Assembly Passes Bike Safety Bill

California cyclists may be able to pedal on busy roads with a little less anxiety of being hit, as the California Assembly on Monday passed a bill that would mandate a 3-foot buffer zone for passing cars. 

Senate Bill 1464 passed 52-19 and would allow cars to cross the double yellow line to give cyclists enough room. The Senate will vote on the bill before it reaches Gov. Brown’s desk.

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In addition, lawmakers approved AB 2245 on Friday, which would exempt new bike lanes being added along existing roadways throughout Los Angeles County from the California Environmental Quality Act. It was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency and is expected to accelerate approval of some bike lane projects.

Across Los Angeles, cities and communities are adding dozens of miles of new bike lanes. There are now more than 200 miles of striped bike lanes across the city of Los Angeles, and more than 30 miles of bike and sharrow lanes are being added in Santa Monica alone.

Gov. Brown vetoed a similar bill in 2011 that would have required drivers to slow to at least 15 mph if they could not provide three feet of passing room. But, the 2012 amendment removed the 15 mph provision. 

—Patch editor Jenna Chandler contributed to this report.

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