New bicycle laws take effect in Virginia on July 1st
Sharing the road could be the difference between life and death
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LYNCHBURG, Va. – Two new laws are adding an extra layer of safety for cyclists across the Commonwealth.
“I had a good friend … who was killed about 10 years ago here on the road; so it’s become very important for us,” said Brad Malcolm, a Lynchburg cyclist.
“Some people don’t have the leisure of having a vehicle. Some people only have a bike,” said John Seinar, owner of Bikes Unlimited in Downtown Lynchburg.
Beginning July 1st, drivers are required to changes lanes when passing cyclists unless the lane is exceptionally wide.
You probably missed a couple of remarkable events Wednesday before sunrise in Roanoke. One was, Gary Duerk turned 75 â more about his atypical birthday plans below.
The second occurred just off Salem Avenue between First and Second streets downtown about 6 a.m. Shortly after Duerk and his wife, Barbara, arrived on their bicycles at Roanokeâs Amtrak platform, they dismounted and pushed them onto a passenger train.
That was a milestone â those were the first wheeled-on bikes ever in a Northeast Regional passenger car in Virginia. They wonât be the last. Beginning next month, itâll occur throughout the commonwealth.
A family rides on bicycles. (Photo: Brett Sayles)
Virginia lawmakers are considering a bill that would require drivers to give cyclists more room in the roadways.
Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond) and Del. Chris Hurst (D-Blacksburg) are proposing the Bicycle Safety Act. The act has three main components: It allows for cyclists to ride side-by-side in one lane, permits them to treat stop signs as yield signs and mandates drivers change lanes when overtaking. That’s a change from Virginia’s current law, which requires drivers to give three feet of clearance when passing.
Speaking at a committee meeting this week where the bill was approved 11-4, Morrissey said the changes to how drivers overtake cyclists are meant to promote safety and allow for types of riding that already occur.