This past week, I was astonished by the outpouring of letters supporting the “safe passing” bill sent over by the Senate to the House Transportation Committee.
I received more than three dozen emails from constituents, and for every email from my district, I received another five or six from around the state.
The bill itself was a common sense kind of bill, requiring vehicles to pull into the passing lane when passing bicyclists on the road. You’d suspect that thoughtful drivers might be doing that anyway, but apparently some Iowa drivers aren’t as thoughtful as we’d like.
Cyclists talked about being “brushed,” “buzzed,” “run off the road,” etc. Worse, they talked about their experiences with serious injuries and even deaths. They also talked about their joy in riding, the physical and mental benefits of the exercise and the outdoors, the quality of life and tourism benefits, and their love for the Iowa countryside.
They made it clear to me how widespread bicycling has become in Iowa and how important it is to Iowans.
To me, the bill seemed like a reasonable solution to a real problem and another point in its favor was that it would save lives without costing the state money.
However, many of the roads in question are rural roads, and that’s where things get complicated. You see, in Iowa, rural roads carry agricultural products and equipment, and so rural representatives were concerned about an increase in traffic, especially during busy agricultural seasons. The bill was sent to the House Transportation Committee where it was assigned to a subcommittee which did not move it on for a vote. It’s dead for this year.
The lesson you should take away from this is not that your efforts didn’t make a difference. They did. They had a strong impact on lawmakers, they are likely to have swayed some people who were previously uncommitted, and they let legislators know that you’re passionate about your sport and your safety.
Change doesn’t come easy but your persistence and your continued advocacy can make a difference. You’ve learned where the obstacles to passage in the Legislature are so your efforts can be focused for even more effect next year. I’ll be advocating alongside you to make bicycling safer in Iowa.
STATE REP. JO OLDSON,D-Des Moines, represents District 41. The district includes parts of west and south Des Moines. She can be reached at 515-281-3221 orjo.oldson@legis.iowa.gov.