Small steps forward from Springfield

Gov. Pat Quinn recently signed several bills into law that are of interest to pedestrians and cyclists. The first two laws listed below concern traffic safety, while the final law allows bicyclists to get through red lights when they fail to change. 

HB 3300 provides victims (or, in some cases, their representatives) of traffic crashes that result in great bodily harm or death the right to have a notice of the sentencing hearing of the perpetrator and the right to testify at the hearing. 

HB 3403 clarifies Illinois law concerning the use of electronic devices in motor vehicles to ensure that no electronic screens (TV, computer, etc.) are visible to the driver of the vehicle. 

HB 2860 as passed by the Illinois General Assembly would allow bicyclists and motorcycles to treat a red light as a stop sign if the light fails to turn green. The original bill would have required the cyclist to stop and wait a reasonable amount of time before proceeding when safe to do so. Gov. Quinn used his constitutional right to amend the bill to require the cyclist to wait 120 seconds before proceeding. The bill now returns to the general assembly for its assent or override. 

While there's no dramatic leap forward among these laws, each one takes a step in the right direction, carifying existing laws and taking into account the safety and convenience of active transportation users.