LegislativeCommitteeMeeting

April8,2015
BusboysandPoets(5thandKNW)

Attendance:DavidCranor(LegislativeCommitteeChair,W6BAC),AndreaAdleman(SEE
CommitteeCoChair),AdamGutbezahl(CMCheh),HeatherEdelman(PACAdministrative
Assistant),JayStewart(W8BAC),UrsulaSandstrom(BACSupportServices)

Meetingmaterials:JointStatementonSidewalkRiding,VacancycodesfromDC
commissions,DCCode501604(DCBAC)

UpdateonTermLimits
AdamGutbezahl(CMCheh)
ThePACisinasimilarpositionwithvaguelanguageonvacantpositions
Adamlookedatthepoliciesofothercommissionsoftheirvacancyandtermlimitpolicytosee
whatcommonpracticeis:
Vacancysomeonecanbeappointedtofinishthatterm
Consistentpracticeacrosscommissions
HandoutAdamcompiledlanguagefromvariouscommissionsasexamples,
includedinthemeetingmaterialsfolder
AdamwasthinkingofaddingalinetoB1oftheDCCode501604
Proposedgenerallyaddingsomethingalongthelinesofapersonappointedtofilla
vacancytocompletetheunexpiredterm
Languagecanbeaddedintothe2016budgetbecausetheproblemismoretechnicalthan
substantiveinnatureanddoesnotrequireahearing
MarkupisMay14sojointlanguageagreedonbythePACandBACbyearlyMay
wouldbegood
BACchairswillcommunicateandpassitontoAdam
Willbeineffectstarting2016
TransitionhowdoestheBACsteeracoursefromourcurrenttermexpirationsto
implementingthispolicy?
ItwaspointedoutthatcurrentlymostBACmembershavea2015termexpirationand
institutinga3yearcyclefromthosewouldcreateacouncilwithnotermoverlapand
notfollowingtheinitialsetup
Adamsuggestedplayingoutcurrenttermslikehowtheywouldhaveexpiredbasedon
theinitialsetup(seenintheBACTermsspreadsheet(rainbowchart)mentionedat
thelastGeneralMeeting)andimplementthenewcodefromthere.
Afinalplanwillbeneedtobeformed

PACBACJointStatementonSidewalkRiding
ThereweresomeconcernsatthelastBACGeneralMeetingandthejointstatementwasnot
approved.
Concerns:
Secondtolastbullet

 Impliesthatcyclistscannotsafelyrideonthestreetcurrently
Secondbullet
Assumesthatthereisneverasafe/goodreasontobeonthewalk
Discussion
Secondtolastbullet
Proposedchangingtotomakethestreetsthepreferredchoiceforcyclists
Theentirebulletwouldread
TheD.C.PedestrianAdvisoryCouncil(PAC)andtheD.C.BicycleAdvisory
Council(BAC)believethattheDistrictofColumbiashouldimprovebicycle
facilitiesacrossthecityasquicklyaspossible
tomakethestreetsthepreferred
choiceforbicyclists

Originallyread
TheD.C.PedestrianAdvisoryCouncil(PAC)andtheD.C.BicycleAdvisory
Council(BAC)believethattheDistrictofColumbiashouldimprovebicycle
facilitiesacrossthecityasquicklyaspossiblesothatbicyclistscansafelyride
inthestreetratherthanonthesidewalk.
Retainsthecarrot/rewardemphasis
Secondbullet
Therewasconfusionaboutwhatbullettheconcernwasaboutthesecondbulletdoesnot
makesensegiventheconcerns.Itwasdecidedthatitwaslikelythethirdbulletinstead,
originallyreading:
Foravarietyofreasons,itisgenerallyconsideredsaferforpedestriansandbicyclists
whenbicyclistsrideinthestreetratherthanonthesidewalk.
Proposedamendedlanguage:

Whilerecognizingthatsidewalkcyclingissometimesappropriate
,itisgenerally
consideredsaferforpedestriansandbicyclistswhenbicyclistsrideinthestreetrather
thanonthesidewalk.
Addsextraspecificlanguagethatsidewalkridingcanbethebestchoice,ratherthan
themoreveiledreferenceofgenerallyconsideredwhichdoesallowforsidewalk
ridingbutisnotexplicit.
HeathermentionedthislanguagewillbemorechallengingtopasswiththePAC
Secondaryproposedlanguage:
Foravarietyofreasons,itisgenerallyconsidered
inmorecases
saferforpedestrians
andbicyclistswhenbicyclistsrideinthestreetratherthanonthesidewalk.
Lesspreferredlanguageoption
WillvoteonMay6th
PACmeetingisApril27thsoiftheamendmentsfailsthePACcancounterproprose
SomeonefromthePACwillcometothenextgeneralBACmeeting

BicycleandPedestrianWorkingGroup
CMChehisconveningaworkinggrouptolookatsafetyissuesrelatedtobicyclistand
pedestrianissues
DavidC.willbegoing

Davidpulledoutthegreatesthitsofsafetyrelatedlegislativeissuestobringtotheupcoming
session,lookingatwhereDCisleadingthetrendandareaswherewecouldcopybest
practice.DCisleadingonalotofissueswithourcurrentlegislationbutthereisstillroomfor
improvement:
Dooring
Distracteddriving
Safepassing
NewHampshirehasthebestpracticecurrentlytheyhaveasafepassinglaw
butthedistancegoesupwithincreasingspeed
Rearlightsonbikes
Truckmandates
Mandateblindspotcameras
Sideunderguardsonalltrucks,notjustDCgovvehicles
Bettermetricsoncrashes
Particularinchangingthecrashreportform[
research
]
Vulnerableroadusers
AddingaBikingundertheinfluence(BUI)
CurrentlybicyclistsarecitedasaDUI.