The next Senate Transportation Committee meeting is Wednesday. The first item on the agenda is SB70 – the 3ft Please Bill. Please call or write to the members of the committee and encourage them to pass the bill. Let’s have the voices of South Dakota cyclists fresh on the minds of the committee.
Some good bits of information to send them are written in the SDBC policy paper we released earlier today.
The South Dakota Bicycle Coalition agrees with South Dakota Law that bicycles are vehicles and should act and be treated as such on the roadway, and that drivers of overtaking vehicles should pass at a safe distance.
However, given the frequency and high consequences of motorists failing to pass at a safe distance, the coalition agrees with South Dakota cyclists – and 14 other states – that additional guidance within the law is necessary. SB70 and 3-foot can provide this to motorists and cyclists in South Dakota.
The complete Senate Transportation Committee members are:
- Senator Mike Vehle, (R) – District 20, Mitchell – 605-224-6877 – sen.vehle@state.sd.us
- Senator Dennis Schmidt, (R) – District 33, Rapid City – 605-773-3821 – sen.schmidt@state.sd.us
- Senator Art Fryslie (R) – District 6, Willow Lake – 605-625-3067
- sen.fryslie@state.sd.us - Senator Gary Hanson (D) – District 1, Sisseton – 605-224-4200 – sen.ghanson@state.sd.us
- Senator Gordon Howie, (R) – District 30, Rapid City – 605-773-3821 – sen.howie@state.sd.us
- Senator Frank Kloucek, (D) – District 19, Scotland – 605-773-3821 – 605-583-4468 – sen.kloucek@state.sd.us
- Senator Ryan Maher, (D) – District 28, Isabel – 605-850-3598 – sen.maher@state.sd.us