[Spoiler alert: As expected, Gov. Hobbs vetoed this bad bill 6/20/2023] Arizona legislature’s merged “prop 400” (a bill to enable a vote on Maricopa county SALES tax for transpo) bill has been passed by both house and senate on 6/13/2023 along straight party lines (i.e. by one vote in each chamber). As I said before, AZ Republican’s war on walking continues.. or rather their war on anything that’s not a car. Continue reading “VETOED: AZ Legislature’s latest emission”
Tag: legislation
Urge Veto of SB1234
Today I contacted Gov. Hobbs to urge her to veto Sen Rodger’s SB1234, which would further ban all forms of automated enforcement in the state. Including red-light signal, as well as school zone speeding enforcement.
The current status quo would simply allow local authorities to continue to use it where they feel it will improve safety. The state legislators have no business telling localities what to do. Republican’s claims that phot0-enforcement is unconstitutional are entirely unfounded, and unsupported; and their continuing to peddle that lie is shameful.
AZ Republican’s war on walking continues
After appropriating $400MM of GENERAL FUNDS last season in order to widen the I-10 freeway between ~ just south of Phoenix to Casa Grande (towards Tucson); the legislature this year is on track to appropriate ANOTHER $360MM (also general funds) to the project, to backfill currently unavailable federal matching funds.
SB1065 appropriation; widening; I-10
Just to re-cap, general funds come from things like state sales taxes, property taxes, and income taxes. Notably, they do not come from gas-taxes, or other motor vehicle user fees. Continue reading “AZ Republican’s war on walking continues”
Arizona Legislation 2023
Please see:
cazbike.org/arizona-legislation-2023
Mixed in with tweaks that appear designed to increase car-use at the expense of everything else, there are some downright extremist proposals here, including one that prohibit ADOT from building bicycle paths.
Another common-thread in these bills are a group of state legislators, all from the majority party, that complain bitterly (possibly even sometimes rightly) that the feds are “cramming” things down their throats. Hypocracy reigns however, because this same group of legislators want to turn around and cram down their own ideas onto cities and towns. In the case of the Maricopa county transportation sales tax, these state legislators feel it’s ok to dictate how Maricopa county can spend Maricopa county citizens sales taxes. In the case of photo-enforcement, it’s these state legislators attempting to prevent cities and towns from enforcing traffic laws —
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- SB1234 Wendy Rodgers; Bans Photo-enforcement of traffic law by a city or town. Background: Despite evidence photo enforcement improved safety, the state DPS discontinued photo-enforcement on freeways in 2010, and subsequently legislated a ban on the entire state highway system in 2016. The legislature has, year after year for more than a decade, proposed total bans, which would prevent cities and towns from enforcing traffic laws by photo; this year’s SB1234 is the current incarnation. [PASSED Senate GOV committee and full senate; transmitted to House 2/15]
Legislature votes to exempt self from state records laws
In other news: In early 2023, the GOP-led Arizona Senate, and GOP-led Arizona House has exempted itself from open-records laws
Legislature votes to exempt self from state records laws
The new rules allows (mandate?) destruction of legislator’s emails and texts after 90 days, and in the Senate, texts from legislator’s private devices/accounts are excluded altogether regardless of the nature of the content.
This is the opposite of transparancy.
Phoenix e-bike Ordinance
City of Phoenix passed an ebike law recently; I was unaware.
Arizona’s state ebike laws, which were passed in 2018, are essentially mum on ebikes vis a vis sidewalks, leaving them in the same somewhat strange boat as bicycles; “what is not prohibited is allowed”. And leads to a lot of confusion as local regulations, if any, regulate sidewalk cycling. See this long discussion of Arizona’s sidewalk laws including selected municipalities. Continue reading “Phoenix e-bike Ordinance”
Tempe’s Local Ordinance — Part II
Background: in August 2019, City of Tempe made substantial changes to their local codes dealing with traffic[1]. Although the focus shifted over time (the process began soon after a Nov 2017 crosswalk death of a bicyclist), the ostensible reason to get something passed at that particular time was the feeling that escooters needed further regulation; and it would be mayhem if the fall school session began with “no laws” in place. Continue reading “Tempe’s Local Ordinance — Part II”
The drunken crash that led to tougher Arizona DUI law
The Arizona Republic has been running a series of throwback stories from the files of report Don Bolles who was murdered in 1976, presumably related to mob investigations he was conducting.
This one, unrelated to mob, popped up this week Don Bolles files: The drunken crash that led to tougher Arizona DUI law
The quick synopsis was in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday 1971 a very drunk driver at .251 BAC killed 3 people and left a 4th person in a permanent vegetative state. He was portrayed as being not particularly remorseful. He ultimately served 6 months of a 1 year sentence for a guilty plea to misdemeanor manslaughter. Continue reading “The drunken crash that led to tougher Arizona DUI law”
Arizona to finally restrict cellphone-use while driving.
