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Committee advances bill to ban parking and driving in bike lanes statewide
Summary
The Senate Transportation committee voted 6–1 to send House Bill 290, which would prohibit vehicles from stopping, parking or driving in bike lanes except for limited exceptions, to the Senate floor with a favorable recommendation.
The Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Committee voted 6–1 to send House Bill 290, the bicycle lane safety amendments, to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation.
The bill, introduced to the committee by Representative Malwa, would make it unlawful for drivers to park, stop or drive in a designated bike lane except when turning, responding to an emergency, or performing essential services such as snow removal or mail delivery. Violations would be treated as an infraction.
Representative Malwa said the bill addresses a statewide gap: "Right now we don't have any statewide law preventing vehicles from blocking bike lanes. That means in most cities, drivers can legally stop park or even drive in a bike lane, creating serious safety risk when bike lanes are blocked." He added the measure was drafted with input from the Utah Department of Transportation and local stakeholders.
Cameron Carter of Bike Utah told the committee the measure aims to preserve the safety benefits of bike lanes. "Bike lanes are a proven tool for making our roads safer and more accessible," Carter said. "They're shown to reduce vehicle cyclist collisions by up to 49%, but these safety benefits are only present when bike lanes are unobstructed." Miranda Jones Cox, government affairs manager at the Wasatch Front Regional Council, called the bill a "common sense approach" that could increase adoption of active transportation.
The bill also includes guidance for road maintenance: if a municipality must block a bike lane for repairs or maintenance, it should first use alternative space and, when practicable, provide an alternate route for cyclists. The sponsor emphasized the measure is regulatory, not a mandate to build new bike lanes; it focuses on keeping existing lanes clear.
Senator Ibsen moved that the bill be given a favorable recommendation to the floor. The committee chair cast the only opposing vote and the motion passed 6–1.
If passed by the full Senate and enacted, the bill would standardize enforcement across jurisdictions that currently have varying local ordinances, making obstruction of bike lanes an infraction statewide. The bill text cited consultation with UDOT, the Wasatch Front Regional Council and the League of Cities and Towns.
No formal fiscal figures or implementation dates were provided during the committee presentation.
