This was the most successful year for bike safety legislation in several years. Three bills were passed into law and SHA announced during the session that they would install a modified HAWK signal on Veirs Mill Rd (Rt 586). The 3 bills that passed are:
HB11 Coal-rolling prohibition – Bans the intentional discharge of black smoke from diesel -powered pickup trucks
HB192/SB142 Bike Safety Task Force – A task force representing all road users,experts and legislators that will make recommendations for bike safety on Maryland roads.
HB997/SB925 Bike Safety in Crosswalks – Provides cyclists riding through crosswalks (such as at trail-crossings) with the same rights and responsibilities as pedestrians.
BikeAAA has appeared before most of the committee hearings, provided written testimony in support of these bills and continues to work with our counterparts at Bike Maryland, WABA and others. See links to the bills that were considered and BikeAAA written testimony below.
| Number / Chapter (Cross File / Chapter) Total: 9 |
Title | Primary Sponsor | Status | Original House Committee(s) and Hearing Dates |
BikeAAA Written Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB0011 | Vehicle Laws – Causing Diesel Emissions to Discharge Onto Another – Prohibition | Delegate Lam | Passed into Law | Environment and Transportation 1/26/2017 – 2:00 p.m. |
bikeaaa-supporthb11-; BikeAAA-SupportHB11inSenateJPR-20170317 |
| HB0192 (SB0142) |
Task Force to Study Bicycle Safety on Maryland Highways | Delegate Lafferty | Passed into Law | Environment and Transportation 2/9/2017 – 1:15 p.m. |
20170126bikeaaa-hb192-20170208 |
| HB0527 (SB0337) |
Vehicle Laws – Bicycles – Use of Crosswalks | Delegate Kramer | Unfavorable Report by Environment and Transportation | Environment and Transportation 2/23/2017 – 1:00 p.m. |
bikeaaa-supporthb527578-20170218 |
| HB0578 (SB0338) |
Vehicle Laws – Pedestrian Hybrid Signals | Delegate Kramer | Third Reading Passed (138-1) but not in Senate | Environment and Transportation 2/23/2017 – 1:00 p.m. |
bikeaaa-supporthb527578-20170218 |
| HB0997 (SB0925) |
Vehicle Laws – Bicycles, Play Vehicles, and Unicycles – Operation on Sidewalks and in Crosswalks | Delegate Fraser-Hidalgo | Passed into Law | Senate Finance 3/30/2017 – 1:00 p.m. |
bikeaaa-supporthb997-20170228 |
| SB0142 (HB0192) |
Task Force to Study Bicycle Safety on Maryland Highways | Senator Manno | Passed into Law | 1/25/2017 – 1:00 p.m. | bikeaaa-sb142-20170125 |
| SB0337 (HB0527) |
Vehicle Laws – Bicycles and Pedestrians – Use of Crosswalks | Senator Manno | Unfavorable Report by Judicial Proceedings | Judicial Proceedings 2/7/2017 – 1:00 p.m. |
bikeaaa-supportsb337338-20170206 |
| SB0338 (HB0578) |
Vehicle Laws – Pedestrian Hybrid Signalsx | Senator Manno | Unfavorable Report by Judicial Proceedings. | Judicial Proceedings 2/7/2017 – 1:00 p.m. |
bikeaaa-supportsb337338-20170206 |
| SB0925 (HB0997) |
Vehicle Laws – Bicycles, Play Vehicles, and Unicycles – Operation on Sidewalks and in Crosswalks | Senator Madaleno | Passed into Law | Finance 3/15/2017 – 1:00 p.m.BikeAAA-SupportSB925-20170310 |