Posts about 3-foot Passing
Government
Virginia Senate kills bad anti-livability, WMATA board bills
The Virginia Senate's finance commmittee killed three bad transportation-related bills, all of which would have transferred decision-making over transportation in Northern Virginia to Richmond and away from the region's counties and cities.
Photo by cabbit on Flickr.
HB2000 would mandate that Governor McDonnell's representative to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission Supporters repeatedly invoked the Board of Trade and its chairman, Jim Dyke, whose governance report pushed for reducing the local role. Governor McDonnell also reportedly made personal calls to each senator. But opponents pointed out that the state is overstating its financial support for Metro, and that for decades it played virtually no role. Fairfax Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, the current WMATA Board chair, came to Richmond to testify against the bill. She said that Northern Virginia governments are willing to give the state government some involvement in WMATA governance, but not at the expense of diminishing their own role. She asked the legislature to let the current process of discussion and negotiation within the WMATA Board and NVTC continue to a resolution.
None of the senators brought up the fact that Governor McDonnell has still sent no letter to Congress about the $150 million capital appropriation for needed repairs that's on the chopping block, but that's a great argument against writing it into law that he must get power over WMATA.
Chairman Charles Colgan (D-Manassas) was the only Democrat to support the bill; four of the five Republicans, none from Northern Virginia, also voted for it, and two were not present.
NVTC can still give a seat to Drake if they choose; the benefit of having NVTC decide to do it instead of the legislature mandating it is that NVTC could reverse course if the governor decides to cut back on the already-meager state financial support.
The Senate panel also killed the two "anti-livability" bills, which would essentially override regional transportation planning and enshrine six-Beltways booster Bob Chase's own transportation priorities into law.
They would have required VDOT to rank projects (HB1998) and prioritize funding (HB1999) based on just two factors: what moves traffic faster, and what aids evacuation in case of a disaster.
The evacuation argument is a common canard used to push road-building, but the fact is that no realistic amount of roads will let everyone in the DC region drive at the same time. As Senator Mary Margaret Whipple (D-Arlington) pointed out, DC's own disaster plans recognize that, and don't call for mass evacuation.
Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria representatives lobbied against HB1999, arguing that these transportation priorities should instead come from the existing processes through regional bodies that already make these decisions. The panel agreed on a party-line vote despite pressure from groups like the Price William Chamber of Commerce and the Apartment and Office Building Association.
Responding to questions from Senator Edward Houck (D-Spotsylvania), Finance Committee staff judged that HB1998 would have cost up to $5 million, and so no senator even made a motion to pass that bill.
News out of the legislature wasn't as good for bicycling, as the House rejected a number of bicycle bills including one to give Charlottesville permission to put contraflow bicycle lanes on one-way streets where the traffic and police departments feel it's appropriate.
The bill to require passing cyclists with three feet of space also died, as did a number of bills to limit cell phone use while driving.
Roads
Good environmental bills die, bad transportation bills wounded in Virginia House
The Virginia House killed bills to establish a fee for disposable bags and 3-foot bicycle passing this week. While one bad transportation bill is going strong, legislators sent the other two down a road that makes passage unlikely.
Photo by Keith Williamson on Flickr.
The House tabled one bill to ban disposable plastic bags last week, then did the same for a 5¢ fee proposal similar to DC's from Arlington's Adam Ebbin and a similar one from Charles City's Joe Morrissey to impose a 20¢ fee.
Bills to require passing cyclists with 3 feet of space, which would match one passed last year in Maryland, also died in the House this week, though one is still alive in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
The House did pass the bill letting bike and motorcycle riders go through stoplights if they've waited 2 minutes or 2 light cycles, and another clarifying that injuring someone after driving through a stop or yield sign or traffic light counts as reckless driving is still alive.
Two bad transportation bills suffered some likely-fatal wounds. HB2016, to consolidate three Northern Virginia transportation agencies and which was strongly opposed by most Northern Virginia representatives in both parties, was referred to the Joint Transportation Accountability Commission where it's expected to die. That's because one problem with consolidating these agencies is that each has taken on debt for various projects under various terms, and consolidating could create substantial legal headaches.
HB1999, perhaps the worst of all, would require that transportation spending follow the anti-livability "congestion" standard. The Transportation Committee referred it to Appropriations with no endorsement, which is tantamount to disapproving and makes it unlikely Appropriations will pass it. Its companion, HB1998, is the one that did pass in committee earlier in the week. 1998 forces VDOT to create lists of projects based on auto-centric "congestion" priorities, while 1999 forces spending to follow those lists.
