Spurred by the cycling death of UCSB tri-athlete Kendra Chiota Payne, Santa Barbara Assemblyman Pedro Nava is sponsoring bike safety legislation.

“I want to establish a law that requires a minimum of three feet between a passing car and a bicycle,” Nava said. He added that Payne’s father told him he was sure his daughter would be alive if such a law had been in place-and enforced.

A truck driver who left only one-foot distance while passing her killed Payne, 21, on Jan. 11 on Gibraltar Road.

“I think a new law is a good idea,” said Chrissy Faulding, a City College kinesiology student who rides her bicycle around the city. Faulding said bigger cars seem to come dangerously close and that she usually tries to stay on the bicycle path. Three other states, Minnesota, Arizona and Wisconsin, already have a similar law. Nava encouraged students who support his proposed legislation to google “Pedro Nava” and register themselves on his Wed site.