Virginia House of Delegates Considering "3-Feet to Pass" Bill

As some of you may know, Virginia is the only jurisdiction in the Capital area that doesn’t require motorists to give cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance when passing them (it is presently 2 feet). Delegate David Toscano has introduced a bill – House Bill 1683 – to help bring Virginia’s cyclists an expanded margin of safety. A similar bill died in the House last year, so it’s important that Virginia’s Delegates hear how important it is to their constituents. A list of the bill’s co-patrons can be found here (all of Arlington’s Delegates have signed on as co-patrons), and if your delegate is on that list, it would be nice to send a note of thanks (see my example to Del. Hope, below). If they’re not on the list, please urge them to support it. FABB has a very helpful “talking points” post here.

Note: the bill died last year pretty much along party lines. There is no reason this should be seen as a partisan issue, and I urge those of you with Republican delegates to make an extra effort to reach out to them and make this point. Road safety is a universal issue.

Dear Delegate Hope:

I am writing to express the appreciation of the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee for your co-patronage of House Bill 1683 being carried by Del. Toscano. As you know, Arlington has worked hard to become a bicycle friendly community, and Virginia’s cyclists deserve basic safety on our roads. We thank you for your help in this effort to help educate motorists to pass cyclists with a wider margin of error and thereby reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries to cyclists.

Sincerely,

Mark Blacknell
Chair
Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee