Motorcyclist Advisory Council

Notice from the Federal Government

from Jay Jackson, MRF, with images from Sam Burns Establishment of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC) NHTSA announces the establishment of MAC for a 2-year period. The MAC will coordinate with and advise the Secretary of Transportation, the NHTSA Administrator and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator on transportation issues of concern to motorcyclists, including: motorcycle and motorcyclist safety; barrier and road design, construction, and maintenance practices; and the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies. NHTSA is also soliciting nominations for appointment to the MAC. Applications for membership must be received by NHTSA on or before 5 p.m. EST, December 15, 2023. Click and refer details in this article at Bikernet.com * * * * * * * * * * * * Support Bikernet.com by joining Bandit’s Cantina — click to know more. Keeping Freedom Alive!

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Baker’s Dozen Fight for Bikers

On Tuesday, 13 members of the House of Representatives sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary of Pete Buttigieg seeking the formation of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC). As you may remember, the MAC was first established by Congress in 2015 and renewed with passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021. Unfortunately, despite the requirement that the MAC be established within 90 days after the law is passed, DOT has failed to act. In the past, the MAC has provided a critical forum for policy makers, roadway engineers, and motorcyclists to discuss ways roadway and barrier design, construction and maintenance practices and intelligent transportation systems can better meet the safety needs of the nearly 9 million motorcyclists in this country. One important part of the reestablished MAC, as outlined in the text of the law, is the expansion of membership seats. The inclusion of manufacturers, motorcyclist rights organizations and safety professionals will provide for a more expansive knowledge base and information sharing on the council. As prescribed in the law, the MAC will be required to submit biennial reports on their findings. Establishment of the MAC was one of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s priorities during the recent Bikers Inside the Beltway event in D.C. Thank you to Rep. Gallagher for leading the letter and to the 12 other lawmakers listed below for supporting our efforts to seat the MAC. Rep. Gallagher (WI) Rep. Carsen (IN) Rep. Finstad (MN) Rep. Fitzgerald (WI) Rep. Fitzpatrick (PA) Rep. Grothman (WI) Rep. Lee (NV) Rep. Norman (SC) Rep. Stauber (MN) Rep. Steil (WI) Rep. Tiffany (WI) Rep. Van Orden (WI) Rep. Wilson (SC) About Motorcycle Riders Foundation: The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle

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MRF update: Highway Bill Passes – a Year Late

November 5, 2021 Highway Bill Passes… a Year Late After a 13-month delay and enactment of three separate extensions, Congress finally passed a surface transportation reauthorization bill. This bill, sometimes called the highway bill or the infrastructure bill, has been a hotly debated topic in D.C. for several years. Once signed by the President, the bill will reauthorize many highway programs, provide funding for road and bridge construction and replace the previous highway bill passed in 2015, known as the FAST Act. Just a week ago, Congress gave itself a third extension running into December. Yet election victories by Republican candidates, especially a win by the GOP in the Virginia governor’s race, seems to have spooked Democrats, and motivated passage of a bill that has been awaiting a vote since the summer. For the last two years, the House of Representatives and Senate have battled over transportation priorities and funding levels. In both 2020 and 2021, the House of Representatives passed versions of their highway bill, only to be rebuffed by the Senate. Under pressure from President Biden, the Senate finally acted, passing in August a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. This action by the Senate, effectively forced the House to accept the Senate version of the bill or continue to pass short term extensions of current law. However, pressure from the left wing of the Democratic party delayed a vote on the Senate’s infrastructure bill until an unconnected piece of legislation, referred to as the “human infrastructure bill,” was agreed to. That bill, called “Build Back Better,” had an original price tag of $3.5 trillion and effectively held the infrastructure bill hostage. After months of debate, and Tuesday’s election results, House Democrats agreed to vote on a smaller Build Back Better bill later in the month, opening the door to

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