From a WABA release:
On Tuesday, December 8th, the DC Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment will consider three pieces of bike legislation. Together, these bills include a host of safety improvements and policies that will make DC streets safer and friendlier for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike.
What does that mean specifically? Here’s a taste:
Harsher penalties for distracted and drunk driving; Prioritization of heavy use bicycle / pedestrian areas to expedite safety upgrades where they are needed most urgently; Improved crash reporting and accessibility to data to inform safety improvements.To learn more about the bills, read our detailed analysis here.
Over the past year, we’ve worked hard to bring these bills to the table. Now we need you to show your Councilmembers on the transportation committee that you support these bills and the bold vision they represent. Here are two ways you can help:
1. Testify in person at the Public Hearing next Tuesday, Dec 8th, 11:00 am
If you believe in Vision Zero and share our excitement for a more bike friendly city, join us at the hearing to tell your story. Public hearings are the best time to show our lawmakers the impact that bike friendly laws can have on our lives.
Want to testify? We’re here to help. First, email [email protected] or call (202) 724-8062 to get a place on the speaker’s list. Then, tell us you are coming with an email to[email protected]. We’ll have talking points, resources, and staff available to help you write and deliver your testimony. Stop by the WABA office on Monday, Dec 7, between 4 pm and 7 pm for help with testimony or call 202-518-0524 x 212.
2. If you cannot testify, submit written comments in support of the bills
We’ve prepared a template, but feel free to personalize it. Personal stories are great, and resolute support is helpful too! Please take a few minutes to submit comments here.
I got quite a workout live-tweeting this hearing.
This is the Storify collection based on the hashtag I used - mostly my semi-snarky semi-reporterly play-by-play tweets but a few others got some good observations in as well.
https://storify.com/darsal/bikepedsafety-bills-in-dc
It's clear that MPD would like to block stop-as-yield. I agree with Mary Cheh that it's not a core element of the other safety measures in these bills, but the status quo is not equitably enforced (even among cyclists) so if it's stricken here I'd like to see it presented with language and rationale similar to that which succeeded in eliminating bicycle licensing and reclassed minor pot possession.
It's also clear that the mayor (represented in the hearing by her appointee to DDOT) is clinging to status quo on at least one of the items that didn't reach consensus in the working group: lowering road speeds. This isn't surprising, given that her original announcement to pursue a Vision Zero plan all but ruled it out, but witness after witness both testifying as individuals and for organizations spoke in favor of reducing speed as a Vision Zero component.
Newsworthy testimony from the hearing included near-release of the mayor's Vision Zero plan and emergency rulemaking slated for Friday in support of it. (Some of the rulemaking appears to mirror aspects of the bills at issue, but the details won't be known until they're published.)
Posted by: DaveS | December 09, 2015 at 04:30 PM
Thanks to DaveS for his tweets, and to Dave C for the info he has provided on GGW, and for his work on the BAC and the Working group.
Posted by: ACyclistInThePortCity | December 09, 2015 at 04:36 PM
I don't mean to be excessively harsh to our Mayor, but she is all about lip service and meaningless platitudes.
Posted by: Crickey7 | December 09, 2015 at 04:58 PM