WABA’s Coverage of the 2026 Virginia General Assembly Session
Week of January 19th
The Virginia General Assembly started to pick up steam this week. A major shoutout to the Virginia Bicycling Federation’s John Hamilton and others for working the halls and offices in Richmond and for providing many of the updates below. More on VBF’s legislative priorities here.
Speed cameras in the crosshairs. Senator Peake (R-Lynchburg) has introduced two bills (SB297 and SB306) to repeal use of automated speed cameras and traffic light cameras in Virginia. Unfortunately, both bills passed out of committee 8Y-7N, with Senator Aird (D-Petersburg) voting with all Republican members of the committee to axe a critical safety strategy. These bills will next advance to the full Senate where we hope they will be nixed.
Doubling down on Safety Yield. Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra (D-Oakton) introduced HB1417, a standalone authorization of the Safety Yield (aka Idaho Stop or Delaware Yield). There are several key differences between Keys-Gamarra’s bill and VBF’s own Omnibus Bicyclist Safety bill (HB661) introduced by Delegate Rodney Willett (D-Henrico); we think our version, thoughtfully workshopped with VDOT staff and others, ultimately stands a better chance of passage but we love to see bike-friendly initiative!
Averting e-bike confusion. VBF and bicycling advocates are working with Delegate David Reid (D-Ashburn) and his staff to amend his HB269, a bill that would radically alter regulation and impose undue restrictions on legal e-bikes in an effort to crack down on illegal e-motos. We don’t disagree with the need to address out-of-class, high-speed devices and dangerous riding behavior (especially by younger riders), but we think Delegate JJ Singh’s HB1120 call for a post-session stakeholder group to holistically study and make recommendations is the more appropriate route.
- This comes on the heels of outgoing-Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey signing a law this week with draconian new regulations on ALL e-bikes and other devices in the Garden State.
- This graphic from the Florida Bicycling Association closely aligns with VBF’s perspectives on e-motos. More here.
As always, short emails from constituents like you to your state Delegates and Senators expressing support or opposition carry a lot of weight—let them know what you and our bicycling community think! Be sure to also sign the petition in support of VBF’s bicycling safety agenda—I’ll be headed to Richmond on January 28th and would love to tout having over 1,500 supporters behind me.