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Entries tagged: Virginia Bicycling Federation

Blog and new resource contributed by Alliance intern Camie Rodan

Last year Maryland and Mississippi passed laws requiring that vehicles passing bicyclists allow at least three feet of clearance to ensure safety for both parties. At present, there are 16 states with such laws in effect and now another state is one step closer to being added to that list.

Just yesterday, the Virginia Senate Transportation Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 928, which requires motor vehicles overtaking and passing bicyclists to allow at least three feet of clearance. Current Virginia law allows a two-foot cushion, which gives cyclists just a small margin in the event of an emergency. Two similar bills were shot down in the House earlier this year. As evidenced in a video shot by Bike Charlottesville, failure of these bills can be attributed to the legislators’ lack of knowledge of current law, concern that it will not allow cars to pass without moving into other lanes, and fear that it will impede traffic.

SB928 will now head to the full Senate where Virginia cycling advocates are optimistic about its success. In a recent blog post, Budl Vye of the Virginia Bicycling Federation notes that the measure has a promising champion: Delegate Glenn Oder has agreed to support the bill and will “help get it all the way through.” Stay tuned for updates on the bill on Virginia Bicycling Federation’s blog.

In the meantime, we picked up on some discussion circulating among Alliance leaders last week about which states have passed or are considering three-foot passing laws. So we put together a list that highlights:

• Which states have passed three-foot passing laws
• Which states are considering three-foot passing laws
• And advocacy contacts for the folks working to get those policies passed.
  

Check out the new resource in our Online Library.

When an abandoned rail line near Richmond became an illegal dumping ground, the Virginia Bicycling Federation pitched in to clean up the trash. The PBS show, Virgina Currents, was rolling tape as volunteers hauled garbage bags and old furniture out of the woods. Soon, the debris-strewn area will be transformed into a 2.3-mile trail, luring joggers, walkers and cyclists. In the 10-minute segment, the host spoke with Champe Burnley, president of VBF.

Check out the beautiful footage of the trail site and the interview with Burnley in the video below. (Segment starts at the two-minute mark.)

“Virginia Currents” #1925 from Community Idea Stations on Vimeo.