Staff requests Committee input on the following two bills:
Assembly Bill 1909 (Friedman): "Vehicles: bicycle omnibus," would remove the prohibition of class 3 electric bicycles (electric bicycles that feature pedal assist and top off at 28 miles per hour) on a bicycle path or trail and would remove the authority of a local jurisdiction to prohibit class 1 (20 mph max speed and motor work only when pedaling) and class 2 (also 20 mph but has a throttle boost) electric bicycles on these facilities. The bill would instead authorize a local authority to prohibit the operation of a class 3 electric bicycle at a motor-assisted speed greater than 20 miles per hour. This bill also extends the authorization for an electric bike to cross an intersection to a when a “WALK” sign is displayed, unless a bicycle control signal is displayed. This bill would additionally no longer require a bicycle to be licensed and requires a vehicle that is passing or overtaking a vehicle to move over to an adjacent lane of traffic if one is available, before passing or overtaking the bicycle.
Senate Bill 922 (Wiener): "CEQA exemptions; transportation-related projects," would repeal the January 1, 2030, sunset date, to indefinitely continue an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for bicycle transportation plans for an urbanized area for restriping of streets and highways, bicycle parking and storage, signal timing to improve street and highway intersection operations, and related signage for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. The bill also repeals the January 1, 2023 expiration date, to indefinitely continue a CEQA exemption for transit prioritization projects and projects for pedestrian and bicycle facilities or for the institution or increase of new bus rapid transit, bus, or light rail services on public or highway rights-of-way. Provisions relating to projects valued at over $100 million require additional consideration for displacement of disadvantaged communities and suggest anti-displacement strategies, designs, or actions for those projects for which at least 50% of the project or projects’ stops and stations are located in an area at risk of residential displacement and will have a maximum of 15-minute peak headways.
Senate Bill 932 (Portantino): "General plans: circulation element: bicycle and pedestrian plans and traffic calming plans," would require the legislative body, upon any substantive revision of the circulation element, to ensure that a modified circulation element additionally includes bicycle and pedestrian plans and traffic calming plans. This bill would require a county or city to include in its modified circulation element a map of the high injury network within its boundaries and would further require a county or city to identify and prioritize safety improvements that may be implemented within 15 years that would address serious and injurious traffic collisions. This bill would increase or decrease the 15-year implementation period based on whether the measures introduced by a county or city work to reduce its percentage of traffic violence.
Links to the full bill language are online as web attachments.