Bill Tracker
Active Transportation Bill Tracker
Stay informed* on Utah bills related to road safety, bike lanes and trails, outdoor recreation, e-bikes, complete streets, land use planning, and more!
*Bill tracking updates every 2 hours.
2026 Utah Legislative Session
What’s new?
Thursday, February 5
State Lawmakers Target Safe Streets in SLC
Buried inside this year’s transportation omnibus bill — SB 242 Transportation Amendments — is a familiar effort by state lawmakers to prevent Salt Lake City from designing safer streets. Once again, legislators are treating traffic calming as a threat rather than a tool proven to support road safety, comfort, and access for all road users.
This comes after a state-required study last year found that Salt Lake City’s recent traffic-calming projects had little to no effect on vehicle traffic. Despite that evidence, SB 242 doubles down on preserving vehicle speed and capacity at the expense of safe walking and biking.
SB 242 reflects outdated, car-first thinking. If passed, it would make streets less safe, discourage walking and biking, and limit Salt Lake City’s ability to respond to local needs.
Key Provisions:
Forces SLC to “mitigate” the impacts of existing protected bikeways and bus-only lanes on 300 West, 200 South, and 400 South. While this doesn’t explicitly require removal, each road is subject to UDOT approval, creating significant risk that safety features are weakened.
For SLC’s busiest streets, traffic-calming projects would require extensive study and UDOT approval. This applies to any project that removes or narrows vehicle lanes or removes more than 3 on-street parking spots.
Implicitly directs UDOT to prioritize vehicle speed and capacity. Frames traffic-calming projects as a problem to be mitigated rather than safety improvements that benefit all road users.
Requires 12-ft vehicle lane widths where possible on busy streets (and 11-ft minimum). 12-ft lanes are designed for 55+ mph roads, not city streets. This makes it harder to design safer, slower, people-friendly streets.
We Need Your Help
SB 242 will likely be heard in the Senate Transportation Committee next week, as early as Monday at 3:40 PM. This is a critical moment to show up, speak out, and let legislators know that safer streets matter.
We’ll be sharing updates as we learn more. Follow Sweet Streets on Instagram for the latest information on hearings and how to engage.
Wednesday, January 28
HB 381: Electric Bike Amendments
HB 381 will be discussed in the House Transportation Committee today, Wednesday Jan 28, between 2-4pm (likely at the end) in room 445 at the Capitol. This is your chance to provide public comment about the bill!
E-bikes make biking a more practical option for more Utahns by reducing barriers like distance, hills, age, and physical ability. These benefits are especially important for older adults and people with mobility limitations.
At the same time, rapid growth in e-bike use has raised new challenges. Lawmakers and law enforcement are increasingly concerned about safety, particularly among teens. There’s also confusion in the marketplace, where high-speed electric motorcycles and dirt bikes are often marketed as “e-bikes,” making it difficult for riders and parents to understand which rules apply.
Big Changes:
Establishes a helmet requirement for e-bike riders under 21 when riding on public roads (not paths). Does not apply to bike-share.
Establishes an electric vehicle safety certificate requirement for e-bike riders under 18, and for riders 18+ without a driver’s license, when riding on public roads (not paths).
Requires sellers of high power electric devices that are not e-bikes to clearly disclose that the vehicle is not an e-bike and is subject to applicable motor vehicle laws.
Allows law enforcement to temporarily hold an e-bike involved in a violation and release the e-bike to a parent or guardian.
Monday, January 26
While legislators propose 5% budget cuts, we’ve been working with Rep Cutler on his e-bike bill (HB 381) and keeping a close watch on what’s next.
In the meantime, we need your voice at Active & Public Transportation Lobby Day on February 3 at 9am to 12pm. Bike Utah is partnering with HEAL Utah and Sweet Streets to host an in-person lobby day with a briefing on key bills, a short training on how the legislative process works, and facilitated meetings with lawmakers so you can speak directly with your elected officials. Sign up and join us on February 3.
Monday, January 5
The 2026 Utah Legislative Session begins Tuesday, January 20. Bike Utah is preparing to engage lawmakers on policies that shape how our communities move and grow.
Each year, we support legislation that reflects our core values:
Improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and all road users.
Strengthen connections between homes, schools, jobs, and community destinations through better land use and transportation planning.
Promote active transportation as an attractive and convenient alternative to driving.
While we work with lawmakers, they consistently tell us that the most influential voices are Utahns like you. A short, personal message about why walking and biking matter in your community can make a real difference.
If you share our vision for safer streets and better transportation options, please reach out to your state representative and senator. Messages sent before the session begins are especially valuable — so please contact your legislators before January 20 to help set the tone for the weeks ahead.
How to Contact your State Legislators:
Find your Representative and Senator by entering your address at this link: https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp
Click the name of your legislator to see their contact information.
Send them a short text or email about why walking and biking are important in your community. Personal messages are best.
