- Stiffen penalties for bad drivers who hit vulnerable road users, build more traffic roundabouts, defend funding for youth bike education, and regulate electric motorcycles posing as e-bikes.
- These efforts–and more–will be central to our 2026 legislative agenda.
Federal funding cuts and economic uncertainty mean the state Legislature will be grappling with a budget shortfall when the 60-day legislative session begins in early January.
As we prepare our 2026 legislative agenda, our goal is to:
- Protect funding for bike infrastructure and statewide youth bike education programs from efforts to divert that money to other uses, like vehicular transportation projects.
- Advance street safety policies.
- Respond to the proliferation of high-speed electric motos, which often pose as e-bikes but are not.
Protect Vulnerable Road Users
Washington Bikes will work with legislators to strengthen the Vulnerable Road User law that is currently too weak. Too often, people driving who hit or endanger people biking, walking, or rolling are not treated as responsible for their actions.
People driving must be held accountable, and vulnerable road users should feel protected. We believe the law should be amended to create a presumption of driver liability when crashing into vulnerable road users in certain locations including crosswalks, bike lanes, near schools and parks, and places where there is an expectation of safety for people biking, walking, and rolling.
Complete More Complete Streets
Washington Bikes supports the passage of SB5581 that would, among other things, enable the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to build more roundabouts that improve traffic safety.
The goal of the legislation is to embed a so-called Safe Systems Approach into WSDOT’s Complete Streets program.
Fund the Promises Made in Move Ahead WA
The Move Ahead Washington legislation approved in 2022 marked a historic investment in safer streets, a more bikeable state, and the creation of a statewide school-based youth bike education program.
Due to federal funding cuts and a state budget shortfall, we expect there to be attempts to raid this critical youth safety funding to pay for other programs. We were able to fend off these efforts during the last legislative session due to support from our legislative bike champions, but Washington Bikes would like the Legislature to put guardrails around this funding to ensure the programs Move Ahead WA supports exist into the future.
The Statewide School-Based Bike Education Safety Program funded through Move Ahead WA makes the state a national leader in youth bike education, with the goal of providing 90 percent of our youth with the skills to bike for recreation and transportation–and become lifelong bike riders. Funding for this program must be maintained.
Regulate E-Motos Posing as E-Bikes
Electric motorcycles posing as electric bikes are proliferating on our streets. Often lacking pedals, and with throttles capable of accelerating to speeds of 45 mph, these unregulated e-motos are giving legal e-bikes a bad name–and posing a dangerous risk to both their users and people bicycling who must share bike paths and bike lanes with them.
Washington Bikes wants the Legislature to clarify in state law where these e-motos can be ridden, and create a clear distinction between these unregulated speed machines and the legal Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 e-bikes that we support.
Join us for Bike Lobby Day Jan. 20-21
On Jan. 21 we invite advocates from across the state to join us at the State Capitol on Jan. 20 and 21 to meet with your legislators and share why policies and investments in better biking matter in your community.
Sign up now to join our training sessions so that you can enter your legislator meetings armed with compelling facts and convincing messaging. All attendees are invited to join our legislator reception on the evening of Jan. 20, prior to lobbying meetings the next day.
Democracy requires engaged citizens. Join is in pushing for a more bikeable state and more sustainable communities.
