The Virginia Senate Chamber (Image courtesy of the Virginia General Assembly)
Current status of HB661 as of February 26, 2026: HB661 was filed by Delegate Rodney Willett (D, HD-58) on January 13, and the House of Delegates passed it unanimously (98Y-0N-0A) on February 9. On February 26, HB661 was reported 13Y-1N by the Senate Transportation Committee and re-referred to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
Every year in Virginia, people are seriously injured or killed while riding bicycles on our roads. HB661 is a commonsense safety update that can help prevent these crashes — and it now needs Senate approval.
Action Request:
Please contact your State Senator and ask them to support Delegate Willett’s Bicyclist Safety bill (HB661).
If your Senator serves on the Senate Transportation Committee, your outreach is most urgent. Personal stories about why bicyclist safety matters are especially effective.
You can use “Who’s My Legislator” to confirm your senator and read more about the safety benefits of HB661 on the VBF blog.
More about contacting Senate Transportation Committee members:
- Delegate Willett’s Bicyclist Safety bill (HB661) advanced unanimously from the House of Delegates on February 9th and has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.
- It is particularly important to contact these Senators with your personal safety-focused stories as soon as possible: Bagby (Chair), Marsden, DeSteph, Suetterlein, Boysko, Hackworth, Sturtevant, Aird, Roem, Diggs, Pekarsky, Mulchi, Srinivasan, Cifers, Jones
- If you are a member of an organization that supports HB661, you are encouraged to send a letter of support to Senate Transportation Committee members using their individual email addresses by Wednesday, February 18,
How HB661 Improves Safety:
Delegate Willett’s HB661 is a safety-focused update that will align Virginia law with national best practices. HB661 improves safety while preserving right-of-way rules and maintaining protections for pedestrians and drivers.
- Safety Yield: Recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [1], is legal in 11 states (and DC), and reduced bicycle-involved crashes by 23% in Delaware [2].
- Proceed on Walk Signal: Recommended by the National Association of City Transportation Officials to extend the safety benefits of Leading Pedestrian Intervals to a person bicycling on a roadway [3].
- Riding Two Abreast: Makes people on bicycles more visible to drivers, promotes safer overtaking, and allows parents and others to ride beside less experienced riders.
Questions or comments?
Contact the VBF Advocacy Committee at 703-508-0762 or vbfadvocacycommittee@gmail.com
Footnotes:
[1] NHTSA Stop-As-Yield Fact Sheet https://nhtsa.gov/document/bicyclist-stop-yield-laws-and-safety-fact-sheet
[2] Ibid.
[3] National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Street Design Guide
About the Virginia Bicycling Federation
The Virginia Bicycling Federation works to make Virginia the most bicycle-friendly state in the nation. Through advocacy, education, and community partnerships, we promote safe, accessible, and enjoyable bicycling for people of all ages and abilities. From historic trails to vibrant downtowns, bicycling connects us to our communities—and to Virginia’s rich past and promising future. Learn more at www.vabike.org. To join or donate to VBF, go to https://app.joinit.com/o/
This article was drafted by VBF board members Jim Durham and Jenn Million.
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