March 2 Hearing HB 5403 on Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety, in Stamford - Attend, Testify, or Send Testimony

Attention Bike Walk CT members!

This being a budget year and a short legislative session, we expected the legislature’s focus to be on the budget and transportation lockbox.  So we’re thrilled that the Judiciary Committee has raised HB 5403, An Act Increasing Penalties For Failure To Yield To Pedestrians In Crosswalks And Failure To Exercise Due Care To Avoid Hitting A Pedestrian Or Cyclist.  The bill would increase the fine from a maximum of $90 to a maximum of $500.

The Judiciary Committee is holding a public hearing on HB 5403 and others on March 2 at 1 pm in Stamford at the Gen Re Auditorium of the UConn Stamford Campus. (1 University Place, Stamford, CT 06901). 

A massive showing of Bike Walk CT members would be quite impactful.  If you’ve been hit or can otherwise testify to the need for safer behavior on the roads, please consider attending the hearing and testifying about your experience.  We’ll send details shortly about message points to consider for your written testimony, which you may send by email if you can’t attend the hearing in person. 

Yes, the increased dollar amount still pales in comparison to the injury that drivers so often cause when they hit pedestrians and cyclists.  Nor does HB 5403 address the little known but problematic 2007 amendment to Conn. Gen. Stat. §14-300(c) that changed the requirement for drivers to yield to pedestrians in or at a crosswalk to requiring them to yield only when pedestrians have already stepped off the curb or are in a crosswalk.  The new rule doesn't seem to be getting much enforcement, but neither did the old rule. 

Nevertheless, HB 5403 and the March 2 hearing present a huge opportunity for Bike Walk CT members to let the legislature know just how much work remains to be done to make Connecticut a better, safer place for all the people who want to bike and walk.  Safety concerns are the number one reason that keeps people (and their kids) from walking and biking as much as they’d like.
 
And remember - respect on the roads goes both ways.  See our Give Respect, Get Respect brochure on the rules for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers to share the road.  Please follow them every time.

Bike Walk Connecticut's mission is to change the culture of transportation through advocacy and education to make bicycling and walking safe, feasible, and attractive for a healthier, cleaner Connecticut.

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