John Liu: Halting Bike Access Bill Not a Political Move

Does anyone believe that John Liu’s position on bicycle access to buildings has remained consistent since last September?

We’ve got an update about the petition drive urging Council member John Liu to hold a vote on the Bicycle Access Bill in his committee: It’s got people fired up. From Crain’s Insider:

A cycling advocacy group has been flooded with e-faxes pushing Councilman John Liu to schedule a committee vote on a bill allowing bicycles in some office buildings. Transportation Alternatives has received more than 800 messages in four days. “We’ve never had anything like it, not even at the height of the congestion pricing drama,” a TA spokesman says. The group is delivering the messages to Liu, who questions whether the bill would improve bicycle access. Bill sponsor David Yassky is running against Liu for city comptroller, but Liu says that has nothing to do with his position. He previously backed a stronger bike access bill that, unlike this one, lacked mayoral support.

Our calls to Liu’s office have yet to be returned, so we can’t expand on his rationale that the bill won’t improve bike access to office buildings. At this point, Liu doesn’t really need to explain himself. The fact that the committee chair with jurisdiction won’t move a bill supported by the mayor, 29 other Council members, and the city’s best-known advocates for cycling speaks volumes.