The biggest fight will come over Governor McDonnell's "borrow money for roads" transportation plan. Smart growth and environmental groups came out against the plan, but powerful business groups are pushing it.
Bicycling
Do we need a name for anti-bike-ism?
Bicycle advocates were surprised and disappointed that Virginia legislators, particularly Republicans, defeated a seemingly innocuous measure to change Virginia's standard for drivers passing cyclists from 2 to 3 feet, to match the practice in most states.
Photo by velobry.
Based on their summary, the bill mainly didn't go down to defeat because legislators thought 2 feet was better. Rather, they perceived cyclists as a group not deserving of any added protections from the law.
Here are some arguments the Virginia Bicycling Federation reported hearing from legislators at the hearing:
- "Bicyclists are often law breakers, unworthy of any added protection under the law."
- "Bicyclists are inconsiderate when they delay drivers from getting to their destinations, especially in narrow lanes or roads."
- "Bicyclists should police themselves before coming in asking for added legal protections."
- "A 3 ft. passing rule would inconvenience and hazard motorists by requiring them to move into the adjacent or oncoming travel lanes."
Only the last item is actually about the passing distance itself. But even with a 2-foot rule, drivers still have to either get into the adjacent lane, or at least move substantially enough into that lane that they might as well move in entirely.
Many drivers think they can or should pass cyclists by squeezing through in the same lane. That's dangerous and illegal in most places. To pass safely, a driver needs enough room to move over to the adjacent lane, at least temporarily.
More worrisome is the attitude which we hear all the time from letter writers to local newspapers, talking heads, blog commenters, and even legislators, that bicyclists are lawless hoodlums not deserving of any protection from the law.
Yes, some cyclists break laws, and some cyclists ride very recklessly. Of course, many motorists break laws too, like speeding, not stopping at stop signs, not yielding to pedestrians, driving in bike lanes, assaulting each other, pedestrians, and cyclists, yelling at police officers, and more.
That doesn't excuse cyclist misbehavior, but it's also totally unfair to blame all cyclists for the dangerous actions of a few or the mildly illegal actions of many when drivers do the same thing. Most drivers generally act respectfully but do break laws in small ways like speeding, and a few drivers are really bad. Same for cyclists.
When a majority builds up and expresses incorrect and biased attitudes about a minority group, we call that out. If white people say that black people don't deserve the same rights or respect, we call that racism. If men say that women don't deserve the same rights or respect, we call that sexism. If straight people say that gay people don't deserve the same rights or respect, we call that homophobia.
This anti-cyclist attitude needs a name, too. These Virginia legislators aren't just misinformed and pigheaded, they're also cyclist-ist. Or something. I haven't seen a good name for this prejudice. Have you? Any ideas?
Update: Racism, sexism, etc. are of course far worse than cyclist hatred, and I don't mean to mean that oppressed cyclists are being mistreated as badly as ethnic groups once were and often still are. However, that doesn't make this attitude not a form of prejudice, and one worthy of being named and criticized, even if it's lower on the scale of prejudices than some.
Bicycling
Make your own laser bike lane
Tired of cars passing you too closely while bicycling at night? Some designers have created a system to project your own bicycle lane on the street behind you, using lasers. Tip: Martin.
Left: laser bike lane concept from Altitude. Right: 3 Feet Please bike jersey.
From the picture (left above), these lines don't seem to be three feet from the cyclist, however. The law in DC (as of December) and in many other places requires three feet. What about combining this laser idea with Joe Mizerek's "3 Feet Please" bike jerseys, and projecting lines three feet to either side of the cyclist, with the words "3 feet please"? Then motorists can be sure of the safe distance to pass.
Bicycling
Support the Bicycle Safety Enhancement Act
Jaime Fearer has now joined the GGW contributor team! Jaime recently moved to Logan/Shaw after 3 years in the Northeast neighborhood of Woodridge, where she ran the blog Stop, Blog and Roll. Please welcome Jaime!After Alice Swanson was struck and killed while riding her bike to work on July 8, bicyclists across the region have been clamoring for enforcement of seemingly basic safety standards.
Photo by M.V. Jantzen on Flickr.
