Missouri Rep introduces bill requiring cyclists to carry 15-foot tall safety flags
UPDATE 14 JAN 2016: Rep. Houghton just called and we had a very productive chat with him. He understands that the bill as written is a bit "over the top" but he wanted to start a conversation about what he feels is an important issue--improving safety for cyclists and drivers, and ensuring that cyclists are visible enough. He would like to bring the Highway Patrol and MoDOT into the conversation to explore all possible solutions.
We are planning to meet with Rep. Houghton at our Leadership Day on January 26th to explore these ideas further.
Please do continue to contact Rep. Houghton on this issue, but PLEASE be polite and persuasive when you do so!
Please consider joining us for Capitol Day in Jefferson City April 11th--and make sure your MoBikeFed membership is up to date and/or consider a special donation in support of our 2016 legislative work. Your membership and generous financial support allows us to represent cyclists in Jefferson City and ensure that our rights and our safety are protected.
Missouri Rep. Jay Houghton--who has been involved in previous legislative attempts to ban bicycles from Missouri roads--is at it again in 2016.
Rep. Houghton has introduced a bill that would require all bicyclists on "county lettered roads" to carry a safety flag attached to the bicycle and suspended "not less than fifteen feet above the roadway when the bicycle is standing upright."
The bill is HB 2046 sponsored by Representative Jay Houghton. Read full text of the bill here (PDF).
Like the proposal a few years ago by a predecessor to Mr. Houghton, which would have required all bicyclists to wear hi-vis jerseys, and the proposal last year to require all cyclists to carry liability insurance, the bill is couched in language of safety and reasonableness, but in reality it will not help the safety situation for bicyclists or drivers, will be impossible to enforce and comply with, and is intended as another backhanded way to keep cyclists off the road.
The Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation and several of our allied groups have already reached out to Mr. Houghton to find out more and to let him know our strong objection to the proposal. In response to an inquiry from the PedNet Coalition (Columbia), Mr Houghton wrote:
I understand your concerns, but the people of my district have asked me to file this legislation in an attempt to make their rural roads safer. These roads have no shoulder, sharp curves, and steep hills. My constituents, who drive these roads daily, feel this is a good idea. It not only protects automobile drivers, as well as bicyclists. I believe in freedom, and this bill in no way restricts your freedom to ride on the roads. It simply requires you to have a flag, just like 4-Wheelers are required to have.
If you feel inclined to contact Mr. Houghton, PLEASE remember to be very polite and persuasive. Telling your own experiences and perspective and making well reasoned arguments is helpful and persuasive. Tell why t his will be bad for Missouri--not just bicyclists, but everyone in Missouri--will be persuasive.
Katy Trail bill
In addition, Mr. Houghton has introduced a bill to open the Katy Trail to motorized vehicles (golf carts and ATVs) on certain days of the month.
The safety flag bill is HB 2046 and the Katy Trail ATV bill is HB 2047, both from the 98th General Assembly, 2nd Session (2016).
Capitol Day April 11th & full list of bicycle, pedestrian, and trails related bills for 2016
The 2016 legislative is off to an exciting start already--and you can see why we need people like you to contact your legislators and visit them in person.
It is that kind of person-to-person advocacy--plus our lobbyist in Jefferson City--that allows us to put a stop to proposals like these.
Please consider joining us Monday, April 11th, in Jefferson City for the Legislators Ride and other Capitol Day activities. It is our most effective advocacy of the entire year!
See the complete list of bicycle, pedestrian, and trails related bills, which we will be working to support or oppose this year, as appropriate, here:
- Bicycle, pedestrian, and trails related bills in the Missouri General Assembly for 2016
- Bills related to transportation funding in 2016 - will walking, bicycling, trails, and transit finally receive a share of state transportation funding in 2016?
Related links
- 2010's proposed bicycle ban on rural roads in St. Charles County was defeated
- 2012's proposal for a bicycle ban on certain Missouri roads turned into a bill requiring bicyclists to wear reflective vests
- Details about Rep. Bart Korman's Bicycle Ban proposal of 2013
- Proposed Bicycle Ban of 2014 defeated
- Bicycle insurance proposal of 2015 defeated
Defending the rights of Missourians to travel under their own power--whether by bicycle or on foot--is one of the top priorities of MoBikeFed's Legislative Platform and Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri.
Your membership and generous financial support help move our Legislative Platform forward and make our Vision become reality!
Photo credits:
- No Bicycles by Tom Magliery on FlickR. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0.
- Rep. Jay Houghton, Missouri General Assembly
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