We are currently supporting two bills in the State Legislature. The first, AB 390, carried by Miguel Santiago (CA 53), recently advanced to the State Senate. It would allow pedestrians to start crossing the street during the flashing portion of a crosswalk signal so long as they complete the crossing before the “Don’t Walk” signal is displayed. Under existing law, those crossings are illegal, and the law has allowed crosswalk ticketing stings that are often disproportionately felt by people of color. We hope that the State Senate will pass this bill swiftly; walking in California should not be criminalized.
Secondly, we will be focusing this fall and early next year on pushing for the passage of SB 760, introduced by Senator Scott Weiner. SB 760 would align the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP), CalTrans’ principal program for road repairs, with the Strategic Management Plan’s goal to triple walking and biking in the state by 2020. The bill would prioritize accessibility improvements in the SHOPP program, which would mean more funding would flow to projects that make it easier and safer to walk and bike. It would also incorporate Complete Streets requirements into various codes, plans, and manuals. The bill would also establish a division of Active Transportation within Caltrans to take responsibility for the integration of Complete Streets into performance measures and programs. A full list of what the bill would accomplish is available in our fact sheet. In partnership with CalBike, California Walks, and American Heart Association, we will meet this fall to plan next steps in our legislative strategy and train spokespeople.
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