(Sometimes advocacy works!)
In November of 2024, at our commemoration for the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Traffic, Albany Bicycle Coalition, Capital Streets and Walkable Albany joined in calling for an Albany County law to require motorists to give bicyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users 3 feet of space when passing. County legislators Susan Laurilliard and Sam Fein joined us at the event which we hold each year to remember County victims of traffic violence. They committed to bringing the 3 foot safe passing bill to the County legislature.
It took 14 months, for the proposal to work its way through committees, amendments and hearings. On February 26th a public hearing was held on the proposal. Ed Brennan, President of Albany Bicycle Coalition, Anne Savage, Executive Director of the New York Bicycling Coalition and Casey Allen, Communications Director of Capital Streets spoke on behalf of the proposal to the legislature. Video of their 3 minute testimonies can be found here. On March 9, 2026 the County Legislature voted 37 to 1 to make this County Law. It will go into effect when it is filed with the Office of the Secretary of State.
It is important to note that the law is meant to be educational. We don’t expect police to be measuring the distance from cars to pedestrians and bicyclists with yardsticks. It is doubtful anyone will be charged unless they actually hit a vulnerable road user. We do want to see signage, as is found in all the state’s surrounding NY, that remind drivers to keep a safe distance from the bodies of vulnerable people that they are blasting by in projectiles that increasingly weigh 2 or more tons.
The long-term goal is for the State of New York to join the 41 other states and the District of Columbia in passing statewide defined safe-passing legislation. The bill has passed the Senate but has repeatedly failed to pass out of the Assembly Transportation Committee. We are hopeful that if enough counties pass laws, the state legislature will need to pass a statewide law for uniformity. Albany County joins Suffolk, Monroe and Ulster County as the 4th NY County with a defined safe passing law. Cortland County has a proposal pending and we hope it will be the 5th County in a few weeks. We encourage our friends in neighboring Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Greene Counties to join in this effort.
Full text of the new County Law can be found here.
Albany Bicycle Coalition 