ALERT: Stop the Bicycle Ban; Support MoBikeFed's legislative work

Stopping a bicycle ban.

Stopping an anti-bicycle amendment--designed to remove bicycling from state transportation funding.

No bicycles - some Missouri legislators want to ban bicycles from the road and from state transportation funding
No bicycles - some Missouri legislators want to ban bicycles from the road and from state transportation funding

Including funding for biking, walking, and trails in proposed transportation funding, solving a century-long problem in Missouri.

Those are the reasons legislative advocacy in Jefferson City has been vital this year.

With just two weeks left in the 2014 legislative session, you can help in two ways:

  • Make a donation in support of MoBikeFed's legislative work. Our work at the Capitol in Jefferson City is our most vital advocacy work--but also the most expense and time consuming.  Even a small donation really helps a lot.
  • Oppose Rep Korman's proposed bicycle ban. It is still in play and we need to make sure it goes nowhere this year.

How to make a donation in support of our 2014 legislative work

How to oppose the Bicycle Ban

[UPDATE 16 May 2014:  Success! The Bicycle Ban was stopped this year.  Now the legislative session is over and there is no chance the bill will pass in 2014.

Many thanks to everyone who contacted their Representative this year - your voice was heard!

 

Now please consider making a donation--small or large--in support of MoBikeFed's legislative work.  This is our most important, most effective but also most expensive work.  Help refill our treasury so we can finish 2014 strong!]

 

Look up your own Missouri State Representative's contact information here. Then email and call your State Representative with this simple message:

"Please oppose Rep. Korman's HB 2279 to ban bicycles from certain state highways.  Please support including funding for bicycling and walking in HJR 68 when it returns to the House."

Please be polite and persuasive when you call or email--we need friends on these issues!

The full text of the proposed new Bicycle Ban law, HB 2279

What is the proposed Bicycle Ban?  How bad would it be?

Here is the text of the bille:

HB 2279 was introduced April 1st, 2014 by Rep. Bart Korman.

In the text below, portions bolded like this are to be added to current law.  Portions not bolded are current Missouri state law. 

AN ACT
 

To repeal sections 307.190 and 307.191, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to bicycle operation on state roadways.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:


            Section A. Sections 307.190 and 307.191, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 307.190 and 307.191, to read as follows:

            307.190. 1. Every person operating a bicycle or motorized bicycle at less than the posted speed or slower than the flow of traffic upon a street or highway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as safe, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction, except when making a left turn, when avoiding hazardous conditions, when the lane is too narrow to share with another vehicle, or when on a one-way street. Bicyclists may ride abreast when not impeding other vehicles.

            2. Notwithstanding any provision of this section or any other law, bicycle operation on a state-maintained roadway is prohibited when there is a state-owned bicycle path or trail that runs generally parallel to and within two miles of a state roadway, except a bicycle may be operated on the shoulder of a state roadway if:

            (1) The bicycle is operated with a motorized escort;

            (2) The bicycle is operated as a means to ride to or from the operator's home to another residence, to a place of business, to a school, or to any public facility; or

            (3) The person operating the bicycle is doing so due to an economic hardship.

            307.191. 1. A person operating a bicycle at less than the posted speed or slower than the flow of traffic upon a street or highway may operate as described in section 307.190 or may operate on the shoulder adjacent to the roadway, except as provided in subsection 2 of section 307.190.

            2. A bicycle operated on a roadway, or on the shoulder adjacent to a roadway, shall be operated in the same direction as vehicles are required to be driven upon the roadway.

            3. For purposes of this section and section 307.190, "roadway" is defined as and means that portion of a street or highway ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder.

If you contact Rep. Korman about this bill, please be sure to be very polite and persuasive.  He is responding to real constituent concerns on this issue, and we just need to help him understand that there is real opposition to this proposal, that this is not the most productive way to solve this problem, and that we are very willing to work together on productive solutions.  
 
Fo example, if we can work together with legislators like Rep. Korman to have wide shoulders added to the problem roads, that is a solution that will help everyone and actually solve the conflict.
 
Your support--both in financially supporting our legislative work and in personally contacting your legislators--really does make a difference.  Thank you!
 
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