"The Pedestrian Safety Reinforcement Amendment Act of 2011”, Bill 19-0291, will be discussed. along with other items on the agenda. The purpose is to amend the Pedestrian Protection Amendment Act of 1987 to rectify the amendment which went into effect on November 25, 2008, and to clarify that the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), pursuant to the District of Columbia Traffic Adjudication Act of 1978, has the legal authority to issue rules and fines.
BAC found documents on the Committee on Public Works and Transportation that showed that DMV has enforced the act by ticketing bicyclists and pedestrians, which appears to run counter to the law's intent. Tens of thousands of dollars have been collected over the last several years as a direct result of DMV's enforcement focus.
The hearing can be seen live on the Council's website beginning at 2:00p.