Please support the Calif. Assoc. of Bicycling Organizations
Jim Baross
If you ride a bicycle in California, decisions made in Sacramento and in local governments affect your ride every day. Rules about where you can ride, how bicyclists are treated on the road, and how new technologies like electric-powered bicycles are regulated are in flux. Without strong representation, bicyclists’ interests can easily be overlooked.
That’s why the California Association of Bicycling Organizations (CABO) exists.
CABO works to ensure bicyclists have a voice in the development of laws, policies, and transportation decisions. We monitor legislation, advocate for fair treatment of bicyclists, and work to expand safe and equitable access to California’s roads and bikeways.
Through CABO’s efforts:
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Bicyclists' interests can be represented before the California State and many local legislative and administrative bodies.
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Our professional legislative analysts and our lobbyists monitor proposals in Sacramento and respond when bicyclists’ rights are at stake.
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Cyclists across California share information and coordinate responses through the CABOforum Google Group.
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Nationally recognized bicyclist education programs - Smart Cycling & CyclingSavvy - are promoted to improve safety and confidence on the road.
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Law enforcement, traffic engineers, and public officials receive accurate information about bicycling laws and best practices.
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Partnerships with national bicycling organizations - League of American Bicyclists & American Bicycling Education Association - strengthen the overall voice for cyclists.
Our work happens largely behind the scenes, but it has had a real impact on the freedom, safety, and respect bicyclists experience on California’s roads.
If you value the ability to ride safely and legally in California, we invite you to support this work. Donation & Membership
Your contribution will help ensure that bicyclists continue to have knowledgeable, effective advocacy when policies affecting cycling are debated and decided.
Please consider making a donation or joining CABO today. Donation & Membership
Together, we can help protect bicyclists’ rights and improve cycling opportunities throughout California.
An example of CABO’s work protecting bicyclists’ rights involves California’s newer cycle tracks (Class IV bikeways), sometimes inaccurately referred to as "Protected Bike Lanes." When cycle tracks were first introduced into California law, we recognized a risk that they might be treated as traditional bike lanes. Under California Vehicle Code Section 21208, bicyclists are generally required to ride within a bike lane when one is present. If cycle tracks had been classified the same way, bicyclists could have been required to ride in them rather than choosing the roadway—even when road conditions, speed, safety, or travel needs made the roadway the better option.
CABO worked to ensure the law clearly defined cycle tracks as facilities adjacent to the roadway, not part of the roadway itself. As a result, when the California Streets and Highways Code was amended in 2014 to define Class IV bikeways, it specified that cycle tracks are a right-of-way for bicycle travel adjacent to a roadway. Because of that distinction, bicyclists retain the freedom to choose whether to ride on the roadway or in a cycle track. This is the kind of behind-the-scenes advocacy CABO provides to protect bicyclists’ rights before policies become law.
CABO is also actively engaged in current legislation that affects the safety and integrity of California’s bikeways. For example, California Senate Bill 1167 seeks to clarify the definition of electric bicycles and distinguish them from more powerful motorized devices that are increasingly appearing on bike paths and bikeways. Clear definitions are essential to ensure that facilities designed for bicycles remain safe and appropriate for people riding traditional and lawful electric bicycles. CABO supports this effort because thoughtful policy can help maintain safe and welcoming bikeways while preserving access for legitimate electric bicycles.
Monitoring and engaging with legislation like this is a core part of CABO’s work. Our organization tracks proposals, analyzes their impacts on bicyclists, and works with legislators and partner organizations to promote laws that protect cyclists’ safety and rights.
Your support helps make this advocacy possible.