SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Despite overwhelming support from cyclists, active mobility advocates, and my fellow legislators, I made the difficult decision to not bring AB 1713 to a vote in the Senate.
This legislation has evolved significantly since I first introduced it in 2021 to accommodate concerns from various parties, including the Governor. In his veto message for AB 122 last year, Gov. Newsom cited concern for children’s safety and the fear of high accident rates at intersections.
Make no mistake though, stop-as-yield for cyclists will make riding a bike safer. Intersections are where cyclists are most at-risk and there is good reason just 4% of cyclists say they come to a complete stop at intersections. Being forced to come to a full stop means cyclists spend more time regaining speed to match traffic and more time inside intersections, exposing them to greater risk of collisions with autos.
Delaware passed a similar law in 2017 which saw a 23% reduction in crashes involving bicycles at intersections. AB 1713 is intended to incentivize cyclists to ride on side streets and off car-heavy thoroughfares and intersections — where cyclists are often most at-risk — even though these smaller streets typically have more stop signs at shorter intervals.
While we had hoped to find enough agreement to advance this bill this year, we want to take the time to get this right. We will continue to work on this issue with stakeholders and the Governor’s office to help address concerns and find ways to make clear that stop-as-yield will actually make our roads a safer space for bicyclists — a goal we should all be striving for as California works toward a green energy future.
###
Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath represents the 76th District, which encompasses Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, and Encinitas. You can learn more about Assemblymember Horvath at a77.asmdc.org, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.