S-990                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3895

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Guess, Kreidler, Granlund, Garrett, Bluechel, DeJarnatt, Bender, Conner, Gaspard, Vognild and McManus

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to bicycle safety programs; adding new sections to chapter 43.59 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.59 RCW to read as follows:

          Bicycling is increasing in our state.  What used to be simply a children's activity is now a common form of transportation and recreation for children, adults and families.  Increased bicycling has many benefits:  It is healthy, nonpolluting, energy efficient, and does not cause wear to the road system.  Bicycling is an enjoyable activity that people with a wide range of physical abilities can share.

          There is, however, a major problem associated with increased bicycling:  Increased bicycle accidents. While most types of traffic accidents have decreased in recent years, bicycle accidents have gone up significantly.  In 1983 our state experienced a fifteen percent increase in reported bicycle accidents over the previous four-year average.

          The majority of bicycle accidents are caused by violations of traffic laws by the bicyclist.  These accidents follow common patterns.  Programs that teach and enforce proper bicycling have been shown to be effective in reducing bicycle accidents.  These programs can be one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing traffic deaths.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.59 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The Washington state traffic safety commission shall be responsible for the initiation and operation of a bicycle safety program.

          (2) To assist the commission in the operation of the bicycle safety program, a full-time staff position of state bicycle safety coordinator is established.  The coordinator shall be paid a salary to be fixed by the governor in accordance with the provisions of RCW 43.03.040.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 43.59 RCW to read as follows:

          The state bicycle safety coordinator shall have the power and it shall be the coordinator's duty:

          (1) To gather bicycle safety program information and resources;

          (2) To plan bicycle safety programs;

          (3) To work with other state agencies to develop bicycle safety materials;

          (4) To provide funding for revising and updating superintendent of public instruction and state patrol bicycle safety material; and

          (5) To develop a grant program to distribute funds to local agencies in areas with high bicycle accident rates to create bicycle safety programs.  Five grants of twenty thousand dollars, and ten grants of ten thousand dollars each should be distributed during the 1985-87 biennium.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     There is appropriated from the general fund to the Washington state traffic safety commission for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, the sum of three hundred seventy thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the purposes of this act.