Senator Portantino’s Bill to Improve Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety Passes Assembly Transportation Committee
For Immediate Release: June 28, 2022
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Senator Portantino’s Bill to Improve Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety Passes Assembly Transportation Committee
Sacramento, CA - Senate Bill 932, authored by State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety, passed the Assembly Transportation Committee. The bill requires California cities to take concrete steps to reduce traffic collisions and fatalities and has garnered an impressive list of supporters, including Streets For All, ActiveSGV, CalBike, and Streets Are For Everyone.
“I am deeply saddened by the all-too-common tragedies that occur or our roads and in our neighborhoods. We must take bold steps to improve overall pedestrian and active transportation safety,” stated Senator Portantino. “This bill is not just about cyclists, it’s about the safety of everyone who venters into the public right of way. SB 932 is an effective way to mitigate injuries and fatalities and will yield positive change for our communities.”
Recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documenting a nearly 20% increase in traffic fatalities in the first six months of 2021 highlights the need for SB 932. Though California has been part of a national trend to create safer streets, many cities lack data on how to address traffic violence, deaths caused by accident, serious injuries to pedestrians, cyclists, and other human-powered-transit users. In certain cities where the most dangerous streets and corridors have been identified, no plans exist to remedy these deadly situations.
"We are thrilled to see SB 932 pass the Assembly Transportation Committee yesterday. California has the highest number of car accidents and fatalities caused by vehicle collisions in the country, and this crisis continues to claim more and more lives each year. We have a moral obligation to take action on the local level to ensure our streets are safe for all modes. Passenger vehicles remain the #1 contributor to greenhouse gases in our state and if Californians are going to fully embrace active transportation, those modes must be safe and efficient to use. SB 932 does just that by implementing a combination of attractive incentives and reasonable mandates to prompt cities to implement life-saving infrastructure without delay," stated Bubba Fish, Legislative Advocate at Streets for All.
SB 932 requires a county or city to include a map of the high injury network in its General Plan and would further require a county or city to identify and prioritize safety improvements that would address serious and injurious traffic collisions. The bill would increase or decrease the 15-year implementation period, based on whether the measures introduced by a county or city achieve results to reduce percentages of traffic violence. It would also create a grant program to award funding to cities and counties that implement timely and effective short-term efforts to mitigate bicycle, pedestrian, and other human-powered transportation injuries and fatalities.
Senator Portantino is a former Mayor and Councilmember who worked for safer streets while in local government. SB 932 continues those efforts but with an even more personal story. Like many Californians, he used the isolation of the pandemic to improve his own health. Over the past 18 months, the Senator has become an avid and almost daily bike rider both in Sacramento and across the 25th State Senate District.
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