Move Over is Moving
August 9, 2017. A Wednesday. As I was blogging about getting back to school and back to work while attending the Florida Department of Transportation’s Transplex summit, a Florida Senator made good on his word and filed a general bill, SB 116 – Operation of Vehicles.
I did not discover this bill filing until Friday, August 11. And when I saw the bill and read the language, I felt a sense of joy, a sense of hope and an overwhelming sense of satisfaction – we have in play for the 2018 Florida legislative session a bill to include vulnerable road users in the current Move Over law. Below are lines 1 – 11:
Florida Senate – 2018 SB 116 By Senator Baxley
A bill to be entitled – An act relating to operation of vehicles; amending s. 3 316.126, F.S.; requiring drivers to vacate lanes closest to, or reduce speed and pass, vulnerable road users, authorized emergency, sanitation, and utility service vehicles or workers, and wrecker operators under certain circumstances, subject to certain requirements; deleting requirements of drivers approaching certain authorized emergency vehicles, sanitation vehicles, utility service vehicles, and wreckers; providing an effective date.
93 lines in total. 93 lines mapping out FBA’s legislative platform top priority – Move Over for People.
YES! WE DID IT!
I’m still in awe. I am truly grateful for the efforts of our FBA legislative committee, our FBA members and our regional advocacy partners, primarily American Bikers Aiming Towards Education (ABATE). We worked the process and found a Senator to call our champion, Senator Dennis Baxley of District 12.
We are walking the walk and talking the talk; taking those baby steps of our Educate Your Delegate initiative to go from steps one and two to step four. Of course, this is just the beginning. We need to keep working the process to find our champion in the House, then work the committees and committee members to ensure this bill passes. It’s a lot of work, I kid you not. Nothing, however, can take away the victory we have right now. We have a Senate bill! We did it!
Have you heard? We have a Move Over for People bill sponsor!! Thank you Senator Baxley, District 12, for filing SB 116! Would you like to work the process with us to see SB 116 become a law? Visit our Legislative Platform page to learn more about our advocacy initiatives and to sign up for our 2018 Florida legislative session email updates.
Do you have a bicycle story to tell? Photos to share? Be our guest and be our next guest blogger! Send your story and photos to Becky@floridabicycle.net.
Speaking of stories, our quarterly Messenger newsletter is available online for your internet reading pleasure. Visit the FBA website Home page or click here. Want a hard copy of our Messenger? Join Florida Bicycle Association or visit one of our bicycle shop members!
Complete Streets Savvy, or CSS, is a general bicycle educational presentation. The purpose is to provide basic information with regards to the Florida Department of Transportation’s adoption of Complete Streets policy and how cyclists and motorists can share the road safely. This presentation runs 10 – 15 minutes and is designed for legislators, county and city elected officials, civic organizations and other entities that meet regularly and need informative content. There is no fee. Visit the FBA Presentations page to see our complete line of signature presentations.
Bike Florida and Florida Bicycle Association share a common cause in bicycle education for residents and visitors to the Sunshine State. Share the Road license plate proceeds benefit Bike Florida and Florida Bicycle Association to further these bicycle educational efforts. What’s on your motor vehicle? Get the Share the Road license plate!
