Jack Koval had a bright future when he graduated from college in 2016 and left his home in Rochester to take a dream job in New York City, where he found
PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE Families for Safe Streets is travelling across New York and at stops is urging lawmakers to take action on a package of bills its says will offer New Yorkers greater protection from traffic-related injuries and fatalities. Jack Koval had a bright future when he graduated from college in 2016 and left his home in Rochester to take a dream job in New York City, where he found an apartment overlooking the Hudson River. The driver ultimately had his license suspended for 90 days after a Department of Motor Vehicles hearing, where he was found to have committed several driving errors, Koval’s mother recalled. But the driver never faced charges or was ticketed, despite a news report that there were signs of a high-speed collision. Koval’s family sued the officer, and the case is ongoing.
April 10, 2021
A proposed law titled ‘Carrie Ray’s 3-Foot Passing Law to Protect Bicyclists’ was revealed yesterday afternoon by Monroe County Legislators Rachel Barnhart (D-21) and Jackie Smith (R-2). In their new proposal, it requires a three feet minimum distance from bicyclists and vehicles. The bill is named after Carrie Ray, a teacher and cyclist who was hit and killed by a pickup truck driver on October 5, 2019. Roughly 46 cyclists were killed in crashes in New York state in 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.
In a statement made by Rachel Barnhart, she stated “The main benefit of this law is that drivers will know what safe passing means when it comes to bicyclists. They’ll know the minimum standard is three feet. It is crucial that we raise awareness about the rights of other people on the road besides vehicle drivers.” If the bill is passed through legislation, a public hearing will be scheduled in May for a final vote o
Photo: Monroe County. Created: April 08, 2021 09:17 PM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) Next week, two Monroe County legislators will introduce a bill that would require a set amount of space between drivers and bicyclists on the roads.
Legislators Rachel Barnhart and Jackie Smith are proposing a 3-foot minimum distance rule.
The Carrie Ray s 3-foot Passing Law to Protect Bicyclists is named after the Clarkson woman who was killed while riding her bicycle on Sweden Walker Road in 2019.
The legislators are expected to share more details on Friday afternoon and are planning to introduce the bill on Tuesday.
If the bill passes the committee, there will be a public hearing scheduled in May before the bill goes before the Legislature for a vote.
Two Monroe County legislators are pushing for a local law that would require motorists to give bicyclists a berth of three feet when passing them on county roadways. So-called “three-foot laws” have been implemented in 33 states, but not in New York, despite repeated attempts by some state lawmakers in Albany. New York currently requires motorists to maintain “a safe distance” when passing bicyclists. Suffolk County, on Long Island, recently adopted a local version of the law. “This law would provide much-needed clarity about what is a safe minimum distance to pass bicycles,” said Legislator Rachel Barnhart, a Democrat from Rochester who is a co-sponsor of the legislation. “We all have to share the road, and this law would raise awareness about how to do so safely.”