City of Portage Implements 5-Foot Passing Rule

Portage has become the latest city in West Michigan to implement a minimum passing distance for cars going around bicyclists.

MLive reports that the Portage City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to require at least 5 feet of space when a car passes a bicyclist, and as well, they passed a resolution to promote bicycle safety throughout the city.

The recent passages by Portage, and previously Kalamazoo, were spurred on by a fatal crash in June, where a truck killed 5 cyclists in Cooper Township. Two cyclists were injured in Alamo township in a similar crash, just last week. 

A 5-foot passing law was recently passed by the Michigan Senate, and is currently being considered by the House.