Following on the heels of Cheh's Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act, Mayor Bowser has transmitted the Vision Zero Act of 2015 to the Council for their consideration.
This bill does several things geared towards making DC's roads safer.
- Like Cheh's bill, it would codify a Complete Streets policy as law
- It would ban the use of dirt bikes and ATVs on DC streets (I thought this was already the law)
- It establishes an Ignition Interlock Device Program that repeat offenders or 1-time offenders with particularly high BAC will be required to install.
- It changes the fines and jail sentences of drunk drivers
- It Increases the fine for distracted driving from $100 to $500 and adds 2 points
So, not as sweeping as Cheh's bill and the distracted driving part isn't as good as the Mendelsohn's Enhanced Penalties for Distracted Driving Act of 2015, but it represents a growing consensus that safety legislation is needed - specifically with respect to Complete Streets and distracted driving.
Lines 5-6 requires DDOT to focus improvements to non-motorized use of transportation rights-of-way within 1/4 mi of schools, parks, and other civic uses. Unless I am mistaken that seems to cover the majority of streets in the district.
Posted by: Atlas Cesar | September 28, 2015 at 11:31 AM
(Lines 5-6 on page 3)
Posted by: Atlas Cesar | September 28, 2015 at 11:40 AM
Also, it appears that the interlock device law is pretty weak. The penalty for non-compliance is... extending the period that you are required to have a interlock device installed. Also, if you tell the govt that you dont own a car, but you really do, the penalty is... the same as if you told the govt you own a car. Weird to me. Is this law enforceable on drivers and vehicles that are not licensed/registered in DC?
Posted by: Atlas Cesar | September 28, 2015 at 11:45 AM
Mayor Bowser's Zero Vision Act of 2015
There, fixed.
Posted by: Crickey7 | September 28, 2015 at 01:27 PM
Is it just me, or is there an awful lot in the "Complete Streets" section to excuse it not happening?
Posted by: DaveS | September 28, 2015 at 02:04 PM
Yeah, the complete streets is a priority, unless it isn't.
Without knowing too much about the issue, I would think that a Vision Zero legislation would stipulate that eliminating traffic deaths is the #1 goal of DDOT & other DC agencies, and their job is to figure out how to achieve it even in the face of constraints. That would be a lot more powerful than telling them complete streets is a goal unless there is a constraint. There are always constraints... the whole point of vision zero is to mandate that the constraints be worked around or eliminated.
Posted by: JR | September 28, 2015 at 05:28 PM
Distracted driving is $500? Seems like one of those penalties that everyone can get behind until they get a ticket. No one should be driving distracted, but that's a big fine and is it really worse than speeding? Also I'm troubled by giving DC police that much power, not to mention park police. Gives police a lot of discretion. I'd like to see $250 instead, with some sort of adjustment for inflation (makes no sense in 2015 that we can't build in some sort of inflation adjustment for all gov't fines).
Posted by: turtleshell | September 29, 2015 at 08:17 AM
Distracted driving is $500? Seems like one of those penalties that everyone can get behind until they get a ticket. No one should be driving distracted, but that's a big fine and is it really worse than speeding?
Yes, actually it is. Objectively. Studies have shown that folks who text and drive are more likely to kill someone than folks who drink and drive.
At least people who drink then get in a car and run someone over have the excuse that their judgement was impaired from drinking.
"Distracted" drivers have no excuse.
Posted by: oboe | September 29, 2015 at 12:37 PM