the Bicycle Safety Bill
Nov. 13th, 2007 04:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
topazThe Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) is trying to pass a Bicycle Safety Bill in the state legislature. This bill is presently known as S.1414 and is stuck in the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. We need people to write or call your state legislators and urge them to support passing S.1414.
For cyclists, this one is a no-brainer. But I know you know that. That's not why I'm posting about this today.
Today I'm writing to those of you who hate cyclists. Those of you who are completely fed up with bikers cutting you off, running red lights, riding against traffic, and all those other fun things that people do every day on bikes in Boston.
Today I want to explain why supporting this bill is in your best interest too.
The key provisions of the bill are: police training on bicycle law; clarification of how to safely pass a bicycle; clarification of how to safely make turns in front of bicycles; "dooring" subject to ticket and fine; riding two abreast permitted when it does not impede cars from passing; improved enforcement of bicycle law for both motorists and bicyclists; and additional legal protections for bicyclists who choose to ride to the right of other traffic. It's all well and good.
The juicy part is, of course, "improved enforcement of bicycle law for both motorists and bicyclists." You've had somebody on a bike zip across the street two inches from your bumper right as you started to move, right? Or wander through a red light that you had been patiently waiting at for two minutes? Sure you have. We all have, and I know it drives me crazy when cyclists do that. And like the rest of us, you said to yourself, boy, wouldn't it be great if the cops ever gave a ticket to a cyclist for breaking the law.
Here's the problem. In almost every part of Massachusetts today, they can't.
By Massachusetts law (Chapter 85, Section 11C) the police can't just issue a regular moving violation ticket to a cyclist. Each municipality is supposed to implement a ticketing procedure just for bicyclists. Never mind that the law just says that bicyclists "shall be subject to the traffic laws and regulations of the commonwealth" -- for some reason the standard traffic ticketing procedure isn't good enough. Whatever.
How many Massachusetts cities have implemented this process? One. Cambridge. It's no surprise, therefore, that Cambridge is the only city on my commute where cyclists have ever reported being ticketed. For anything. They literally can't be ticketed anywhere else.
Under S.1414, police would have the authority to issue cyclists exactly the same moving violation tickets they use today. Bam. Problem solved.
So please. If you don't do it for me, do it for your inner dark, vengeful cynic. I know you're out there.
Contact the co-chairs of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, Senator James Timilty and Representative Michael Costello, to ask that S1414, An Act Relative to Bicyclist Safety, be reported favorably. While you're at it, contact your state senators today and ask them to support S1414 as well.
For cyclists, this one is a no-brainer. But I know you know that. That's not why I'm posting about this today.
Today I'm writing to those of you who hate cyclists. Those of you who are completely fed up with bikers cutting you off, running red lights, riding against traffic, and all those other fun things that people do every day on bikes in Boston.
Today I want to explain why supporting this bill is in your best interest too.
The key provisions of the bill are: police training on bicycle law; clarification of how to safely pass a bicycle; clarification of how to safely make turns in front of bicycles; "dooring" subject to ticket and fine; riding two abreast permitted when it does not impede cars from passing; improved enforcement of bicycle law for both motorists and bicyclists; and additional legal protections for bicyclists who choose to ride to the right of other traffic. It's all well and good.
The juicy part is, of course, "improved enforcement of bicycle law for both motorists and bicyclists." You've had somebody on a bike zip across the street two inches from your bumper right as you started to move, right? Or wander through a red light that you had been patiently waiting at for two minutes? Sure you have. We all have, and I know it drives me crazy when cyclists do that. And like the rest of us, you said to yourself, boy, wouldn't it be great if the cops ever gave a ticket to a cyclist for breaking the law.
Here's the problem. In almost every part of Massachusetts today, they can't.
By Massachusetts law (Chapter 85, Section 11C) the police can't just issue a regular moving violation ticket to a cyclist. Each municipality is supposed to implement a ticketing procedure just for bicyclists. Never mind that the law just says that bicyclists "shall be subject to the traffic laws and regulations of the commonwealth" -- for some reason the standard traffic ticketing procedure isn't good enough. Whatever.
How many Massachusetts cities have implemented this process? One. Cambridge. It's no surprise, therefore, that Cambridge is the only city on my commute where cyclists have ever reported being ticketed. For anything. They literally can't be ticketed anywhere else.
Under S.1414, police would have the authority to issue cyclists exactly the same moving violation tickets they use today. Bam. Problem solved.
So please. If you don't do it for me, do it for your inner dark, vengeful cynic. I know you're out there.
Contact the co-chairs of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, Senator James Timilty and Representative Michael Costello, to ask that S1414, An Act Relative to Bicyclist Safety, be reported favorably. While you're at it, contact your state senators today and ask them to support S1414 as well.
