As the session starts to wind up to speed, the two anti-cycling Senate bills go before the transportation committee tomorrow, Thursday January 20, 2022. The House has yet to convene its committees following the transition of leadership and establishment of new committees and subcommittees.

Meeting Schedule:

  • Senate Transportation (chair Marsden): Thursday 15min after adjournment (typically 2-3pm start but highly variable. @vasenate shares adjournment times daily)
  • House Transportation (chair Austin) meets Tuesdays at Thursdays at 8:30am
    • House Sub: Transportation Infrastructure and Funding (chair Wyatt): Tuesdays at 2pm
    • House Sub: Safety and Policy (Chair LaRock): Wednesdays at 2pm
    • House Sub: Department of Motor Vehicles (Chair Wiley): Tuesdays at 8am
      • Note, all meetings have a virtual option and a dedicated meeting room.

Bills:

Shoot your senator a note about SB 116 (targeting bicyclists at stop signs) and SB 362 (reversing 2 abreast) if they serve on Senate Transportation Committee. To be clear, this exact committee passed the Bicyclist Safety Act (including the Safety Stop and 2-Abreast) twice last year.

  • Marsden (Chair), Newman, Favola, Cosgrove, DeSteph, Suetterlein, McClellan, Peake, Boysko, Obenshain, Ebbin, Surovell, McPike, Spruill, Pillion

Chap Petersen’s Sunday Hunting bill, SB 8, passed 9-4 in Senate Ag yesterday. Three sportsman advocates supported it, and we advocated for an amendment to name a 150 yard buffer to marked trails. Delegate Edmunds bill, HB64, has been pulled due to apparent drafting error and will be replaced. I imagine it will mirror Petersen’s bill and allow hunting on all public lands instead of focusing on Wildlife Management areas.

The VBF bill watcher is updated daily.

Trails:

Don’t forget that the trail funding is the biggest priority this year. Sign early and share often this sign-on letter that is a partnership between VBF and Virginia Trails Alliance. Thanks to you for helping us reach 2,400 signatures already, including over 100 businesses and organizations!

bit.ly/virginiatrails (!!!)

And our organization member friends at Bike Walk RVA have generated a simple email action that will work for anyone in Virginia to send a message to their legislators. It pops up in the confirmation message when signing the above letter, but you can also do it directly at the following link:

https://www.votervoice.net/BIKEWALKRVA/campaigns/90605/respond

Brantley