| Vol. 10, Issue 11 |
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Membership Issue Membership campaign showcases diverse cyclists Ride with Chicago’s first predominantly black bike club Action alert: Urge state legislators to override veto Suburban tollway ride raises funds for trail Advocacy welcomes new faces to bicycling efforts ‘Share the Road’ vehicle sticker art contest kicks off Share your stories on bike>>blog Businesses reach out to bicyclists |
Action alert: Urge state legislators to
override veto Senate Bill 314 — the Complete Streets bill — which would make roads safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, is still not approved and will be up for another vote this month during the veto session. The Senate unanimously passed a vote to override the veto 53-0 Oct. 3. The bill now must be approved by the House. Your action is critical. Call your state representative and ask them to vote to override the governor’s amendatory veto of SB314. Bicycling and pedestrian advocates are urging the Illinois General Assembly to override Gov. Blagojevich’s amendatory veto of this legislation. The House and Senate approved SB314 unanimously; but Gov. Blagojevich effectively vetoed the bill Aug. 31 by adding language that gutted the legislation’s intent. SB 314 — the Complete Streets bill — would have required state-funded roads to be designed for the most vulnerable users of the roadway, creating a network of healthy streets statewide that would rival the best in the nation. “Senate Bill 314 is a positive step toward the Governor’s own goal of reducing traffic fatalities to 1,000 per year,” said Chicagoland Bicycle Federation Executive Director Rob Sadowsky. “The bill would have enabled millions of bicyclists and pedestrians to travel safely to work, to school, wherever,” Sadowsky said. “But with a few swipes of a pen, the words ‘shall’ were changed to ‘may,’ pulling all the teeth from the bill.” Directing the Department of Transportation they “may” plan for the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians is pointless. They already “may” build facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians, and if they “would” plan and build these facilities, we wouldn’t need a Complete Streets law. Because of political infighting and a great deal of unfinished business, the fall veto session was moved up a month and began Oct. 2. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation will work with the League of Illinois Bicyclists and the Healthy Streets Campaign to contact legislators and urge them to override the veto during the fall veto session this month. Be on the lookout for updates on the progress of the bill during
the veto session. Direct questions to John Haley, advocacy director,
at johnh@biketraffic.org. or 312-427-3325, ext. 234.
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