New California law affects local cyclists

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – With the new year, comes new laws. The bicycle omnibus bill, or AB- 1909, is making four changes to laws that will impact bicyclists.

Proponents of the bill say that it will make biking safer.

The bill will require drivers to change lanes before passing a cyclist, if a lane is available.

The bill also prohibits cities from requiring bicycle licenses.

The third change removes a statewide ban on Class 3 electric bikes — which are the fastest available — from certain facilities.

These three changes have been in effect as of Jan. 1, 2023.

But a fourth part of the bill will go into effect in 2024. This addition will allow bikers to cross the street at pedestrian signals instead of only at green traffic lights.

This will allow cyclists to get a head start to get through intersections, which is predicted to prevent accidents on busy streets.