{"id":26251,"date":"2022-01-04T12:13:40","date_gmt":"2022-01-04T20:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/?p=26251"},"modified":"2022-01-04T12:14:22","modified_gmt":"2022-01-04T20:14:22","slug":"safe-biking-requires-climate-commitments-written-into-city-policies-across-the-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/index.php\/2022\/01\/04\/safe-biking-requires-climate-commitments-written-into-city-policies-across-the-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Safe biking requires climate commitments written into city policies across the state"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Written words and plan documents represent promises that advocates can hold leaders accountable to, and cities must identify funding to realize. That\u2019s why Washington Bikes has joined Futurewise in the effort to ensure counties and cities are planning for climate-resilient, multimodal communities that make it easy to bike, walk, and roll. This legislative session we are part of the #WashingtonCan\u2019tWait campaign. <\/b><\/h2>\n

Cities across Washington must update their Comprehensive Plans (a 20-year land use, transportation, and housing plan) by mid-2024. Many communities are poised to launch their planning processes in early 2022. Comprehensive Planning can feel academic and detached from the reality of how we experience our neighborhood streets, transportation options, housing affordability, and proximity to open space. But a Comprehensive Plan is where communities put a stake in the ground of the direction their community is moving towards, and the investments they plan to make to realize it (even if the realization is years away).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the Futurewise-led push to update requirements that cities plan for \u2013 to include climate resiliency strategies, and for people to have safe, seamless and affordable transportation options \u2013 is so important during the 2022 legislative session. <\/strong>Ensuring counties and cities are planning to reduce vehicle miles traveled in their comprehensive planning equates to plans and investments in active transportation networks. When more people bike, walk, and roll, not only are the GHG emission reduction benefits clear, but also the health, mode-shift, and economic benefits as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Building on 2021 legislative progress<\/b><\/p>\n

During the 2021 legislative session Washington Bikes supported<\/span> HB 1099<\/span><\/a>, a bill championed by our advocacy partners<\/span> Futurewise<\/span><\/a>. Unfortunately, the bill took some unexpected moves through the legislative process, passing through the Senate Housing and Local Government and Ways and Means committees, only to end up dying in the Senate Transportation committee. In a last attempt at getting part of the policy through the 2021 session, <\/span>a proviso was approved in the final operating budget that funded the Department of Commerce to start the work on setting up the programs needed to implement the Growth Management Act climate change element that HB 1099 creates. The work of Futurewise and HB 1099\u2019s legislative champions have the bill poised to pass in the 2022 legislative session.<\/span> Washington Bikes stands ready to help make this a reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key components of HB 1099<\/b><\/p>\n

HB 1099, prime sponsored by Rep. Duerr (Bothell – 1<\/span>st<\/span> LD) updates and modernization to the Growth Management Act will include:<\/span><\/p>\n