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association / WABA has dedicated much of its time in the past few months working with the DC Council to draft legislation. In October, Councilmember Jim Graham, chair of the DC Council's Public Works and Environment Committee, introduced the Bicycle Safety Enhancement Act of 2008. The bill includes:
- A requirement that blind spot mirrors be installed on all DC owned heavy duty vehicles
- New bicyclist and pedestrian awareness training for DC heavy vehicle operators
- A requirement that motorists give three feet of space when passing cyclists
- A fine for the use of restricted lanes (bus/bike lanes or bike lanes) by unauthorized vehicles
Bicycle advocate Joe Mizerek has even created bike jerseys to promote the importance of passing cyclists with three feet of space. That's already the law in many states, and hopefully DC will soon join them.
The Council will hold a hearing tomorrow (Friday, November 14th) at 2 pm. WABA, Matthew Yglesias, and countless others urge you to express your support for the Bicycle Safety Enhancement Act. If you can testify in person (which makes by far the most impact), email or call Maria Angelica Puig-Monsen at 202-724-8195 or mpuigmonsen@dccouncil.us today.
If you can't testify, please send your Councilmember a letter via WABA's action alert site. I sent one to my Councilmember, Jack Evans of Ward 2, and within minutes I received a confirmation from his office. You can also send written statements to Puig-Monsen
Please take a few minutes today to show your support for this long overdue legislation!
Bicycling
WABA letter and Graham bill for bike safety
Since Alice Swanson's death, WABA has been trying to meet with MPD for a discussion of bicycle safety. Their meeting was rescheduled once, and then a second time, WashCycle reports. In response, they've sent a letter to the Mayor and Council asking for more action. From the letter:
Photo by KCIvey on Flickr.
Alice Swanson, a 22-year old cyclist from Washington DC, was killed while riding her bike over two months ago. ... MPD has offered no new information about the tragedy. This lack of responsiveness only reinforces our concerns that the needs of those that walk and bike in Washington, DC are seen by MPD as not a concern worth addressing. ...WABA is asking people to contact Councilmembers and the Mayor on this issue. WABA is also asking Phil Mendelson, Chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, to hold a hearing on this issue.The effectiveness of [DDOT's and WABA's] efforts in reducing crashes will be dramatically reduced if MPD does not see the safety of the most vulnerable roadway users as a priority. If officers are not fully trained on the laws as they relate to cyclists and pedestrians, and if critical motor vehicle laws on the books are not enforced, we run the risk of more tragedies occurring. ...
We request that MPD...
- [Restore] a traffic division of the police department ... DC has the highest combined rate of biking, walking and transit use in the country and more dedicated resources need to be devoted to public safety.
- Improve the training of police officers in the laws related to cyclists and pedestrians ...
- Target high risk locations [for enforcement] in a way that maximizes educational efforts and recognizes that behavioral change, not punishment, is the ultimate goal. These enforcement efforts should be seen as preventative, not punitive.
- Expand and improve data collection of bicycle and pedestrian crashes and report annually on high risk locations ...
It is the policy of the government of the District of Columbia to promote alternative means of transportation, be it cycling, walking or transit. As more and more people choose these modes whether for health, environmental or economic reasons, the Metropolitan Police Department's role in maintaining safe streets to walk and bike is ever more critical.
Jim Graham, for his part, is taking some action. This morning, Graham introduced a bill with four main provisions:
- Equip all DC vehicles with "blind spot mirrors, reflective blind spot warning signs, and side-underrun guards to prevent bicyclists, other vehicles, or pedestrians from sliding under rear wheels";
- Train the drivers of these vehicles in safe operation for pedestrians and bicyclists;
- Require a three-foot passing distance when any vehicle passes a bicyclist (a standard common elsewhere, including, as discussed in this video, Wisconsin);
- Establish a $100 fine for driving in a bicycle lane or a bicycle-bus lane, such as the one on 7th Street northbound around Gallery Place (which is very commonly and illegally used by private cars). Currently, it is illegal but there is no fine.
This bill will give police two new ways to enforce laws against unsafe driving that directly endangers bicyclists. MPD will have to do its part, as WABA is asking, to then enforce these and other existing laws to make everyone feel safe on the road.
@ggwash
- Successful speed cameras require fair speed limits
- Amid scandal, don't lose sight of Gray's policy achievements
- Montgomery plans 160-mile, "gold standard" BRT system
- VDOT ignores own data, pushes widening I-66
- DC's parks are 5th best in the nation, says "Park Score"
- Bethesda gets new but terrible bike racks
- DC's divide need not be black and white
Greater Washington
District of Columbia
