Last week H.B. 5429 made it out of committee.

(We can talk about the irony of gridlock when it comes to progressive action on transportation issues and why this seemingly minor accomplishment is applause-worthy.)

The next step is for this bill to go before the general legislature in Connecticut.

If it passes, among other things, it would possibly help me to get across Park Terrace, where to date, not a single motorist has yielded to me as I stood at the curb by the marked crosswalk, very obviously wanting to walk to the other side, while vehicles whizzed by at 40 MPH or more in a school zone.

That’s right — instead of having to literally throw ourselves into the intersection to trigger the requirement that drivers yield to pedestrians, we would (at least on paper) be able to take a safer, more dignified action.

This bill states that drivers would need to grant the right-of-way when a pedestrian “steps to the curb at the entrance to the [marked or unmarked] crosswalk and indicates his or her intent to cross the roadway by raising his or her hand and arm toward oncoming traffic.” This would only apply to areas that lack traffic control signals (stop lights) and don’t have cops directing traffic.

For folks who already walk everywhere, you know you are already signaling like mad to drivers; passage of this bill would mean using your whole hand more than just your middle finger while walking home from work.

The pedestrian can signal intent also by “moving any part of his or her body or an extension thereof, including, but not limited to, a wheelchair, cane, walking stick, crutch, bicycle, electric bicycle, stroller, carriage, cart or leashed or harnessed dog.” The underlining there is mine to accentuate that this would quite obviously include a leashed and harnessed cat, despite the language not stating as much.

If you have legislators who actually listen to their constituents, contact them. Let them know that public safety and injury prevention are priorities.