Olympia Dispatch – Cutoff Approaching: Lots of Hearings- Week of Feb. 6, 2023

If you missed our amazing partners speak on equitable mobility last week, fret not! You can watch or listen to the Transit Talk recording here. 

One of the speakers, Anwar Peace from the Human Rights Commission in Spokane, also recently published a powerful piece on jaywalking. Be sure to read it!

More news: The Denver, Co. Council voted to decriminalize jaywalking. Let’s see if our state will follow suit.


What’s coming up

We’re on our way into the 5th week of this long session. The major transportation and fiscal cut-offs loom closer at the end of this month.

But, first: Hearings. 

HB 1428 – Concerning pedestrians crossing and moving along roadways.

Our jaywalking repeal bill has a hearing in the House Transportation Committee IN TWO DAYS at 4pm. HB 1428 gives pedestrians the right to cross where and when it’s convenient and safe. It also requires pedestrians exercise due care, which means that people are expected to behave reasonably and to take other people’s safety into consideration when crossing the street.

SIGN IN PRO

If you’d like to provide comment directly to your legislators, you may do so here. Should you like to go the extra mile and do spoken testimony, reach out to our organizer Matthew at matthew@transportationchoices.org!

HB 1181 – Improving the state’s response to climate change by updating the state’s planning framework.

This bill requires the largest/fastest-growing communities to plan for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions/vehicle miles traveled according to state goals. It also requires all GMA-planning counties to address resiliency and plan for natural hazards such as wildfires, flooding, sea level rise, and drought. Believe it or not, this bill has a hearing TODAY. You know what that means…

HB 1674 – Improving protections for pedestrians and other vulnerable roadway users from dangers posed by certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.

This bill would ensure there is education for drivers of dangerous vehicles, increase monetary fines for dangerous driving behavior of those vehicles, and help with education for the general public on the danger these vehicles pose. This is a critical first step to changing our culture and protecting those who choose to walk and roll from the dangers of increasingly larger trucks and sports utility vehicles, and holding those drivers more accountable for dangerous driving.

SIGN IN PRO BEFORE FEB. 9

SB 5594 – Concerning the operation of fully autonomous vehicles.

Autonomous Vehicles are an unproven and dangerous technology. This bill does not have adequate licensing requirements for Autonomous Vehicles, require any education, and has a lack of substantial accountability. Additionally, it preempts local jurisdictions from being able to regulate them. This bill is not quite ready to be law. 

What happened last week

HB 1513 (improving traffic safety) had a hearing last week that went well. Be sure to check out the recording.

Last week also had hearings for:

• SB 5514 – Wrong [right turns] on red (watch the hearing)
• SB 5466 – Promoting Transit Oriented Development (watch the hearing)
• HB 1414 – Concerning the removal of vehicles by a regional transit authority when obstructing the operation of high capacity transportation vehicles or jeopardizing public safety (watch the hearing)
• SB 5430 – Providing support for low-income novice drivers to receive driver training (watch the hearing)

Ride on!