State bills Walk SF is supporting so far this legislative session
Note: This blog was updated June 25.
What’s needed to make our streets safe isn’t just one thing – it’s many. Some of the policies and solutions needed must happen at the state or even federal level.
That’s why with the support of our members, Walk SF works not just here in San Francisco, but also in Sacramento on state legislation.
For example, it took state legislation for San Francisco to be able to install speed cameras at 33 locations last year.
This legislative session, Walk SF is championing the ‘Stop Super Speeders Act’: AB 2276 (Soria). This builds on some of our previous efforts on bringing Intelligent Speed Assistance to California; learn why this is Walk SF’s priority bill. NOTE: AB 2276 did not make it out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee in time to move forward this session. Learn more.
We’ve also taken positions on some other bills in three areas: addressing dangerous driving behavior; safe streets funding and design; and regulation of e-bikes.
This legislative session has an unprecedented number of bills related to reckless driving and e-bikes. Walk SF is waiting to see how the bills are amended and consolidated before determining which we will support or oppose.
Bills addressing dangerous driving behavior that Walk SF is supporting
An investigative journalism series by Cal Matters called License to Kill has shed alarming light on the number of drivers with horrific driving records who continue to drive on our roads – even after killing people. Reckless driving is also at an all-time high. We are glad to see so many legislators taking action to address dangerous driving this legislative session. So far, Walk SF is supporting:
SB 953 and AB 1685: Violation points for drivers convicted of vehicular manslaughter
SB 953 (Niello) would add two violation points to an individual’s driving record when they are convicted of a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge that is dismissed through diversion.
AB 1685 (Lackey & Petrie-Norris) would increase the number of violation points for drivers convicted of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence from two to three. Both bills would increase the likelihood of a driver losing their license after killing someone with their car.
SB 907 and AB 1687: Reforming DUI sentencing laws
SB 907 (Archuleta) strengthens California’s DUI sentencing laws by redefining vehicular manslaughter as a violent felony and increases sentences for drivers previously convicted of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.
AB 1687 (Lackey) would allow the DMV to revoke licenses from drivers who have been convicted of three or more DUI offenses in the last ten years. The DMV will not be allowed to reinstate the driver’s license for eight years unless an ignition interlock device is installed in their vehicle.
AB 311: Consumer Driving Data Protection Act
AB 311 (McKinnor) aims to encourage safe driving by allowing drivers to opt into passenger vehicle telematics that will then be shared with insurance companies to determine rates. The bill aims for safer driving to be reflected more fairly in insurance rates, while lowering the cost of insurance and protecting driver privacy.
SB Bill 1279: Speed camera on the Pacific Coast Highway
SB 1279 (Gonzalez) will allow the City of Long Beach to install speed cameras along the Pacific Coast Highway, where 20% of the city’s traffic fatalities occur. One year in, San Francisco’s speed camera program has been overwhelmingly successful. The share of drivers speeding 10 MPH or more down nearly 80% across camera locations. Allowing the City of Long Beach to use this proven technology on its most dangerous corridor will save lives.
AB 1588: Sideshow Accountability and Community Safety Act
AB 1588 (Stefani) would increase the penalties for engaging in, abetting, or aiding sideshows to match the penalties for street racing. In 2021, the CHP found that sideshows led to 250 crashes in five years, including 30 fatal crashes.
Safe streets funding and design bills Walk SF is supporting
SB 1423: Making safe streets funding more accessible
SB 1423 (Stern) would dedicate half of STIP funds, one of the state’s largest sources of transportation funding, to projects that improve safety for people walking, biking, and taking transit. It would also simplify the application process for the state’s largest safe streets grant program.
AB 1976: Cutting red tape for safe streets projects
AB 1976 (Wicks), also known as the Safe Streets Streamlining Act, tackles the process barriers that can often delay or kill good street safety projects. It changes local input requirements, ends unreasonable petition requirements for traffic calming, updates the pedestrian mall law, and creates a clearer path for cities to deliver pedestrian and bike safety projects.
E-bike regulation bills Walk SF is supporting
SB 1167: Tightening e-bike definitions in advertising
Cities around the country including San Francisco are grappling with how to adequately regulate and design streets for this fast-growing form of transportation (which includes e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mopeds, and e-motos). Here at Walk SF, we’re hearing a growing number of concerns about pedestrian safety in relation to electric mobility devices.
An initial challenge in better regulating the electric mobility devices is that there are no rules about what is advertised as an “e-bike” versus what is actually an electric moped, which can go up to 50 miles per hour.
SB 1167 (Blakespear) seeks to restrict the types of vehicles that manufacturers are allowed to advertise or sell as e-bikes. It tightens definitions, changes labeling rules, and requires sellers to clearly disclose when an electric device is actually a motor vehicle and not a legal e-bike.
There are numerous e-bike-related bills being proposed in Sacramento this legislative session we’re monitoring; you can read more about these from our friends at CalBike. Calbike is part of a statewide working group studying e-bikes and electric mobility devices.
We will publish an updated version of this blog as the legislative session progresses and Walk SF takes additional positions.
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