{"id":14979,"date":"2015-12-23T09:56:06","date_gmt":"2015-12-23T17:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/?p=14979"},"modified":"2015-12-23T09:56:06","modified_gmt":"2015-12-23T17:56:06","slug":"2016-washington-bikes-legislative-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/index.php\/2015\/12\/23\/2016-washington-bikes-legislative-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 Washington Bikes Legislative Agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Washington Bikes&#8217; 2016 Legislative Agenda seeks to protect historic investments in biking, support distracted driving legislation, grow bicycle travel and tourism, and protect trails.<\/h3>\n<p>Trying to outdo\u00a0what was arguably\u00a0the most successful legislative sessions for biking in Washington state history is a tall order. In 2015, Washington Bike&#8217;\u00a0priority legislation, <a href=\"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/2015\/04\/20\/governor-inslee-signs-dead-red-bill-law\/\" target=\"_blank\">the &#8220;dead red&#8221; bill, passed<\/a> in its first attempt with strong bipartisan support for a common-sense safety solution. The Washington State Legislature also passed a state transportation package, <a href=\"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/2015\/07\/10\/wa-state-transportation-package-puts-biking-dollars-at-all-time-high\/\" target=\"_blank\">which invests approximately $500 million for biking, walking, Safe Routes to Schools, and complete streets projects over the next 16 years<\/a>. Additionally, the two-year state capital budget <a href=\"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/2015\/07\/09\/legislatures-capital-budget-reaches-time-high-trails\/\" target=\"_blank\">invested in a record $15.5 million to build important trail connections statewide<\/a>. To top it off, <a href=\"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/2015\/04\/14\/legislature-approves-bill-grow-outdoor-recreation\/\" target=\"_blank\">the legislature passed a bill\u00a0to\u00a0establish an outdoor recreation sector lead in the Governor\u2019s Office and to support important changes for outdoor youth education.<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Spokane-Summer-Parkways-207x300-little-girl-on-bike-from-back.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-14072\" src=\"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Spokane-Summer-Parkways-207x300-little-girl-on-bike-from-back.jpg\" alt=\"Little girl on bike seen from te back, wearing helmet, others biking\/walking in street.\" width=\"207\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>All those achievements didn&#8217;t come easy as the legislature went through not one, but three special overtime sessions. It amounted to a record 176 days in session (the 2015 legislature originally was scheduled to last\u00a0105 days). By most accounts, many remain\u00a0fatigued\u00a0and are looking to complete\u00a0the &#8220;short&#8221; 60-day second session of the two-year biennium on time.<\/p>\n<h3><b>The 2016 Legislative Agenda<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Washington Bikes Board of Directors and its Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee set a 2016 approach\u00a0with four focus areas\u00a0that largely mirrors last\u00a0year&#8217;s agenda. It adds one significant focus to protect trails, like the <a href=\"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/2015\/10\/07\/briefing-john-wayne-pioneer-trail\/\" target=\"_blank\">John Wayne Pioneer Trail<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the four priority areas (note, they are not prioritized by the Committee or the Board):<\/p>\n<p><strong>Investments that get\u00a0Washingtonians where they want to go<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Washington\u00a0Bikes continues to support transportation investments that focus on smart investments in successful programs that provide\u00a0safe and healthy\u00a0routes to schools for our\u00a0children,\u00a0complete streets\u00a0for\u00a0Washington\u2019s main streets and business districts, as well as investments in\u00a0trails and bikeways\u00a0that improve\u00a0mobility and spur economic development in rural and urban\u00a0areas alike.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ask: <\/strong>(1) Retain historic funding levels made by 2015 Legislature for the Safe Routes to School Grant Program, Bicycle Pedestrian Safety Grant Program, Complete Streets Grant Program, as well as the bicycle and pedestrian project list.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Protecting Trails Statewide<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Washington state has some of the longest and most iconic trails in the nation for biking, walking. Washington Bikes is committed to keeping trails\u00a0open and accessible.\u00a0Washington Bikes\u00a0will monitor and explore the potential for additional investments that connect and improve trails\u00a0for neighboring residents, visitors, and neighboring communities that benefit from the economic opportunities that trails bring via the $3.1 billion that bicycle riders spend in Washington state.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Growing the\u00a0Multimillion Dollar Bicycle Travel &amp; Tourism Industry<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bicycle travel and tourism is big business. According to a 2015 Economic Impact study from the Governor\u2019s Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Washington state bicycle riders spend $3.1 billion annually. An improved understanding of bike travel and tourism in Washington\u00a0state is needed to\u00a0make smart choices for growth statewide, particularly in\u00a0rural areas.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ask<\/strong>: Funding for a study of the economic impact of bicycle travel and tourism by the Department of Commerce will help\u00a0quantify the industry and improve strategies to grow our state\u2019s economy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Strengthen Washington State\u2019s Distracted Driving Laws<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Following Washington Bikes successful lobbying in 2010, this Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) agency request legislation improves upon the current law by broadening the definition so that any\u00a0person (with much narrower exceptions) operating a motor vehicle while holding a personal wireless communications device is guilty of a traffic infraction. It closes loopholes such as being able to use one\u2019s phone while stopped at an intersection or stoplight (currently legal), it also expands the definitions of handheld uses to ban texting and email use on smart phones. Additional violations receive twice the penalty, plus violations go on one\u2019s driver record for insurance purposes. Finally, distracted driving would be included in Department of Licensing exams (currently they are not).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ask<\/strong>: WTSC agency request legislation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington Bikes&#8217; 2016 Legislative Agenda seeks to protect historic investments in biking, support distracted driving 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