Committee keeps two‑abreast ban for bicyclists, sets July 1, 2026, effective date and calls for outreach

The Senate conference committee on S.123 agreed May 29 to retain language that makes riding two abreast illegal on roadways and bicycle paths, and to add an education-and-outreach component with an enforcement delay to July 1, 2026.

Committee members said outreach and training are “probably the most important thing” for bicycle safety and that a delayed effective date would allow agencies to produce materials and notify the public. The committee discussed moving the effective date so that the new rule would take effect after a full season of municipal outreach and training.

Staff and legislators also reviewed municipal authority questions and how the new rule would interact with local traffic-control powers. Committee counsel noted that municipalities generally possess broad authority under general municipal statutes and that specificity in the statute helps avoid ambiguity about whether a town may regulate bicycle operation on local facilities.

The committee proposed keeping intent language in the bill while moving the operative effective date for the enforcement provisions to 07/01/2026 to give the department and municipalities time for training, public outreach and signage. Members also discussed an option to make the outreach effective earlier while reserving enforcement for July 2026.

What happens next: staff will incorporate the outreach requirement and the revised effective date into the conference document and circulate the updated bill text to members before final agreement.

Why it matters: committee members characterized the change as a safety measure for both bicyclists and motorists and as a statutory clarification meant to give municipalities and the agency time to implement outreach and training.