Safe Passing Ordinances Gaining Momentum Among Texas Cities

In October, the City of Austin showed itself to be a leader by passing Texas’s first citywide Safe Passing ordinance. (Click here for a piece by UT journalism student Melanie Torre, featuring an interview with BikeTexas Executive Director Robin Stallings.)

But other Texas cities are not far behind. Cyclists in towns and cities from around Texas are organizing to get their city councils to commit to the safety of all road users by enacting a Safe Passing ordinance.

BikeTexas is working with city governments and local bike advocates to get Safe Passing ordinances, based on the language of the Safe Passing Bill (SB 488), in as many Texas cities as possible before the next legislative session, which will begin in 2011. Our ultimate goal is to protect all vulnerable road users in Texas. If we can show widespread support across the state for the safe passing language that passed the Texas House and Senate overwhelmingly, then it will be easier for us to pass the bill again, and harder for the next governor (whoever that may be) to veto the bill.