Vermont bill aimed at improving pedestrian, bike safety

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont lawmakers legislators are contemplating a bill that would implement safety measures designed to safeguard people walking and biking. It comes as state officials report 73 car crashes involving bicycles last year and 100 incidents involving pedestrians.

Burlington resident Michael Long has had first-hand experience with the perils of biking and walking. “I was hit on Colchester Avenue on my way to work some years ago,” Long said. “A person making a left-hand turn didn’t yield to me when I was in the intersection.”

Intersections are what some advocates say are the most dangerous places for bikers. “I was hit another time on my way home from work in Winooski when a driver came into my lane,” Long said.

He says he used to commute from Burlington to Colchester High School on his bike almost every day. He loves cycling but believes the current traffic laws need to be changed to better protect bikers.

Rep. Kate Lalley, D-Shelburne, is one lawmaker hoping to fix that. “I’m really trying to make our communities more walkable and bikeable. And in order to really do that, the first thing you have to do is make people feel more comfortable and safe walking and biking,” Lalley said.

She introduced H.685, a bill that would include designating those who use manual wheelchairs as pedestrians, decriminalizing pedestrians walking or rolling in the streets, requiring cars to keep a four-foot distance from bikers, and changing rules to prioritize bikes in intersections. Lalley says the bill would shift Vermont toward a greener, safer place to travel. {It’s} a big step toward making our roads safer and more comfortable and more convenient for people who want to get around without a car,” she said

While the bill still hasn’t made it out of committee, lawmakers we spoke to are still hopeful it has a chance.