[*BCM*] Politics

[Nadav Carmel]

Changes to the traffic laws can only be made by the state legislature- not
by the governor, or the police, or the RMV.

Any legislator can introduce a bill. For traffic-related issues they tend to
go to the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
(http://www.mass.gov/legis/comm/j22.htm) and then through the committee
process like any other bill.

Which is where the current Bicycle Safety Bill is. It had a hearing before
the Committee (on Public Safety and Homeland Security) in the spring, and
now all we can do is wait and check in periodically with the sponsors.

It actually was passed by both houses last year, but then vetoed by the
outgoing administration, Kerry Healey specifically.

And this is timely (we couldn't have arranged a better plant) because we are
sending out the Action Alert below in our newsletter right now:

Action Alert: Help Get Bicyclist Safety Bill Out of Committee
We need your help to get the Bicyclist Safety Bill out of the Committee on
Public Safety and Homeland Security.  This is essentially the same bill that
was passed by both houses of the Legislature last December, then vetoed by
the outgoing administration, forcing us to start over.  The bill, Senate
1414, called “An Act Relative to Bicyclist Safety”, can be viewed here.



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.



The Public Safety Committee held a hearing on this bill in June, and
MassBike and others testified in support of it.  Now we need the Committee
to report favorably on the bill, so that it can move to the next step in the
legislative process.  We are still a few steps away from getting the bill
passed again.



Here is what we need you to do:

1.  Email the co-chairs of the Public Safety Committee, Senator James
Timilty (James.Timilty at state.ma.us) and Representative Michael Costello
(Rep.MichaelCostello at hou.state.ma.us) to ask that S1414, An Act Relative to
Bicyclist Safety, be reported favorably.

2.  Call or email your state representative and your state senator and ask
each of them to contact the co-chairs of the Public Safety Committee to say
they want S1414, An Act Relative to Bicyclist Safety, reported favorably.

Your participation counts – don’t assume that everyone else will do it!



Click here to find contact information for your State Representative (called
“Rep in General Court”) and State Senator (called “Senate in General
 Court”).

http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php


  -----Original Message-----
  From: bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org
[mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org]On Behalf Of Lee
Peters
  Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 2:55 PM
  To: Boston Critical Mass
  Subject: [*BCM*] Politics


  Dear MassBike Lurkers,

  Who, at the state level, determines the Mass. driving laws?  Which
committees?

  and

  Did that bike bill ever pass?  The one making it illegal to door a
bicyclist.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.bostoncoop.net/pipermail/bostoncriticalmass/attachments/20071005/68d04540/attachment.htm