You are hereNEWSFLASH: Safe Passing Act (SB 488) getting favorable testimony!
NEWSFLASH: Safe Passing Act (SB 488) getting favorable testimony!
Just saw the following in my email box from about an hour ago, sent to me by one of our excellent bikers on the inside:
The bill was just heard in committee with nothing but favorable witness cards and testimony. No vote yet. Looks like it will pass out of committee easily.
Great news! Hopefully it passes committee and actually comes to a vote this time around. I'm not holding my breath but any steps in a positive direction are a good thing and it sounds like this is a big one! Thanks for keeping us informed, Willa. I really appreciate it.
Hi there,
I wrote and called Senator Shapiro regarding Senate Bill 488. Here is her response (in part):
"I agree that the passage of this bill could go a long way in protecting the lives of our citizens. It is very important to statutorily set guidelines for sharing the road between motorist and vulnerable road users. My concern is the penalty for violation without coming into contact. This provision is almost unenforceable and I fear that it could be used by law enforcement to make subjective judgments of passing distance in order to issue citations."
"Subjective judgments"? Like tail-gating, excessive acceleration (without exceeding speed limits), public indecency, noise pollution, noisy pets etc. I'm sure there are many more. I'm sure that the police can use 'normal' judgment in most cases.
I'm not sure how to respond as of yet. I know that she didn't offer an alternative provision. I'm sure that state mandated non-motorized lanes aren't realistic. Perhaps a sharrow lane?
I'd like Senator Shapiro to take a short ride with me in her district of Plano!
Frustrated!
Fastball99
Next steps:
If the Safe Passing Bill passes the Senate Transportation Committee, the next step will be a floor vote by the full Senate. At that time we will alert you to contact your State Senator to ask that he or she vote in favor of the bill.
And then...
If the Safe Passing Bill passes the House Transportation Committee, it will then go to the Calendars Committee, which determines when and which bills go to the House floor for a vote by the whole House. At that time we will let constituents of the Calendars Committee members know that it's time to ask their Representatives to vote for the bill. Once out of Calendars, it will be time for the full-court press - we will ask all Texas cyclists to contact their Representatives and urge them to support Safe Passing. Keep the Press on!
Leslie Luciano
Community Relations Manager
Bicycle Sport Shop
www.bicyclesportshop.com
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