SVBC goes to Sacramento
[gallery ids="3584,3583,3586"]May 21, 2014 marked the day after the conclusion of Climate Ride, as well as California bicycle advocacy day! Riders who had just finished a four-day ride to Sacramento joined bike advocacy groups from around the state to talk with our legislators about important bicycle legislation priorities.Our three asks were:
- AB 2398 the Vulnerable Road Users Protection Act: this bill increases the penalties for motorists who drive recklessly and harm and vulnerable road user. It creates a greater deterrent to drivers who fail to respect others' use of the road. (sign our petition here!)
- AB 1193 the Protected Bikeways Act of 2014: this bill would end the prohibition on protected bikeways and encourage the development of the safest kinds of bike facilities. (sign CalBike's petition here!)
- Funding bicycle infrastructure: increase the size of the only dedicated fund for biking and walking in the state, the Active Transportation Program (ATP), to $500 million as soon as possible. This would increase it to 3% of the state's transportation budget.
Since SVBC covers such a broad region, we were able to meet with a number of representatives or their staff, including:
- Senator Jerry Hill
- Senator Jim Beall
- Assemblyman Kevin Mullin
- Assemblyman Rich Gordon
- Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski
- Assemblyman Paul Fong
We are thankful to the California Bicycle Coalition for organizing; the Senators, Assemblymembers and their staff to taking the time to meet with us, as well as the constituents who were able to join in these important meetings.
