Pedestrian Safety
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
| HB 142 - Reid - Crosswalks; waiving certain requirements for proposed installation. | (H) Committee on Transportation | (H) House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered | 10/28/24 |
| notes: Authorizes the Department of Transportation, when determining the need for a crosswalk within a community subject to the Property Owners' Association Act, to waive any requirement that a certain number of individuals cross such highway within a particular period of time if the location of the proposed crosswalk is adjacent to and providing access to a facility that attracts pedestrians or generates an increased pedestrian presence. | |||
| HB 657 - Sullivan - Pedestrian control signals; applicability to persons riding bicycles and other devices. | (H) Committee on Transportation (S) Committee on Transportation | (S) Failed to report (defeated) in Transportation (7-Y 7-N) | 02/29/24 |
| notes: Allows persons riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, moped, or motorized skateboard or scooter to, while remaining in the travel lane, follow the pedestrian control signal to their right at an intersection when traveling in the direction of the signal, provided that they travel straight or turn right and yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk traveling in the same direction. | |||
| HB 1077 - Carr - Bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, etc.; exception to stopping requirement. | (H) Committee on Transportation (S) Committee on Transportation | (S) Failed to report (defeated) in Transportation (5-Y 9-N) | 02/29/24 |
| notes: Authorizes the operator of a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or motorized skateboard or scooter to yield instead of stop at an intersection of two highways controlled by a stop sign if (i) each intersecting highway has no more than three motor vehicle travel lanes; (ii) the operator is at least 15 years old or accompanied by an adult; (iii) the operator slows to a reasonable speed based on existing highway conditions; and (iv) before proceeding into the intersection, the person yields the right-of-way to any pedestrian lawfully within the crosswalk and to the driver of another vehicle approaching or entering such intersection from another direction. | |||
| HB 1266 - Willett - Bicycles and certain other vehicles; regulations when riding in traffic. | (H) Committee on Transportation (S) Committee on Transportation | (S) Failed to report (defeated) in Transportation (6-Y 8-N) | 02/29/24 |
| notes:
Makes various changes to provisions relating to the operation of bicycles and certain other vehicles and relating to pedestrians. The bill authorizes the operator of a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or motorized skateboard or scooter to yield instead of stop at an intersection of two highways controlled by a stop sign if certain conditions are met. For purposes of describing when such vehicles are not required to ride as close to the right curb or edge as possible, the bill replaces the term "substandard width lane" with the description that such travel lane is less than 15 feet wide or not wide enough to allow an overtaking motor vehicle to pass safely in the same lane. The bill specifies that if the lane of travel is less than 15 feet wide, a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, moped, animal, or animal-drawn vehicle shall change lanes and may drive to the left of a highway centerline when it is safe to do so. The bill removes the requirement for persons riding bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, or motorized skateboards or scooters on a highway two abreast to move into a single-file formation and limits the requirement that such persons not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic to apply only on roadways with only one travel lane per direction and a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or more. |
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| SB 535 - Bagby - School crossing zones; expands definition of zones to include areas surrounding schools, etc. | (H) Committee on Transportation (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (H) Left in Transportation | 03/04/24 |
| notes: Expands the definition of "school crossing zone" to include areas surrounding schools where the presence of students reasonably requires a special warning to motorists and provides that the term "school" includes public institutions of higher education and nonprofit private institutions of higher education. Currently, the definition of "school crossing zone" includes only areas surrounding schools where the presence of children requires such warning. Existing provisions of law allowing photo speed monitoring devices to be installed in school crossing zones will apply to any location that meets the expanded definition. | |||