The political intrigue is fascinating; was Mesnard’s distraction bill just an attempt to derail a cellphone restriction? Did citizens of Arizona really have to wait 12 years for this — even as traffic safety got worse-and-worse — only because Farley was a Democrat and the legislature is controlled by Republicans? Continue reading “Arizona to finally restrict cellphone-use while driving.”
Bicycle Friendly Delaware Act
The state of Delaware passed a package of updates to rules-of-the-road in 2017; as outlined by bikelaw.com
In October 2017, Delaware’s governor signed the Bicycle Friendly Delaware Act, placing into state law some cutting-edge, pro-bike reforms that put Delaware emphatically into a category of one among U.S. states when it comes to favorable statutory law treatment of cycling. The highlights:
1. requirement that drivers have to change lanes to pass;
2. the “Delaware Yield” at stop signs;
3. deletion of the “as far to the right as practicable” provision;
4. no aggressive honking at cyclists.
Personal delivery device
Arizona recently added to the panoply of transportation gadgets. (yet we still don’t regulate e-scooters; although the legislature did thankfully finally pass e-bike regs this session)
This reminded me of the pizza delivery robot in an episode of Black Mirror. Continue reading “Personal delivery device”
Ebike bill rides again
In 2018, Arizona passed e-bike legislation, adopting the model legislation promoted by the industry. Quick reference, as enacted:
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- §28-101 new definitions added “Electric Bicycle”
- §28-819 new section “Electric Bicycles”
- HB2266 52nd/2R the bill in markup format
[Update — It’s all passed and signed as of 5/16/2018… see below ]
Late in this legislative season (53 2nd regular), an ebike bill has once again surfaced from Rep Worsley; this time as a “striker” in the former dark sky lighting special plates bill HB2266.
The bill is suddenly, as is always the case I guess with strikers, being heard, scheduled for 3/20/2018 in the senate where it passed unanimously… Continue reading “Ebike bill rides again”
Where do traffic laws apply?
[ For where and how traffic laws in Arizona apply to bicyclists, see this article ]
The rules of the road (ROR) apply to motorists when an a road; but what about when driving in a parking lot? A private street? etc?
What are usually referred to as the ROR, like stopping, right-of-way, signals, etc, are contained in Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 28, Chapters 3. (Chapter 4 is impaired driving and is treated specifically below). Here is the key statute, along with the key definition, emphasis added in italics: Continue reading “Where do traffic laws apply?”
AZ Legislators busy on photo-enforcement again
[update 2023. again]
[update 2022. again]
[ UPDATE 2018. (does this sound familiar?)
A new year, a new session. This year, like every year, some Arizona Republican legislators were busy a work on their top priority — to finally rid Arizona of photo red enforcement once and for all. News Story. HB2208 53rd2R. Opinion piece from EVTrib: Time again to discuss a traffic camera ban, and why it’s a dumb move ]
2017.
A new year, a new session. This year, like every year, some Arizona Republican legislators were busy a work on their top priority — to finally rid Arizona of photo red enforcement once and for all. News Story.
Last year, they banned it from the “State highway system” It had been in use in exactly two places, on ‘city’/’town’ streets, not freeways. Many years ago it was expelled from freeways. Continue reading “AZ Legislators busy on photo-enforcement again”
No more covering your license plate
After years of wrangling and haggling over the meaning of “A person shall maintain each license plate so it is clearly legible”. Any and all coverings, including wax according to one wag, are now banned. SB1073 has passed and was signed by the governor; the effective date is something like 90 days after the session closes; perhaps August(?). Here’s the new section: Continue reading “No more covering your license plate”
Arizona Electric Bicycle Legislation (bill died)
An ebike bill PASSED in 2018: HB2652. Below info is for historical purposes…
[5/10/2017; bill stalled. Never got a House floor vote]
[Current Status as of 3/1/2017: passed the Senate by wide margins, also passed House T&I Committee but they implied it would need to be amended to pass the floor; as of 3/19 it’s not passed the house; see below ]
As of spring 2017 there is an e-bike bill working its way through the legislature. SB1273 (2017, 53rd/1st Regular session). This bill, if passed, would address some or all of the confusion documented at length in these pages, at least for e-bikes. The bill’s prime sponsor is Bob Worsley (R-Mesa), is senate president so I’d have to assume it’s going to pass ; [correction, Yarborough is, so I have no idea how i got that wrong] and is moving fast, as of the time of this writing (early February 2017) it has already passed the Senate Transportation and Technology Committee unanimously with little debate. Besides being senate president, Worsley is the chairperson of the senate Transp committee. I have no idea about the house but there’s little apparently standing in the bill’s way. Continue reading “Arizona Electric Bicycle Legislation (bill died)”