The following bills have been filed in the Iowa Legislature:

1. Right hand for right turn signal

2. Raise fines for fatal crashes

3. Five foot passing

4. Rear Light Required instead of reflector

5. Safe Routes to School funding

Legislators need to hear from bicyclists and specifically from you as an individual citizen. A few quick emails can make our bills move forward through the legislative process. We make it easy for you to copy and paste the email addresses and let you know what to write about. PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND SEND A FEW EMAILS.

RIGHT HAND SIGNAL FOR RIGHT TURN (HF 154)

About the bill: Allows for bicyclists to use the right hand to signal a right turn by pointing right.

Who to contact: House Transportation Committee dan.huseman@legis.iowa.gov, ron.jorgensen@legis.iowa.gov, helen.miller@legis.iowa.gov, gary.worthan@legis.iowa.gov, greg.heartsill@legis.iowa.gov, rick.olson@legis.iowa.gov, brian.meyer@legis.iowa.gov, john.landon@legis.iowa.gov, john.forbes@legis.iowa.gov, josh.byrnes@legis.iowa.gov, brian.moore@legis.iowa.gov, walt.rogers@legis.iowa.gov, bobby.kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov, dawn.pettengill@legis.iowa.gov, sally.stutsman@legis.iowa.gov, dennis.cohoon@legis.iowa.gov, jim.lykam@legis.iowa.gov, mary.wolfe@legis.iowa.gov, maryann.hanusa@legis.iowa.gov, Norlin.Mommsen@legis.iowa.gov, Gary.Carlson@legis.iowa.gov

What to say: Dear Representatives on the House Transportation Committee,

• House File 154 has been assigned to House Transportation Committee and is awaiting subcommittee assignment.

• Iowa law requires a right turn signal to be performed with your left arm raised.

• A right arm extended rightward is easy to interpret as a bicyclists wants to make a right turn

• The right arm signal more visible if a car tries to cut off the bicyclist on the right side.

• A right arm right turn signal is much easier for children to remember. Third graders have a tough time remembering to use their left arm for a right turn.

• The right arm turn signal is in the Uniform Vehicle Code and the law in most other states.

RAISE FINES FOR FATAL CRASHES (HF 152)

About the bill: Raises the fine and increases license revocation for persons charged with causing a motor vehicle crash, but allows for suspension of the fine if the person completes a driver improvement program and does 100 hours of community service in traffic safety.

Who to contact: House Judiciary Committee megan.hess@legis.iowa.gov, terry.baxter@legis.iowa.gov, dave.dawson@legis.iowa.gov, matt.windschitl@legis.iowa.gov, stan.gustafson@legis.iowa.gov, greg.heartsill@legis.iowa.gov, zach.nunn@legis.iowa.gov, rick.olson@legis.iowa.gov, brian.meyer@legis.iowa.gov, marti.anderson@legis.iowa.gov, jo.oldson@legis.iowa.gov, chris.hagenow@legis.iowa.gov, chip.baltimore@legis.iowa.gov, todd.prichard@legis.iowa.gov, darrel.branhagen@legis.iowa.gov , walt.rogers@legis.iowa.gov, deborah.berry@legis.iowa.gov, ken.rizer@legis.iowa.gov, bobby.kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov, dave.heaton@legis.iowa.gov, mary.wolfe@legis.iowa.gov

What to say: Dear Representatives on the Judiciary Committee,

• House File 152 has been assigned to the Iowa House Judiciary Committee and is awaiting a subcommittee assignment.

• Fatal crashes involving lawfully operating bicyclists happen too often each and every year. The Iowa DOT launched a campaign to eliminate traffic fatalities and we want to use every tool we have to stop fatal bicycle crashes.

• Higher fines are needed to create awareness of the serious consequences of fatal traffic crashes.

• The bill includes all vehicle crashes, not just bicyclists.

• The fine may be suspended if driver completes a driver improvement program or traffic safety community service.

FIVE FOOT PASSING (HF 244)

About the bill: Creates a five foot passing distance for bicyclists. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition would prefer to see “A person operating a motor vehicle shall not, when passing a person riding a bicycle, pass within the same lane” instead of or in addition to the five foot passing distance.

Who to contact: House Transportation Subcommittee mary.wolfe@legis.iowa.gov, maryann.hanusa@legis.iowa.gov, Gary.Carlson@legis.iowa.gov

What to say: Dear Representatives on the House Transportation Subcommittee,

• House File 244 has been assigned to House Transportation Subcommittee and is awaiting a meeting.

• Iowa law restricts two vehicles from operating in the same lane and a vehicle cannot operate on the same side of the roadway until safely passed.

• Interpretation of passing laws for bicyclists have been unclear because bicycles have the same rights and duties as vehicles, but are not motor vehicles.

• Amending the safe passing distance to include changing lanes to pass bicyclists would provide a clear law that is easy to teach, learn, and follow.

REAR RED LIGHT INSTEAD OF REFLECTOR (SF 241)

About the bill: Requires a light instead of a rear reflector to operate a bicycle at night.

Who to contact: randy.feenstra@legis.iowa.gov, dic k.dearden@legis.iowa.gov, matt.mccoy@legis.iowa.gov, jerry.behn@legis.iowa.gov, michael.breitbach@legis.iowa.gov, tod.bowman@legis.iowa.gov, jeffdanielson@gmail.com, robert.dvorsky@legis.iowa.gov, tim.kapucian@legis.iowa.gov, r ich.taylor@legis.iowa.gov, chris.brase@legis.iowa.gov, dan.zumbach@legis.iowa.gov

What to say: Dear Senate Transportation Committee,

• We want more people to ride bicycles and we want those that ride to be safe.

• Bicycles come equipped with a rear red reflector as approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Lights are additional to a bicycle purchase.

• While a light will cast light from the bicycle, a reflector will reflect light to the source, such as approaching vehicle’s headlamps.

• While most bicyclists can afford lights, those riding bicycles because they lack income for transportation may find purchasing lights expensive.

• We think the standard as stated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission is adequate.

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL (SF 32)

About the bill: Creates an appropriation of $1 million for safe routes to school programs and infastructure.

Who to contact: Appropriations Subcommittee: robert.dvorsky@legis.iowa.gov, jake.chapman@legis.iowa.gov

What to say: Dear Senator Dvorsky and Senator Chapman,

• Safe Routes to School has been a popular federally funded program in Iowa over the past five years.

• Federal funding has been cut for this program despite exceeding demand for available funding

• Approximately 15% of kids walk or ride bicycles to school. In 1969, approximately 42% of kids walked or rode bicycles to school.

• This program helps communities build sidewalks, create walking school bus programs, and most of all get kids walking and bicycling safely to school.