A good day for pedestrians, cyclists and equines in Houston [View all]

Houston officials put some distance between drivers and other vulnerable road users — at least in the rulebook.

The City Council on Wednesday approved a safe passing ordinance requiring drivers to give cyclists, pedestrians, equestrians and other non-vehicular road users three feet of space at all times. Commercial trucks will have to give the vulnerable users six feet of space if the ordinance passes.

“This is about awareness by everyone that the road is for everybody,” said Councilman Ed Gonzalez, a supporter of the ordinance.

Houston was the only major city in Texas that does not have a safe passing law, though officials have aggressively encouraged cycling in the region. The new law covers anyone not in an automobile or truck, including tow truck drivers. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://blog.chron.com/thehighwayman/2013/05/safe-passing-ordinance-coming-to-houston-council-wednesday/