Bill To Make Biking Safer Advances to State House

DENVER, CO – February 6 – On Thursday, the Colorado State Senate voted to advance SB20-061, Yield to Bicycles in Bicycle Lanes, on a 22-11 vote. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mike Foote and Speaker K.C. Becker, intends to help make bike lanes safer and clarify who is at fault for crashes that occur within bike lanes.

Injuries to bicyclists are becoming increasingly common. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), who supports SB20-061, cyclist fatalities in Colorado have increased by 31% over the last five years.

“We have seen instances where a cyclist is in the bike lane obeying the law but still given a ticket after being hit by a motorist,” Sen. Foote said. “Enforcement varies across jurisdictions and police departments so we want to make sure the law is clear.”

The bill will create a class A traffic offense for failing to yield in a bike lane and sets a penalty for individuals cited for that offense. The bill will now move to the Colorado State House, where Speaker K.C. Becker is the prime sponsor.

More information on SB20-061, including the text of the bill, can be found at: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb20-061