Cascade Bicycle Club’s 2012 legislative agenda aimed to create a better community through bicycling by making neighborhood streets safer, improving public health, cutting red tape, saving public money and increasing funding for bicycle infrastructure and transit service.

Christine Rolfes, a senator for Kitsap County’s 23rd District, scored 100 percent. The Cascade Bicycle Club applauded her efforts to connect Kitsap County with Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula through her efforts to ensure a bicycle-friendly ferry system and the Hood Canal bridge, assisting the public with an affordable means of transportation while promoting tourism and economic development.

Senator Derek Kilmer, of Kitsap County’s 26th District, was given an honorable mention with a score of 83 percent. As vice chair of the Ways & Means committee and the Capital Budget chair, Sen. Kilmer worked to include significant funding for bicycles and pedestrian projects to help cities and towns revitalize their downtown business districts in the capital budget.

House Representative Sherry Appleton, as part of Kitsap County’s 23rd District, earned an honorable mention with a score of 100 percent. According to the Cascade Bicycle Club, “Rep. Appleton has been a steadfast supporter of the issues important to the Cascade Bicycle Club. She is an articulate spokesperson against policies that waste valuable taxpayer dollars and fail to solve the problems they’re intended to remedy, like licensing bicycles.”

Senator Tim Sheldon, representing Kitsap, Mason and Thurston Counties’ 35th District, was branded a “broken chain” by the Cascade Bicycle Club. While both of Sen. Sheldon’s seatmates from the 35th Legislative District had strong voting records in support of bicycling, Sen. Sheldon was the only member of the Transportation Committee who did not vote to move SHB 1217, the “Neighborhood Safe Speeds bill,” out of committee and was the only member of his party to vote against SHB 1700, “Safe and Flexible Design Guidelines,” on the Senate floor.