The Virginia General Assembly is poised to pass a 3ft passing / following too closely law if we can rally cyclists statewide to speak up in support of HB 1683 / SB 928 over the next week.The Virginia Bicycle Foundation published a report about the January 19th House Transportation Subcommittee #2 meeting in which several Charlottesville and Richmond cyclists and a representative from DriveSmart testified in support of HB 1683. According to VBF, “Testimony seemed to be well received by the sub committee, but we will have to wait a week to see how the vote goes and whether the bill will be reported to the full House Transportation Committee.”The Subcommittee will meet again on Wed, January 26th at 7am to hear any additional testimony and to vote on the bill. We have this one week to
- write & call the committee, asking them to vote “yes” and
- recruit cyclists from all over the state to attend and testify on Wed, Jan 26th at 7am.
To show the broad appeal of the bill, especially in districts that might not readily embrace it, it’s important that the committee hear from LYNCHBURG, NEWPORT NEWS, and ROANOKE residents – by phone, in writing, and in person.Supporters across the Commonwealth should contact the House Transportation Subcommittee Chair to ask for his “YES” vote:Delegate Charles W. Carrico, Sr.804.698.1005DelCCarrico@house.virginia.govSupporters from LYNCHBURG, NEWPORT NEWS, and ROANOKE are also asked to write their representative to ask for his “YES” vote:LYNCHBURG:Delegate T. Scott Garrett804.698.1023DelSGarrett@house.virginia.govNEWPORT NEWS:Delegate G. Glenn Oder804.698.1094DelGOder@house.virginia.govROANOKE:Delegate William H. Cleaveland804.698.1017DelWCleaveland@house.virginia.govSample language you can include in your communication:I am contacting you because I am concerned about motorists passing cyclists too closely. I think that 3 feet is a much safer passing distance than 2 feet for a motor vehicle when overtaking a cyclist.Please vote to support HB 1683. It will promote more courteous and safe road use, enabling us to become a more bike friendly State. Companies looking to relocate and which value the lifestyle options available to their employees are attracted to bike friendly States. This bill could encourage companies to bring their revenues and jobs to Virginia.Other reasons you may have to support the bill and want to include (add your own reasons and experiences):
- Personal experience with being passed too closely.
- Cyclists are more vulnerable road users and need more space.
- Keep us out of arm’s reach (24″ is within reach of a car driver or passenger, 36″ is too far to touch a cyclist).
- VDOT wants a earn a bike friendly designation for Virginia. The 3 ft passing is a requirement for this designation.
- Increased cycling tourism potential.
- Increased revenue potential for Virginia businesses serving cyclists – which translates into increased income tax potential.
Call and write today. The House Transportation Subcommittee needs to hear from you no later than Tues, Jan 25th.If you can attend the Wed, Jan 26th Subcommittee meeting to represent the support of cyclists and/or cycling businesses from your town, please let us know by sending an email to hey@bikecharlottesville.org.Please help spread the word throughout Virginia and particularly to Lynchburg, Newport News, and Roanoke._______________Directions and Parking:http://legis.virginia.gov/1_vis_guide/parking_routes.html