Speak Out Against Three Bills That Will Hurt the Future of Biking in Arizona

 

Arizona’s state legislature is currently considering three bills that could dangerously limit the expansion of safe and connected places to bike across the state. You can help protect safe bike riding in Arizona by clicking the button below and sending your senators and representatives a letter in opposition of these bills today.

 

Details of these bills include:

  • Senate Bill 1312 would prohibit the state or any municipalities from setting goals around reducing or tracking vehicle miles traveled (VMT). At least 16 states, including Nevada and New Mexico, have set goals around reducing VMT or are tracking this data, both of which this bill would make illegal in Arizona. If this bill passes, Arizona would needlessly remove a critical lever for creating a more sustainable future. 
  • Senate Bill 1313 would prohibit any city with a population of more than 50,000 to pass any policy or project that would limit its system’s capacity for cars. In other words, this bill could prohibit cities from building bike lanes, creating complete streets, and investing in multimodal options. 70% of Arizonans — more than 5 million people — live in cities that would be affected by this bill. If passed, this bill has the potential to drastically curtail the future of Arizona’s on-street biking and walking infrastructure. 
  • Senate Bill 1697 would explicitly reject federal funding for biking and walking infrastructure. Simply put, this will deprive Arizona communities of millions of available dollars. The latest records show that in 2017, Arizona received at least $18 million in federal funding for bike/ped work through the Transportation Alternatives program alone, only one of at least 14 potential federal funding programs for bike/ped safety projects. It is imperative that ADOT continue to be allowed to accept these federal funds for local progress.

 

PeopleForBikes urges you to contact your senators and representatives today to make them aware of these bills and make sure they can speak against them on your behalf. Please use the two forms to the right to contact your elected officials.