Dear AB 1103 supporter,
Thank you for your support. The number of supporting organizations for AB 1103 continues to grow. I’m awaiting confirmation from several additional organizations and continue to seek more support. Here are the current bill supporters I’m aware of.
Advocacy
- Bicycle Commuter Coalition Inland Empire
- Bike Davis
- Bike Bakersfield
- Bike Santa Cruz County
- California Bicycle Coalition
- Inland Empire Bicycle Alliance
- Motherlode Bicycle Coalition
- Sacramento Trailnet
- San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
- Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
- Sylvia Bingham Fund
- Walk Bike Mendocino
Recreational Clubs
- Davis Bike Club
- Desert Bicycle Club
- Different Spokes of Southern California
- Fresno Cycling Club
- High Desert Cycling
- Lompoc Valley Bicycle Club
- Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club
- Imperial Valley Velo Club
- Recumbent Riders of Sacramento
- San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club
- San Jose Bicycle Club
- Santa Rosa Cycling Club
- Shasta Wheelmen
- Solano Cycling Club
Bicycle Industry
- Fo Sho Inc. (Carmichael, East Sac, Elk Grove, and Greenhaven bike shops and Folsom Cyclery)
- City Bicycle Works-Sacramento
- Rex Cycles-Sacramento
Other Supporters
- California Delivery Association
- Public Health Advocates
- Yolo Solano Air Quality Management District
This month I’ve met with legislative aides in the offices of eleven of the fourteen Assembly Transportation Committee members. Based on those meetings, it’s clear that passing the bill will not be easy. There are a couple of probable “yes” votes and more likely “no” votes. However, most members are undecided, so grassroots support from within their districts could help sway their ultimate decisions. Most concerns expressed were about possible safety impacts if the bill passes.
I’ve been asking the legislative aides about participating in a ride to demonstrate the difference, and the impacts on riders, between coming to a complete stop and yielding at stop signs. Their reactions to the idea have been mixed. Some are bike riders, some are not. There’s also the issue of intentionally breaking the law on a ride which would have to be coordinated with the city. We may pursue having a ride after meetings with all the staffers are complete.
On October 5, the Delaware governor signed into law the second stop as yield statewide law, after Idaho. It’s my understanding the law took effect immediately. The new law was supported by Delaware State Police. See Bicycling magazine’s article.
A Bike Davis rep will be making a presentation to their city’s Bicycling, Transportation and Street Safety Commission in November. This is a step in trying to get the city of Davis to support the bill.
I’ve requested meetings with opponents League of California Cities, the Sacramento Society for the Blind, and the California Highway Patrol (officially neutral, but very negative in testimony to the committee). As yet, no replies to those requests.
I contacted the National Federation of the Blind of Idaho and Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired and asked whether they had experienced problems with Idaho law. The responses so far are that the Idaho law has not created a problem for the blind or visually impaired. In California, the disability community, and especially the blind, are a significant opposition group to AB 1103. They were most significant in numbers in providing testimony when the bill had its information-only hearing last May.
Again, if you’ve got suggestions or ideas about any of this, please let me know. If you can request support from local bike shops (three out of four shop owners I contacted agreed to support), other local businesses or your local city or cities, that could be very helpful, especially if the bill is voted out of committee and reaches the floor of the full Assembly in January. (The bill will probably be heard by the Assembly Transportation Committee during the second week in January.)
Now might be a particularly good time to contact bike shops, before the busy holiday period begins. I can provide sample support letters upon request.
Thanks again,
Walt Seifert
Sacramento Trailnet
PO Box 19463
Sacramento, CA 95819
(916) 455-7561
