Our group meets with State Sen. Larry Farnese
On Tuesday, April 30, a group of safe streets and bicycle advocates from around Pennsylvania traveled to the state Capitol to advocate for four pieces of legislation. Led by the Bicycle Coalition, Vision Zero Alliance, and Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia, our group met with the representatives, or representatives’ staff, of 40 legislators.
Among the advocates who traveled to the Capitol with us were the Fredricks Family, whose daughter, Emily, was killed while bicycling in Center City, Philadelphia, in 2017; and Liz Daley, whose daughter, Erin Wilson, was killed by an out-of-control driver while crossing Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia in 2016.
Their combined advocacy on these issues has been incredible, to say the least. Here are short summaries of the legislation we were in Harrisburg to support:
- Protected Pedestrian Plazas and Pedalcycle Lanes. This bill is a technical fix to the vehicle code and allows vehicles to park along a curbside bike lane. The same bill was passed in the last session 187-0. It was introduced during this session in the House as HB792 by Rep. David Maloney (R-130). Senator Farnese introduced SB565. Click here to support this bill.
- Hand-Held Cell Phone Ban. This prohibits the use of hand-held cellular phones (hands free cell phones are permissible) while operating a motor vehicle on the roadways of the Commonwealth.
- Vulnerable Highway User Protections. This bill defines the term “Vulnerable Highway User” and increase the penalties for a person convicted of careless driving that results in either the death, serious bodily injury, or bodily injury of a Vulnerable Highway User.
- RADAR for Local Law Enforcement. Senator Scavello (R-40) has a co-sponsorship memo about a bill he will introduce to permit their local police to use radar for monitoring traffic speed.