Mar. 18, 2021
HARRISBURG – The House of Representatives yesterday voted unanimously to approve
House Bill 140, legislation sponsored Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) that would allow the building of protected bike lanes in Pennsylvania.
The bill would change the motor vehicle code to allow vehicles to park outside 12 inches of a curb and create space for a bike lane in between parking and the sidewalk. This arrangement creates a large bike lane separated from moving traffic by a lane of parked cars.
“Many of us know there have been several tragedies on our roadways involving pedestrians and cyclists, and all of us, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists, need to be aware of our surroundings at all times,” Maloney said.
Maloney passed his first road safety bill into law in
2016, Act 36, which created a “Share the Road” license plate to pay for an unfunded mandate of creating the position of pedestrian and bicycle coordinator. He did that because someone in his district was killed by a car while jogging and he kept seeing stories in the news about pedestrians and cyclists being struck and severely injured or killed all around Pennsylvania.
In his floor remarks during passage of House Bill 140 Maloney said, “Yes, I am a cyclist. But I introduce these bills not out of self-interest, but because, to me, every life is precious.”
Due to the cycling deaths of two young women commuting to work, Susan Hicks of Pittsburgh and Emily Fredricks of Philadelphia, efforts to move the bill gained momentum and it is now known as Susan’s and Emily’s Law.
The measure has the support of many grass-roots organizations, Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia, founded by Emily’s mother; Bicycle Coalition; and Bike Pittsburgh to name a few.
House Bill 140 now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Representative David Maloney
130th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
717.260.6443
clardner@pahousegop.com
RepMaloney.com