Each legislative session, MassBike supports bills that will make bicycling better for riders across the Commonwealth. You can view our past legislative wins and read on to learn more about the bills we're supporting this session.
Priority Bills for 194th Legislative Session
MassBike’s priority areas this session are: road safety, path and trails, electric bicyclists and mode shift. Below, we’ve provided an overview of our priority bills for the session, including why we think they’re important.
Road Safety
The Governor’s Transportation Budget: An Act financing long-term improvements to municipal roads and bridges
What does this bill do?
- Includes a 50% increase to “Chapter 90” funds, which are used by municipalities to repave and maintain their roads
Our ask
- We’re asking this increase be tied to safety measures, such as speed management, and creating infrastructure for people on foot, on bike, and with accessibility needs
Why is this important?
- Tax dollars and general funding for road maintenance should incentivize modernizing our roads to make them safe for all residents to move about their neighborhoods without requiring driving.
An Act relative to traffic regulation using road safety cameras
- Filed by: Senator Brownsberger; Representative Cruz and Representative Owens
- Bill Numbers: S.2344 and H.3754
What does this bill do?
- Allows municipalities to set up cameras specific for enforcing speeding, red light running, and “blocking the box”
- Not government overreach: Only captures license plate images, not drivers’ or passengers’, similar to automatic tolling already in place
- Not a win for big tech: Data is protected and prohibitions are set against selling data or using it for other purposes
- Not a money grab: Fines start at $25 and revenue goes into the MA Transportation Trust Fund, not the municipality itself or the collection companies
Why is this bill important?
- It will provide accountability for unsafe driving without requiring resources from police officers, reducing the danger inherent in traffic stops
An Act Expanding Truck Safety Requirements
- Filed by: Senator Brownsberger; Representative Decker and Representative Owens
- Bill Numbers: S.2343 and H.3653
What does this bill do?
- Requires side guards, convex mirrors, and backup cameras on large trucks owned by or under contract with municipalities, utility companies and other “instrumentalities” of the Commonwealth
Why is this bill important?
- Right now, MA law requires only large trucks “owned” or “leased” by the Commonwealth to have these safety standards, this bill expands the reach to more trucks within the State’s jurisdiction
- This will save lives by preventing the dreaded “right hook” when drivers turn right and strike people on foot and bike
An Act relative to roadway safety
- Filed by: Representative Vitolo
- Bill Number: H.3806
What does this bill do:
- Redefines crosswalks as “marked crossings” and expands protections to vulnerable users
Why is this bill important:
- We defined “vulnerable user” in 2023, this bill is an extension of that work to align the principles of our traffic laws with the new definitions
- Ensures all vulnerable users have legal protections at crossings that require drivers to yield, including people on bikes, in wheelchairs, riding horses, on farm equipment, as well as on foot
An Act to promote safe bicycle-yielding
- Filed by: Rep Armini
- Bill Number: H.3609
What does this bill do?
- Allows cyclists to legally treat stop signs as “yield”
- Aligns the law to the practical use on our roads, it does not negate bicyclist’s responsibility and does not impact behavior at signalized intersections
Why is this bill important?
- Eight states in the U.S. currently have this law, and studies show safety increases are due to facilitating a continuous flow and momentum, which is crucial to balance, and the ability for people biking to pass clear through the conflicting path of travel of motor vehicles
Paths and Trails
An Act expanding access to trails for people of all abilities
What does this bill do?
- Creates a working group to analyze our state’s trail networks and make recommendations for improving access for people with disabilities
Why is this bill important?
- Our natural resources and shared-use path corridors are an asset that needs to be shared by all people in Massachusetts
- More people out on our trails will bring more stewards of our land, increasing the demand for the development and growth of our trail network
Electric Assist Bicycles and Transportation “Mode Shift”
An Act relative to Class 3 electric bicycle
What does this bill do?
- Adds a definition for Class-3 e-bikes to state law and cleans up the e-bike bill from past sessions
- Allows jurisdictions to have more say in where e-bikes are allowed and prohibited, specifically for shared-use paths, sidewalks, and natural surface trails
Why is this bill important?
- Right now, there’s no clear definition or regulations related to Class-3 e-bikes even though they are bought, sold, and ridden throughout the commonwealth
An Act expanding community access to electric bicycles
- Filed by: Representative Blais
- Bill Number: H.3451
What does this bill do?
- Establishes a grant program to fund e-bikes and bike share for municipalities, non-profits, and businesses
Why is this bill important?
- Secure funding is key for establishing bike share systems, expanding incentive programs, and scaling up the successful point-of-sale rebate pilot program as a real tool to expand access, lower the costs, and provide options for e-bikes as daily trips for people across the state
An Act Aligning the Commonwealth’s Transportation plans with its mandates and goals for reducing emissions and Vehicle miles traveled
- Filed by: Senator Creem
- Bill Number: S.2246
What does this bill do?
- Ensures that all transportation plans passed by the Regional Planning Organizations and the MassDOT must meet our State’s climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
Why is this bill important?
- 40% of our State’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector, and vehicle traffic being the single largest source of pollution and a root cause of climate change, this bill recognizes that our current transportation plans only drive us further into this crisis