LegislativeCommitteeMeetingMinutes

October8,2014at6:30pmatTeaism

Attendees:DavidCranor(CommitteechairW6BAC),DavidAlexander(W2BAC),Jay
Stewart(W8BAC),MattAccoreno(W1BAC),UrsulaSandstrom(SupportServicesBAC)

Updates:
ComparativeNegligenceHearing:
Mattwasatthehearingthoughleftbeforetheinsurancerepresentatives
testified.
DavidC.suggestedthattheircommentswerelikelythosefeaturedontheKojo
interview(articlehere).
Sidenote:Goingtotheextremeofnofaultforbicyclistswasconsideredawhile
backbutitwouldntwork.Becausebicyclistsdonthavetohaveinsurance
thereisnocounterpartytobalanceclaims.
Currentlythebillcoversjustcyclistsbutconsideringopeningituptoall
vulnerableroadusers
Ifpedestriansareincluded,theargumentformisunderstandingofthe
rulesoftheroadforbikersislost.Pedlawsaregenerallymore
understood.Downtheroad,theculturechangetowardsunderstanding
bikeroadrulesshouldmakethisargumentmoot.
SowhatdoestheBACdonext?
ItwasdecidedthatUrsulawilldraftatemplateletterandBACcouncil
memberswillcontacttheircouncilmember
GeneralfocusoftheletterwillbetoremindthemoftheBACsposition
andwhy
DraftingSaturdayorSunday,willsendouttothosepresentatthe
meetingforedits
StreetcarComments
Commentsweresubmitted.Itwasagreedthattherewasnothingmorethat
couldbedone,nowwejustwait
Whendoregulationscomeout?
MattAccorenocame,hewasappointedJimGrahamsrepresentativeontheBAC.So
nowtheWard1seatisfilled.
UrsulawilladdhimtotheGooglegroupanddrive
SustainableDCOmnibus
Billpassedrecently
Includesasectionontransportationbenefits
Companieswith20ormoreemployeesmustofferoneofthree
sustainabletransportationorientedbenefits,includesabicycle
commuterbenefit.
$20monthlycheck,restrictedtospendingatlocalbikeshops

 Becausethemonetaryvalueofthebenefitsaredisproportionate,the
bicyclingbenefitsarenotapopularchoice
AtMattsworkplace,thechoiceinbenefitsisbetweeneither
$250valueofparking,$100forMetroor$20forbicycling.Even
theregularbikerstypicallychoosetheMetrobenefitbecauseof
thedisparity.
DCgovernmentdoesntcurrentlygivebicyclebenefits
Shouldincludedinombinusletterstotheincomingcouncilmembers
andmayor
ContractorhandlescommuterbenefitsforDCgov,shouldbearelatively
simpleprocesstostartofferingit(asitwaswithDavidCsemployer)
ComingintoeffectJanuary2016

OmnibusLetter
GiventheupcomingelectionandthenewfacescomingintotheDCCounciland
mayorsoffice,itwassuggestedthatwewritealettertoallthenewofficeholders
Toneintroductoryandinformative,lettingthemknowofwhatwehavedone
recentlyandwhatbroadissues(legislativeorexecutivebranchfocused,
dependingontherecipient)theBACbelieveslegislationcouldbeuseful
Issuesshouldbebroadandnoncontroversialtostart,thepointoftheletteris
tointroduceourselves.Potentialtopicssuggested:
Bicyclecommuterbenefit.WhatitisandwhytheDCgovshouldstart
offeringittotheiremployees
Distracteddrivingreform.Currentlyonlytheholdingofthephoneis
illegal.Recentstudieshaveshownthatitistheconversation,nottheact
ofhavingyourhandoffthesteeringwheel,thatisprimedanger
BUIcurrentlythepunishmentisthesameasforcardrivers.Seems
morelikelytobeenforced,aswellaseffective,ifitwastargetedfor
bicyclists
Stopasyield,astheyhaveinColorado.Itwasdecidedthatthisonly
reallymakessenseandhasachanceoncecomparativenegligence
becomesthelaw.
DavidApointedoutthatundercurrentcontributorynegligence
doctrine,stopasyieldwouldbeproblematic.Astopsignrequires
acoptoseetheoffensetoprovewhetheryoucametoa
completestopornot,whileayieldsigndoesnot.Yieldsigns
requireyoutodowhatevernecessarytoyieldtotheoncoming
traffic.Ifstopsignasyieldisputintoeffectunderthecurrent
doctrine,ifwouldgiveaneasyexcusetoputbikersasatleast
1%negligentbecausetheyshouldhavedonewhateverwas
necessary(yield)toavoidthesituation.

ActionableItems:

 LetterforBACmemberstosendtotheircouncilmemberregardingcomparative
negligence
Ursulawilldraft
Omnibuslettertoincomingcouncilmembersandmayor
Ursulawilldrafttemplateletter