Councilmember Cheh Introduces “Bicycle and Pedestrian
Safety Act of 2015”
New safety bill the result of collaborative effort by
Councilmember Cheh, DDOT, MPD, DISB, and advocates representing bicyclists,
pedestrians, motor vehicle operators, the business community, and the insurance
industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, September 16th,
Councilmember Mary M. Cheh (D – Ward 3), Chair of the Committee on
Transportation & the Environment, introduced the “Bicycle and Pedestrian
Safety Act of 2015.” The bill provides a comprehensive update to the District’s
laws and regulations as they pertain to motorist, bicycle, and pedestrian
safety.
“Earlier this year, I convened a Bicycle & Pedestrian
Working Group to foster a deliberative, thoughtful, and open discussion on how
to best update the District’s approach to motor, bicycle, and pedestrian
safety. The “Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act of 2015” is the end result of
months of collaboration between my office, District agencies, law enforcement,
and transportation advocates. By gathering everyone around the same table, we
were able to debate and discuss what safety measures have been successful and
what needs improvement from a variety of perspectives. This bill is a
comprehensive and inclusive approach to making the roadways and sidewalks safer
for all,” said Councilmember Cheh.
The bill would make a significant amount of crash, traffic
violation, and closure data more readily accessible to the public; establish
the Bicycle and Pedestrian Priority Area Program to designate safety
enhancement priority areas across the District in locations with heavy bicycle
and pedestrian traffic; incorporate a Complete Streets policy within DDOT to
ensure that the construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of roads
includes infrastructure that accommodates all multimodal users, including those
with disabilities; and require the Mayor to study the feasibility of a
remediation and deferred disposition program that would enable a person guilty
of a moving violation to take a safety course in lieu of paying some or all of
the associated fine.
“The “Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act” changes the way our
agencies address and prioritize safety concerns in the built environment, and
it also encourages users of our transportation system to engage in safer
behavior –in this way we can establish a system of mutual accountability. For
example, one aspect of the bill includes greater oversight of DDOT’s
infrastructure improvements and traffic modifications, while another section of
the bill prohibits aggressive driving, and creates an escalating fine system
for repeat offenders of moving violations directly affecting bicyclists and
pedestrians. The bill also establishes a universal street and bicycle safety
education curriculum for District schoolchildren,” said Councilmember Cheh.
The Bicycle & Pedestrian Working Group was co-chaired by
the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and AAA Mid-Atlantic
throughout six open forum meetings in May and June. Other members of the
fourteen member working group include: All Walks DC, Bicycle Advisory Council,
DC Surface Transit, Department of Insurance, Securities & Banking (DISB),
District of Columbia Insurance Federation (DCIF), District Department of
Transportation (DDOT), Mayor’s Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs,
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Pedestrian Advisory Council, PULSE Issues
& Advocacy, and the United Spinal Association. The Working Group is
currently composing a final report of recommendations to be presented to the
Committee on Transportation & the Environment.
“In addition to the Working Group meetings, I also
coordinated site visits with DDOT, the relevant ANCs, MPD, and bicycle and
pedestrian advocates to the top five most dangerous intersections in the
District to evaluate what short-term and long-term changes can be made to
mitigate safety concerns. Being on-site with residents and connecting them with
the agency decision makers was an incredibly helpful way to evaluate the
infrastructure and behavioral challenges we face when attempting to improve our
transportation system. This bill, the Working Group report, and dangerous
intersection site visits are all components of a larger effort to reform and
modernize the way the District responds to safety hazards on the roadways. The
input we received from the community has been invaluable throughout this
evaluation process, and I encourage residents to remain engaged and invested in
this continued effort,” said Councilmember Cheh.
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Kelly Whittier | Director of Communications &
Scheduler
Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, Ward 3