Recently, CentreBike came together with 7 other bike groups from around Pennsylvania (including Bike Pittsburgh, and The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia) to push for positive change at the state level.
Currently, there is a regulation covering all PennDOT roads called the “Bicycle Occupancy Permit.” It requires that local communities who install bike lanes (or “sharrows”) on PennDOT roads must take on an increased legal risk, plus a financial commitment for maintenance. BOP makes it much harder for communities like ours to create strong bicycle infrastructure.
This month, a broader coalition of bike groups, including CentreBike, sent a letter to the PA Secretary of Transportation to take action. We believe this law is ineffective – it blocks better, safer routes for bikes. Other regulations already cover maintenance (and PennDOT’s own legal counsel said it doesn’t provide any additional liability protection to PennDOT).
Want to learn more about BOP, and read the letter we sent? Check out the article The Bicycle Coalition for Greater Philadelphia website.
This is just one example of the work CentreBike has been up to recently — We’re always looking for ways to make biking better and safer in our community. Ready to get involved? Come to our March meeting, or send us a message to inquire about pitching in.
