Tired of Local Politics Threatening Your Favorite Bike Lane?
Calbike is rallying behind new legislation that will protect bicycle infrastructure from being removed for purely local political reasons.
Senate Bill 569, authored by Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), would make it significantly harder for local governments to remove or weaken existing bicycle infrastructure. The bill prohibits cities, counties, regional agencies, and other local governments from removing a Class I, II, III, or IV bikeway—or reducing the physical protection of a bikeway—unless they replace it with infrastructure that provides equal or greater levels of safety and connectivity.
“Removing a bikeway is not a minor administrative decision. It can break a network, make a school route more dangerous, increase stress for riders, and send a message that safety gains are temporary when they become politically inconvenient,” said Kendra Ramsey, Executive Director of CalBike.
Before a protected bike lane or other bikeway can be removed or downgraded, the agency would be required to prepare a technical analysis and make specific findings demonstrating that the change meets the bill’s standards. Those findings must be prepared, reviewed, and certified by a licensed engineer. The findings would also have to be adopted by resolution at a publicly noticed meeting, with the supporting technical analysis available for public review at least 30 days beforehand.
The legislation is intended to prevent local governments from dismantling bicycle facilities after they are built, often in response to political pressure or changes in local leadership. By establishing statewide requirements, SB 569 would create a higher threshold for removing protected bike lanes and other bikeways, helping ensure long-term stability and continuity in California’s active transportation network. The bill explicitly states that these requirements address a matter of statewide concern and therefore apply to all cities, including charter cities.
Blakespear is becoming one of the favorite legislators for activists concerned with creating safe streets and advancing bicycling as a safe and comfortable form of transportation. Earlier this session, she introduced Senate Bill 1167*, that makes a clear difference between e-bikes and e-motorcycles to prevent the latter from being marketed and sold to children.
SB 569 was introduced in 2025 as legislation that governed how homeless encampments could be cleared from state highways. While it passed the Senate, it did not pass the Assembly meaning it could be amended this year. However, the amended legislation needs to pass both houses before it becomes law.
* For previous coverage of Senate Bill 1167, visit:
June 4: Legislative Update: The Good E-Bike Legislation Is Moving
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