If you live in Colorado...........SB-148
03-19-09, 10:15 AM
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If you live in COLORADO......SB-148 (Bicycle Safety)
1. Find your STATE House Representative and their contact info
2. Call (leave a voice mail) or email asking your STATE House Representative to:
Please support Senate Bill 148 for Bicycle Safety
-Keep the 3 feet passing distance
-Allow bicyclists to ride where it is safe
-Briefly tell why bicycle safety is important to you
------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Bill 148 will not pass the Colorado State House without your help. The final votes in the Colorado House could happen as soon as Friday, March 20!
The bill narrowly passed the House Transportation Committee late Tuesday night after drawn-out testimony from opponents.
Please call your Representative TODAY
If you make one call this year to help bicycling, now is the time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Professional lobbying firms working for the Colorado Motor Carriers Association (trucking industry) and Colorado Sheriffs' Association are working fiercely to kill or amend the bill.
To distract from the positive safety improvements of this bill, opponents have gone so far as to propose a review of Colorado roads where bikes should be banned!
Even though this outrageous proposal was quickly dropped, it shows the tactics being used to confuse the issue. Bicycle Colorado has held the opposition off so far but we don't have the deep resources to match these large professional lobbying efforts.
Your phone call is our best hope to pass this bill. Your call will help improve road safety for everyone and move us towards equality on Colorado's roads.
Please call your State Representative today and make your voice heard.
2. Call (leave a voice mail) or email asking your STATE House Representative to:
Please support Senate Bill 148 for Bicycle Safety
-Keep the 3 feet passing distance
-Allow bicyclists to ride where it is safe
-Briefly tell why bicycle safety is important to you
------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Bill 148 will not pass the Colorado State House without your help. The final votes in the Colorado House could happen as soon as Friday, March 20!
The bill narrowly passed the House Transportation Committee late Tuesday night after drawn-out testimony from opponents.
Please call your Representative TODAY
If you make one call this year to help bicycling, now is the time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Professional lobbying firms working for the Colorado Motor Carriers Association (trucking industry) and Colorado Sheriffs' Association are working fiercely to kill or amend the bill.
To distract from the positive safety improvements of this bill, opponents have gone so far as to propose a review of Colorado roads where bikes should be banned!
Even though this outrageous proposal was quickly dropped, it shows the tactics being used to confuse the issue. Bicycle Colorado has held the opposition off so far but we don't have the deep resources to match these large professional lobbying efforts.
Your phone call is our best hope to pass this bill. Your call will help improve road safety for everyone and move us towards equality on Colorado's roads.
Please call your State Representative today and make your voice heard.
Last edited by trojanman; 03-19-09 at 11:12 AM.
03-19-09, 10:33 AM
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Bump. If you want this to stay up top for a day or two (hopefully it does) you'll need a discussion topic. Sadly, Botto's banning is already a topic.
03-19-09, 11:53 AM
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Synopsis.......
Most significantly, the bill would require automobiles to give 3 feet of clearance when passing and allow motorists the leeway to cross the centerline when doing so. Another “common sense rule” in the bill clarifies that cyclists can ride as far right as is safe or to the far left on one-way roads with more than one lane. Cyclists can also ride side-by-side if they are not impeding the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, according to the bill. Lastly, throwing an object toward a bicyclist would be a class 2 misdemeanor, and driving toward a bicyclist in a dangerous manner would be a careless driving offense.
Last edited by trojanman; 03-19-09 at 01:59 PM.
03-19-09, 01:03 PM
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Done. Left message for my district rep. I'm military and Fort Collins (District 52) is my hometown and home of record. Thanks for the post!!
03-19-09, 01:35 PM
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I've already received replies from several representatives, so they are reading the emails that are being sent to them. 
03-20-09, 10:31 AM
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Although I understand why it is appealing to cyclist, it seems to be unenforcable, and therefore a waist of time and money to enact.
3 feet of separation. How will that be measured and enforced? My guess is that it will come up when one of us gets bounced into the ditch. Surely actually hitting a cyclist is already against the law in CO. And isn't throwing something at someone with the intent to cause harm already assault?
3 feet of separation. How will that be measured and enforced? My guess is that it will come up when one of us gets bounced into the ditch. Surely actually hitting a cyclist is already against the law in CO. And isn't throwing something at someone with the intent to cause harm already assault?
03-20-09, 10:38 AM
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the larimer co sherriff is on the "its not enforcable" thing too, but i dont see how its any less enforcable than any number of cops-word-against-mine traffic offenses people get tickets for every day. If nothing else its written law that backs us up when we have to educate dangerous motorists.
its also not the only safety provision in the bill.
its also not the only safety provision in the bill.
03-20-09, 10:42 AM
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I think the significant language is that it allows cars to cross the center line when passing.
If a driver knows this is possible without breaking any laws it will make for safer roads when cycling.
The side-by-side language is also very important. There were publicized reports of some law enforcement agencies ticketing cyclists for doing this recently.
If a driver knows this is possible without breaking any laws it will make for safer roads when cycling.
The side-by-side language is also very important. There were publicized reports of some law enforcement agencies ticketing cyclists for doing this recently.
03-20-09, 08:55 PM
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Hopefully I wasn't too late!! Just got my email in right now.
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03-27-09, 02:51 PM
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It passed.........kind of
https://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12006279
They deleted the part of the bill that would allow cyclists to ride two abreast.
It now goes back tot he Senate for a 3rd reading and approval of the amendments.
https://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12006279
They deleted the part of the bill that would allow cyclists to ride two abreast.
It now goes back tot he Senate for a 3rd reading and approval of the amendments.
The House gave tentative approval to a measure (Senate Bill 148) giving more rights and protections to bicyclists. It requires drivers to give cyclists at least a 3-foot berth when passing them. The bill also makes it a class one misdemeanor to throw something at a cyclist. The bill faces a third reading before it goes back to the Senate for consideration of amendments.
03-27-09, 02:55 PM
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That is great. I think all the important stuff passed. I get annoyed at cyclists riding two-abreast when I am driving too. I am glad the 3' rule remained.
03-27-09, 03:54 PM
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I'm just afraid that some local law enforcement agencies will find a reason to ticket cyclists riding two abreast, even if no one else is around, on an open county road that is hurting for revenue.
But the good stuff passed
But the good stuff passed
