By James Knight — A new bill prohibiting drivers from blocking bike lanes passed the Utah Legislature and signed into law by Governor Spencer Cox on March 27, 2025. Bicycle Lane Safety Amendments (HB290) passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 61-10 and the Senate by a vote of 16-8. The bill states that a motor vehicle may not drive in a bike lane, that motor vehicles must yield to bicyclists when crossing a bike lane and may not park or stop a car in a bike lane. It further states that highway authorities (transportation departments) may obstruct bike lanes but must provide an alternate route for bicyclists and minimize the impact on cyclists. Lastly, it clarifies the definition of a bike lane including that a bike lane does not include shared lanes intended for both motor vehicles and bicycles. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Verona Mauga. The bill will take effect on May 7, 2025.
Another bill, Food Cart Amendments (HB134), was signed by Governor Cox on March 19, 2025, and will also take effect on May 7th. The bill changes the law so that a food cart can be moved with a class 1, 2, or 3 electric bicycle. Previously, motorized food carts were not allowed. Food carts, as opposed to food trucks, are mobile kitchens set up on the street to prepare and sell street food to passers-by.
Dave Iltis, editor of Cycling West, discussed his role in getting the bill passed. He said, “In 2024, when visiting Hatch’s Chocolates in Salt Lake City, I noticed that they had a brand-new electric bike powered ice cream cart. When I asked the owner about it, he said that they weren’t allowed to use it because Salt Lake City wouldn’t issue a permit because it had a motor.” This led to learning that the state law was the ultimate problem since it didn’t allow for motorized food carts. So, we worked with Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost to introduce the bill and get it passed. The next steps are to notify Salt Lake City when the law goes into effect and see if they will finally issue Hatch’s a permit. This is just one more step in promoting a non-polluting, bicycle-powered economy.”
For more information on these two bills, visit the official website of the Utah State Legislature at https://le.utah.gov/.
