Legislation

A multi-part North Carolina road safety bill requiring convicted speeders to install Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) devices — GPS-based systems that automatically cap vehicle speed to the posted limit — for one year after license restoration. Also expands DWI ignition interlock requirements to trigger at 0.08 BAC (down from 0.15), and broadens school zone automated camera authority to enforce red light and crosswalk violations in addition to speed.

A constitutional ballot initiative for the November 2026 election that would permanently dedicate an estimated $2.1 billion per year in state motor vehicle taxes and fees exclusively to roads and highways, effective January 1, 2027. Backed by groups such as the Colorado Contractors Association, the measure would redirect 100% of motor vehicle sales and excise taxes and two-thirds of motor vehicle parts taxes away from the General Fund. The Legislative Council Staff estimates this would strip $538.9 million from the General Fund annually (affecting education, healthcare, and public safety), eliminate the Multimodal Transportation Fund ($15.6M/year), cut transit assistance programs, defund EV charging infrastructure grants, and require that roads be "designed and primarily used for motor vehicle use" — explicitly excluding pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure.

Contingent on voter approval of initiative 175, adjusts Colorado's transportation funding structure from January 2027 through July 2030: reduces gasoline excise taxes from $0.22 to $0.14 per gallon, lowers special fuel taxes, and decreases vehicle registration fees. Creates a Support Road Transportation Fund distributing dedicated road revenue 60% to the state highway fund, 23% to counties, and 17% to municipalities. Sponsored by Reps. Boesenecker and Sirota and Sens. Lindstedt and Amabile.

Makes several changes to how automated vehicle identification systems (AVIS) operate in Colorado. Updates public notice requirements before deploying a new AVIS, creates a process for registered vehicle owners to prove they were not the driver at the time of a violation, limits enforcement to the regular posted speed limit when variable or temporary speed limits are in effect, restructures the penalty tiers for different levels of speeding violations, requires that vendor compensation be a flat monthly rate rather than per-ticket, and increases civil penalties beginning January 1, 2035.

Eliminates the annual $10.5 million general fund transfer to Colorado's Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation Options Fund, cutting off a dedicated funding stream for bike, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure through 2031. Supported by the Colorado Motor Carriers Association and opposed by Bicycle Colorado and a broad coalition of transportation, environmental, and public health organizations.

Increases penalties for illegal passing in no-passing zones and requires the Colorado Department of Transportation to prioritize signage on roads with high crash rates from such violations. Also raises penalties for repeat speeding offenses within one, two, or five-year windows and increases consequences for hazardous materials transport violations.

Expands the definition of criminally negligent homicide to include deaths caused while operating a motor vehicle with criminal negligence, increases penalties when death results from simultaneously driving and using an electronic device, and classifies vehicular homicide and assault offenses as crimes of violence.

Establishes school zones within at least 1,000 feet of school property boundaries, with local governments able to adjust the zone between 200 and 1,000+ feet after public hearings. Permits designating "school streets" immediately adjacent to school properties with a maximum 10 mph speed limit and provisions to close them to through traffic, protecting children and non-car road users on routes to school. This bill should improve bike bus safety if used to make "school streets".

Prevents vehicles from stopping, standing, or parking in bike lanes (with exceptions for traffic conflicts or police direction), removes ambiguous language around traction requirements on state highways, clarifies vehicle removal authority for obstructed roads, and replaces the term "accident" with "crash" or "incident" throughout Colorado statutes. Passed with near-unanimous support in both chambers.

Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a national safety standard for the uniform classification and labeling of e-bikes and off-road electric devices within one year of enactment. The standard must define distinct e-bike classes (1, 2, 3), set minimum age recommendations per class, and require permanent labels disclosing classification, motor power, and top motor-assisted speed. Also prohibits the sale of products falsely marketed as e-bikes and creates a $2.5 million annual grant program (FY2027–2031) to improve crash data collection and public safety education around e-bikes.

Clarifies what can and cannot legally be sold and marketed as an e-bike in Colorado, and requires that e-bike batteries meet independent safety testing requirements. Supported by Bicycle Colorado to promote safe e-bike adoption and consumer confidence.

