May 21, 2024
We are so grateful for all of the passionate bicyclists who were able to join together last week at the Capitol for our Bicycle and Trail Advocacy Day! In this message, I’d like to fill you in on what happened, celebrate the winners of our Annual Awards, share the impact on our lawmakers, and ask for your voice in support of the VRU bill package.
These bipartisan bills close a gap in state law and give prosecutors more options to seek justice when a pedestrian or bicyclist is killed or seriously injured by a driver. All four bills have now passed out of committee without a single vote against them.
The next step for these bills is a floor vote in the House and Senate. This is the chance to pass legislation we’ve worked for over the past 15 years. Will you ask your Michigan legislators for their support?
ASK FOR JUSTICE FOR VULNERABLE ROADWAY USERS
Advocacy Day: Last Week and Next Year
The VRU bills were just one of the priorities at Advocacy Day, held on May 14 at the Capitol in Lansing. Some of us started the day with a ride in from Potter Park, supported by troopers from the Michigan State Police:
We took a group photo on the Capitol steps (above), then gathered under the tent to hear from Rep. Julie Rogers, a sponsor of one of the VRU bills and HB 4491, the e-bike incentive bill.
Throughout the day, it was a pleasure to meet so many bicyclists of every generation. We had several youngsters present…
… and two father-son lobbying teams that met with Rep. Noah Arbit.
We’d like to thank all the legislators and legislative staff who made time to meet with LMB advocates, either in scheduled meetings or in brief conversations as we came around to drop off the issue papers on our priorities. If you’d like to see those for yourself:
Save the date for next year – we’ll be back at the Capitol on May 13, 2025! Mark your calendar now to come to Lansing and bring your friends.
Celebrating Our Annual Award Winners
We were honored to recognize eight remarkable individuals and organizations for their impact on Michigan bicycling through the LMB Annual Awards:
Tara Gluski Changemaker Award: Isaac Green, Executive Director, Open Roads
Ralph Finneren Encouragement Award: Robert Barnes, Founder, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Detroit
Bob Gibbs Passion for Pedaling Award: Craig Wood, Founder, GoLivCo
Business Champion of the Year: Lansing Community College
Club of the Year: Muskegon County Bicycle Coalition
Shop of the Year: Re-Bicycle Lenawee
Bike Event Director of the Year: Jeff Jacobi, The Hair of the Dog Ride
LMB Volunteer of the Year: Jim Lanave
To learn more about the winners, read the awards program.
Your Impact
Finally, a personal note: I had hoped to post this last week, but following Advocacy Day, your collective impact has been enormous. The New Mobility Asset Management Council bill is moving rapidly toward introduction, with adjustments to the council’s composition. Additional draft bills on cycling safety topics are nearing introduction as well. And last Wednesday, I had the honor of sitting alongside bill sponsor Rep. Julie Rogers in a committee hearing for the e-bike incentive bill, HB 4491:
Thanks to the extensive preparation representatives received the day before, in meetings with LMB advocates and through the materials distributed to their offices, I was able to keep my remarks brief. I shared the story of a Lansing resident and LMB volunteer, Jethro Wise, who purchased an e-bike with the help of the Lansing Board of Water and Light rebate program:
Jethro already has over 1,000 miles on his bike’s odometer. It’s made a tremendous difference for his mobility and his life. Passing the e-bike incentive bill and funding the program would mean about 6,000 more stories like Jethro’s across our state.
The Tax Policy committee will vote on HB 4491 on Wednesday, May 22. If your representative is on it (Reps. Neeley, Farhat, VanWoerkom, Brixie, Carter, Whitsett, Price, Markkanen, Outman, Tisdel, and Hoadley), can you call their office today and ask if they will vote “yes” for HB 4491?
And for every Michigan resident, please take action at LMB.org/VRU to ask your representative and senator for their vote on the VRU bill package! Contact a friend and ask them too – we’re expecting a floor vote soon, and this is a key time.
ASK FOR JUSTICE FOR VULNERABLE ROADWAY USERS
Finally, a reminder:
Bicycling brings us together. There is so much pain and brokenness in the world today, but also a deep satisfaction in making human connections. “Bike-partisan” efforts like the ones you support at LMB can bring people together across all kinds of dividing lines to make our roads safer and make Michigan bicycling better. I genuinely believe that even in the partisan heat of an election year, there is a time to connect and engage with those who may not always agree.
A lot of people are in your inbox right now, asking for your money. I don’t really want to be one of them, but I do want you to know that your financial support is always needed and always, always appreciated.
Yours in bicycling,
Matt
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