Policy

(Rep. Ward)

Bike Utah supports HB 88 and HB 90, two zoning reform bills that would allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and small-lot homes be built more easily within urban cities.

HB 88 permits one internal or external accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on all detached single-family residential lots in urban cities. This would enable more residents to live closer to work, schools, and other essential services, leading to higher levels of active transportation. It can also strengthen community connections by enabling smaller, more affordable living spaces. This bill addresses the state housing crisis by encouraging more efficient land use while still allowing reasonable development guidelines like ADU setback requirements. 

HB 90 permits single-family homes to be built on lots as small as 6,000 sq ft in urban cities, supporting small-lot housing options along the Wasatch Front. This bill allows development of more compact neighborhoods that support walking and biking. By allowing residents to live closer to community services, like HB 88, it makes active transportation a convenient option for more Utahns. 

Both bills address Utah’s housing crisis while promoting sustainable development that aligns with active transportation goals. By backing HB 88 and HB 90, you can help create more connected communities that integrate housing, mobility, and sustainability.

(Rep. Dailey-Provost)

Bike Utah supports HB 134, which allows food carts to be pulled by e-bikes, providing a more sustainable and accessible option for small businesses.

This clarification to state law removes an unnecessary barrier for food cart operators. E-bikes offer a clean, efficient, and affordable means of transportation. This legislation will enable innovative businesses like Hatch’s Chocolates in SLC to serve our communities while promoting active transportation and reducing their environmental footprint.

This legislation supports our commitment to fostering more sustainable and active transportation options to benefit individuals and businesses alike. We urge community members and policymakers to support HB 134 to further promote community-focused transportation solutions.

(Rep. Mauga)

Bike Utah supports HB 290 as a proactive way to protect bikers' safety. This bill prohibits vehicles from driving or parking within a bike lane and requires cities/UDOT to minimize bike lane obstructions or provide a detour during road construction.

Bike lanes are shown to reduce vehicle-cyclist crashes by up to 49% depending on road type. This benefit is significantly reduced when vehicles or other safety hazards block the bike lane. By removing bike lane obstructions, this bill ensures that cyclists have a clear and safe lane to ride in. When people feel safe on the road, they are more likely to bike to local destinations which has other community benefits including lower traffic congestion, better air quality, and improved health outcomes. This bill takes a balanced approach to protect bike lane traffic by also providing practical exceptions for city service vehicles and vehicles turning at intersections or parking areas, as long as they yield the right of way to cyclists within the bike lane.

Unobstructed bike lanes reduce conflicts between drivers and cyclists, making our roads safer and encouraging more people to bike. Join us in supporting HB 290 to prohibit bike lane obstructions and make our roads safer for cyclists and all road users.

(Rep. Dailey-Provost)

Bike Utah supports HB 523, which establishes a working group to identify funding sources for the Rio Grande Plan.

The Rio Grande Plan is a proposal to restore rail service to the Rio Grande Depot in SLC and bury the train tracks along 500 W. This bill is a key step toward rebuilding Utah’s transportation infrastructure and supporting more active and public transit in our communities. This project would make walking and biking downtown more convenient and enjoyable while also addressing the east-west divide in Salt Lake City.

When we prioritize transit investments, our communities become more accessible and livable. The Rio Grande Plan would also eliminate at-grade rail crossings, making our streets safer by reducing conflict points between trains, vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Join us in supporting HB 523 as a step towards greater mobility, safer transportation, and more sustainable development.

(Rep. Mauga)

Bike Utah supports HB 554, a matching grant pilot program designed to fund and maintain bike racks. Cycling in Utah is increasingly popular, providing economic, transportation, and health benefits. This grant program would give municipalities the resources to support local businesses, reduce congestion, and promote healthier communities.

Bike racks increase foot traffic and encourage cycling as a cost-effective, eco-friendly mode of transportation. Communities with bike rack programs often attract both businesses and residents. Currently, only Park City and Salt Lake City have similar programs in Utah. With a $50,000 appropriation, this grant program would ensure fair and transparent implementation while demonstrating the positive impact of cycling on health and economic growth. Municipalities would be able to match these funds through the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity.

Supporting HB 554 to expand bike racks throughout Utah can enhance community well-being and improve daily transportation options. By backing this initiative, Utah can create more sustainable and accessible active transportation networks.

(Sen. Plumb)

SB 212 would have required ebike riders under 21 to wear a helmet when riding on a road. The bill failed this morning on the Senate floor by an 11-13 vote.

As a safe streets organization, Bike Utah encourages all riders, especially kids, to wear a helmet when biking. However, we had concerns about how SB 212’s helmet requirement would be enforced and how it would impact ridership.

Mandatory helmet laws are shown to significantly reduce ridership, which has negative implications for public health and safety. Higher ridership creates a “safety in numbers” effect, leading to greater driver awareness and lower collision rates. Even well-intended policies like SB 212 may undermine public safety by reducing ridership.

Enforcement of a mandatory helmet law would also be challenging. It can be difficult to determine at a glance whether a bike is an ebike, and even harder to judge whether a rider is under 21. In practice, subjective enforcement may lead to arbitrary stops for anyone riding on a road without a helmet.

Rather than focusing on helmet requirements, we believe the best way to improve safety is through better infrastructure—slower vehicle speeds, protected bike lanes, and safer crossings. We appreciate the ongoing discussions about ebike safety and look forward to working with policymakers on holistic solutions.

(Sen. Harper, Rep. Christofferson)

This bill prohibits Salt Lake City from implementing road safety improvements like lowering speed limits, installing traffic calming measures, and reducing road widths. We are strongly opposed to this provision in SB 195.

SB 195 imposes a one-year moratorium on “highway reduction strategies,” an extremely broad term that includes any road improvement that may discourage driving or decrease vehicle capacity on a road — even when those improvements would reduce crashes, improve road safety, and support multimodal transportation. This bill bans proven safety improvements that are designed to create safer, more livable streets.

Roads should serve everyone, not just move the most cars as quickly as possible. This bill undermines Salt Lake City’s local decision-making and ignores the proven benefits of active, people-friendly street design. This bill also contradicts Utah’s transportation goals of expanding mobility options and improving safety for all road users.

This ban on road safety improvements was slipped in as a substitute on the Senate floor, bypassing the normal committee process, and has already passed the Senate. We urge House members to reject this harmful provision of SB 195.

(Sen. Fillmore)

Bike Utah supports SCR 2 to encourage children's development of independence and to deliver safe, self-directed travel and outdoor play.

This resolution supports kids’ independence and as pointed out, is crucial for their mental health and overall development. Anxiety is rising among kids, partly because they are not getting enough time to play and explore on their own. Independent activities help them build confidence, responsibility, and mechanisms to help throughout life. While kids are the main beneficiaries, schools and communities benefit as kids become more supportive and can collaborate to resolve challenges independently. 

This program is an instrument to better foster childhood independence. Encouraging schools and communities to embrace it, allows children to grow into capable, independent community members. Join us in supporting SCR 2 to give kids the opportunity to become confident and independent. This fosters a better collaboration of communities focused on the growth of our future.