Requires CDOT and Metropolitan Planning Organizations to create an inventory of active transportation and public transit infrastructure gaps across the state. Supported by Bicycle Colorado as a critical step toward data-driven investment in bike, pedestrian, and transit networks.

Allows prosecutors to bring separate charges for each fatality resulting from a single careless driving incident, and expands victims' rights assistance to include cases involving serious bodily injury. Supported by Bicycle Colorado as part of their long-running effort to hold dangerous drivers accountable.

Comprehensive reform of the Regional Transportation District requiring strategic planning, operational analyses, community partnerships, and public-facing dashboards tracking service metrics and safety. Supported by Bicycle Colorado to strengthen the transit network that connects with Denver's active transportation system.

Authorizes municipalities and school districts to use automated cameras to enforce laws against illegally passing stopped school buses, protecting children and other vulnerable road users in school zones.

Would have enabled municipalities to establish sustainable, dedicated funding streams for pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure. Championed by Bicycle Colorado. Postponed indefinitely in the 2025 session.

Proposed adding approximately $3.50 to annual vehicle insurance premiums to generate roughly $18 million per year, with 70% directed to bicyclist and pedestrian infrastructure and 30% to wildlife crossings. Championed by Bicycle Colorado. Postponed indefinitely in the 2025 session.

Proposed federal legislation that would create a refundable income tax credit of up to 30% (max $1,500) for the purchase of a new electric bicycle. The bill aims to reduce car trips and make clean transportation accessible to more Americans. Last reintroduced in the 118th Congress (2023–2024); has not been reintroduced in the 119th Congress.

Bicycle Colorado successfully advocated for this bill, which created a $450 tax credit for every Coloradan who purchases an e-bike from a participating retailer. The bill is part of a broader package of decarbonization tax incentives including credits for EVs, heat pumps, and geothermal energy. Due to state financial constraints, the e-bike credit will be reduced to $225 starting in 2026.

Amended Denver's municipal code (Chapter 54) to give pedestrians and cyclists greater freedom of movement, reducing unnecessary restrictions on how people can legally walk and roll through the city and decriminalize jaywalking. Passed unanimously by City Council on January 30, 2023 and signed by the Mayor the following day.

Allows bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs - slowing to a safe speed and yielding to traffic before proceeding - and to proceed through a red light after stopping and yielding when safe. Based on the long-proven Idaho Stop. Bicycle Colorado championed this law for more than five years before it passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed by Governor Polis on April 13, 2022.

Directed $12 million toward a statewide e-bike rebate program administered by the Colorado Energy Office - the largest state-level e-bike funding commitment in the nation at the time. Bicycle Colorado was instrumental in building the coalition and advocacy that led to this investment.

Federal grant program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that provides funding for Vision Zero and comprehensive safety action plans. Denver received SS4A funding to advance its Vision Zero initiative targeting zero traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

Landmark Colorado transportation funding bill that directs hundreds of millions in revenue toward multimodal transportation, including transit, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure. Establishes the Multimodal Transportation Options Fund to support alternatives to driving.

Increases penalties for drivers who carelessly or recklessly injure vulnerable road users, including bicyclists and pedestrians. Bicycle Colorado was the driving force behind this bill's introduction and passage, making it one of their signature legislative victories.

Permitted municipalities and counties to adopt local ordinances allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs - slowing to a reasonable speed (15 mph default, adjustable to 10–20 mph) and proceeding when safe - and to proceed through red lights after stopping and yielding. This was the local-option precursor to HB 22-1028, which extended the same rule (Safety Stop) statewide in 2022.

Denver's official commitment to eliminating all traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. The plan targets the High Injury Network - the 5% of streets where 60% of fatal and serious injury crashes occur - with protected infrastructure, improved crossings, lower speed limits, and safer design for people walking and biking.

Requires motorists to maintain at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist, and allows drivers to cross a double yellow centerline when it is safe to do so in order to give that clearance. Signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter. Bicycle Colorado championed this law.