motorists over the years, a common phrase heard by investigators in traffic crashes is: ‘I just didn’t see them.’ By allowing cyclists to ride two-by-two, the motoring public is provided with a different, and frankly larger visual. We felt that when motorists are visually drawn to the larger image of subjects cycling sooner, they have the opportunity to react sooner too; and in turn take appropriate action, such as change lanes as mentioned above.”
Please help make our roads safer by supporting these bills, and thank you for considering my views on this important matter.
Sincerely,
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You can find your delegate’s name and contact information here: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/
Please share this post on your social media and with your clubs, bike shops, friends, and family.
Questions? Contact FABB at [email protected].
