3 foot law passed!

It is official!  The Common Council of the City of Fort Wayne voted unanimously to approve G-11-08-12, an ordinance amending Title 7, Chapters 70, 71, 72, and 74 of the City of Fort Wayne Code of Laws.  In short this ordinance codifies a number of traffic laws with regard to transportation. 

While there is a few big changes like: making it legal to ride your bike on a sidewalk as long as you yield to pedestrians many of us in the cycling community are excited about the section regarding passing a cyclist.

SECTION 4. That Chapter 71, Title 7 of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana Code of ordinances be amended as follows to add:

§ 71.06 OPERATION OF VEHICLES IN ROADWAYS WHERE BICYCLES

ARE PRESENT

(D) PASSING OF BICYCLES

The operator of a motor vehicle passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a highway, street, or road shall leave a safe distance, but not less than three (3) feet, when passing the bicycle, and shall maintain that distance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.

We in the advocacy community have been lobbying the Indiana State Legislature for years to create a Vulnerable Road Users Law.  They have not.  This last year the bill was not given a vote in the Committee.

I would like to thank Mayor Thomas Henry, Community Development Department, the Ordinance Committee and the Fort Wayne Common Council for helping to create an environment within our great community that is friendly toward Bicycles.  This is BIG.