BICYCLE pete February 26, 2016 Leslie Richards Secretary Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Keystone Building 400 North Street Harrisburg, PA 17120 RE: Early Action on the Bicycle Occupancy Permit Dear Secretary Richards, We are writing to ask for an update on when and how PennDOT will take early action to address the Bicycle Occupancy Permit. ‘As you know, Bicycle Occupancy Permit is ineffective and acts as a policy obstacle to installation of bicycle facilities on state roads. It causes unnecessary confusion when maintenance requirements are already covered by existing regulations, and PennDOT General Counsel has advised in the past that the BOP does not provide additional liability protection to PennDOT. ‘Acting now to eliminate the BOP does not change municipal responsibilities that are covered in existing regulations, but it does eliminate confusion that has stymied the installation of bike lanes on state roads. A request was submitted to you in October 2015 from Alex Doty, then Chair of the Pedal Cycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PPAC) asking that PennDOT take early action to address the problem. We are particularly interested in knowing your response to his letter because in an April 27" 2015 letter that you sent to the five SE PA county planning commissions, you indicated that a study conducted by the Transportation Advisory Committee would be complete by early 2016. We were informed in September 2015 that that study was delayed, hence why Mr. Doty wrote to you asking for accelerated action. 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1107 Philadelph 9102 | WWW.BICYCLECOALITION.ORGBICYCLE eee We are particularly interested to know how and when PennDOT plans to respond because four counties in PennDOT District 6 have finalized pavement marking plans prepared for new bicycle facilities on seven state roads. The counties are considering (through the Regional Technical Committee) how to make funding available in the FY2017-2020 TIP. We are concerned that the lack of an accelerated resolution to the BOP problem will impede the four counties from implementing planned and approved bicycle improvements to those seven state roads. District 6 is not alone. The BOP has hindered the implementation of bicycle lanes in other parts of the Commonwealth as well. We look forward to hearing from you regarding this issue. Sincerely yours, Sirah. Shea Sarah Clark Stuart, Executive Director Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia Pot Krebo Pat Krebs, Executive Director sae Lebanon Valley Bicycle Coalition Scott Bricker, Executive Director Bike Pittsburgh Anna Nelson, President Centre Bike (Centre Region Bicycle Coalition) 1500 Wainut Street, Suite 107 Philadelphia PA, 19102 | P. 2 F. 218-220-3004 WWW. BICYCLECOALITION.ORGMarilyn Chastek Bicycle South Central Pennsylvania Chris Shelly, Advocacy Liaison Harrisburg Bicycle Club 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1107 Philac Kyle p Kenneth Boyle Bike Bucks County Fie. Libba! Ross Willard, CMO Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg wv