SB910: supporters and opponents

The Senate has posted an analysis of SB910, the bill which would impose a 3 foot minimum passing distance for motor vehicles passing cyclists. There is now on AroundTheCapitol an analysis, dated Thursday 28 April.

First, I'll jump to the end:

SUPPORT: Office of the Mayor, City of Los Angeles (co-sponsor)
California Bicycle Coalition (co-sponsor)
Amgen Cycling Club
Channel Islands Bicycle Club
Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association
Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates
Santa Cruz County Cycling Club
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
47 individuals

OPPOSED: AAA Northern California
Automobile Club of Southern California

AAAJust in case any cyclists out there are members of AAA, please quit now. Try Better World, for example. AAA members are supporting the AAA's car-centric legislative agenda, opposing every attempt to improve the rights of cyclists on the roads. It is incomprehensible to me that any member of any bike coalition would be also a member of AAA. It's like chasing down your own teammates in a bike race.

This happens time and time again: every initiative to improve cyclist rights, cyclist safety, is opposed by AAA. Recently they fought to get Federal transportation infrastructure dollars more focused on highways, less on trains, less on cycling infrastructure. Every dollar sent to them is supporting their pro-car agenda. AAA is, like it or not, a political lobbying organization, and if you sign on to their free maps or insurance or whatever then you're signing on to their agenda.

On the other hand, hats off the the organizations supporting this legislation. In particular, I'm glad to see Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition there, and disappointed to not see San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. SFBC, to be fair, is focused on city issues. However, I would have liked to see them step up and show support for such an important state-wide effort.

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