Just FYI. I emailed our local people yesterday morning. Then this morning I emailed the larger whitewater/adventure operators asking them to call Pino since they all fall within his district. I’ll call Fleischauer and Frich when I get a chance.

Traci

From: bikeboard-bounces@bikemorgantown.com [mailto:bikeboard-bounces@bikemorgantown.com] On Behalf Of Frank Gmeindl
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2014 7:15 PM
To: Bicycle Board
Subject: [Bikeboard] Fwd: H.B. 4304 bicycle law

Today, H.B. 4034 came up in House Judiciary and it was placed into a subcommittee with Delegate Barbara Fleischauer as chair.  (Recall that Barbara participated in October's legislative bike ride in response to Traci's invitation!)  The other members of the subcommittee are McCuskey R-Kanawha, Wells D-Kanawha (lead sponsor), Pino D-Fayette, & Sobonya R-Cabell.  If you know any of these delegates, please contact them.  If you know anybody in those counties, please ask them to contact their delegates and encourage them to support H.B. 4304.

Barbara Fleischauer barbaraf@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3169

John B. McCuskey john.mccuskey@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3183

Danny Wells danny.wells@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3287

John Pino john.pino@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3170

Kelli Sobonya kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3175

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committees/house/HouseCommittee.cfm?Chart=jud lists the members of the Judiciary Committee and their contact info.  Besides contacting the delegates on Barbara's subcommittee, please call other members of the Judiciary, e.g. Frich who represents us and get your friends in other counties to call the delegates that represent them.

With a full complement of 11 sponsors, and our Barbara leading the subcommittee, H.B. 4034 is off to a good start.  There will certainly be some delegates that will oppose it.  Let's be sure that all delegates hear from those of us that support it.  It would be especially powerful if they got called by coal truck drivers or other professional drivers that are also bicyclists.

Frank

Begin forwarded message:

From: Frank Gmeindl <fgmeindl@gmail.com>

Date: January 25, 2014 3:06:12 PM EST

To: Bicycle Board <bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com>

Subject: H.B. 4304 bicycle law

On Friday, January 24, 2014, House Bill 4304 was introduced to the WV legislature.  

H.B. 4304:

* requires motorists to pass bicycles not less than three feet at a careful and reduced speed;

* allows motorists to cross the double yellow line to pass a bicycle;

* repeals the law that requires bicyclists to ride as far to the right as practicable;

* repeals the requirement for bicyclists to use a side path and not to use the road;

* repeals the requirement for bicycles to have a bell.

To read the bill (one page) go to:

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4304%20intr.htm&yr=2014&sesstype=RS&i=4304

To understand the steps that a bill goes through to become a law, see:

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Educational/Bill_Becomes_Law/Bill_Becomes_Law.cfm

Please call your delegates and encourage them to support this bill.  House delegates are listed at http://www.legis.state.wv.us/House/roster.cfm

Attached are some talking points and the animation at http://commuteorlando.com/ontheroad/animations/narrowlane/narrowlane.html can help your discussion.  

Frank