Governor Jerry Brown

Labor unions weren't happy when Governor Jerry Brown signed the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2012. The law, which applies to government workers across the state, allows government agencies more flexibility in extending the retirement age, increase employee contribution, and halt the practice of "pension spiking" for new employees. A full summary of the legislation is at the bottom of Brown's press release from last September.

Governor Jerry Brown is poised to sign a bill that would enable cities and counties in California to finance regional smart growth plans and sustainable transportation improvements through the creation of Sustainable Communities Investment Authorities.

The budget proposed yesterday by Governor Jerry Brown and state lawmakers includes a new "Active Transportation Program" that would increase overall funding for walking and biking improvements but may put California's Safe Routes to Schools program at risk.

When Walk Oakland Bike Oakland hosted the city's first Ciclovia-style event in downtown Oakland in 2010, onerous city fees meant plans for a second Oaklavia that year proved too ambitious for the small organization. "We thought we wouldn’t be able to do it again," said Jonathan Bair, WOBO's Board President.

The pomp and circumstance for the most recent effort to mandate a 3-feet passing distance for cars overtaking bicyclists is noticeably more quiet than the past two years. Whatever the reason, perhaps cyclists aren't willing to get their hopes up again after Governor Jerry Brown's two incoherent veto messages in 2012 and 2011, the statewide cycling movement doesn't seem as revved up this time around. Even the "Give Me 3" website created by the California Bike Coalition for the specific reason of passing such legislation has not been updated to mention 2013's AB 1371 by Assembly Member Steven Bradford (D-Gardena).

This article is cross-posted from the blog of former Streetsblog SF editor Bryan Goebel, who's aiming to launch a new website "devoted to sustained coverage of biking, walking and transit issues in Sacramento, both at the Capitol and locally." You can also follow Bryan on Twitter.

The top priority for California bicycle advocates this year? To ensure state funding for biking and walking gets better, not worse.

San Francisco may be on course to receive significant new revenue for transit and street improvements in the coming years following the passage of SB 1492, which specifically permits the city to vote on restoring its local vehicle license fee to historic levels.

In addition to the mixed news on legislation impacting bicyclists, Governor Brown acted on many other pieces of legislation that will have a direct impact on transportation planning and public safety.