The Los Angeles County Bike Coalition reports that A.B. 1358, The Complete Streets Bill, will be heard by the full Senate next week. The legislation would require that cities and counties to design roadways that safely accommodate all those who use them, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, children, the elderly and the handicapped, as well as motorists. While this might seem like pretty revolutionary stuff in Los Angeles, all it requires of municipalities to treat everyone equally when designing road projects.
Let's hope the Governor is bluffing with his promise to veto any legislation that comes across his desk while we're waiting for the budget impasse to end.
But, first thing first, state legislators need to hear from all of us that Complete Streets legislation isn't just good environmental and transportation policy; it's also a simple matter of fairness. Streets are public spaces and that large parts of California have allowed the car to dominate them has led to the inequity for users of all other transportation modes.
The California Bike Coalition has written a sample letter to help people best write their legislators. The letter is available after the jump. If you're not certain who your State Senator is, click here.
Honorable [your State Senator's full name]State Capitol, Room [your State Senator's room number]Sacramento, CA 95814Fax: [your State Senator's fax number, if you're sending by fax]Senate Floor Alert
RE: Support AB 1358 (Leno)
I join the California Bicycle Coalition in urging you to vote YES for AB 1358, the Complete Streets Act, because it will require cities and counties to design roadways that make bicycling and walking safer, more feasible modes of transportation. As non-motorized transportation modes, bicycling and walking can help solve a variety of the problems California faces: traffic congestion, poor air quality, the threats from climate change, and worsening public health. It is imperative that roadway design enables motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians to travel safely. AB 1358 will result in roads that serve all users, not just motorists, as is now too often the case.
Thank you for supporting this landmark legislation to help make California cities more livable.
Sincerely,
[Close with your signature and printed full name, mailing address, city, state, zip, phone number (optional) and email address (optional).]
Image: AARP
