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Oregon governor blocks motorcycle ‘lane splitting’ bill

by Sara Cline from https://www.sfgate.com Earlier this month, Oregon lawmakers passed a bill that would allow motorcyclists to drive between slow or stopped traffic. However, despite bipartisan approval and hundreds of letters of written testimony — overwhelmingly in favor of the “lane splitting” legislation — Gov. Kate Brown this week vetoed the measure, citing public safety concerns. “I have several concerns with the bill as currently drafted, particularly related to public safety and noncompliance,” Brown said in a Wednesday letter to the state Senate president and House speaker, which was obtained by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Senate Bill 574 would have permitted motorcyclists to drive between lanes, on multilane highways, when traffic slowed to 10 mph (16 kph) or less — also known as “lane splitting” or “lane filtering.” In this situation, motorcyclists riding between cars could travel no more than 10 mph faster than the flow of traffic. States like California and Utah have enacted similar laws. While this idea concerned some drivers, motorcyclists argued lane splitting actually improves safety. “Perhaps one of the more dangerous situations for any on-highway motorcyclist is being caught in congested traffic, where stop-and-go vehicles, distracted and inattentive vehicle operators and environmental conditions pose an increased risk of physical contact with another vehicle or hazard,” Nicholas Haris, a representative for the American Motorcyclist Association, said in written testimony. “Even minor contact under such conditions can be disastrous for motorcyclists.” According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, in 2018, the most recent data available, there were 78 deadly motorcycle crashes in the state. “I have witnessed — during rolling traffic slowdowns on the Southern California freeway — motorcyclists cautiously, slowly and effectively moving through traffic and eliminating themselves from the traffic backup,” Kate Stoller, an Oregon motorcyclist, said in written testimony. In Utah, legislation passed in […]

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Oregon considering motorcycle ‘lane filtering’ bill

General Posts / By Wayfarer

by Chris McGinness from https://www.ktvb.com Motorcycle ‘lane filtering’ bill has strong support in Oregon It’s not like California. Think of motorcycles passing at parking lot speeds. Supporters tout rider safety. When you’re driving on a crowded freeway how would you feel about sharing the road with motorcycles moving from lane to lane? Sound scary and dangerous? Riders say it could actually be safer than what’s allowed now. “Lane filtering,” as proposed in Oregon Senate Bill 574 (summary here), would allow motorcyclists to move back and forth between very slow moving traffic on multi-lane Oregon highways. Similar legislation has been discussed since 2015. This time around, there are clearer definitions for when the practice would be legal. Still, the perception many drivers have about lane filtering is of the occasional reckless rider zipping though traffic. We asked a few motorists about it as they gassed up at Radio Cab in Northwest Portland. “It scares me a little bit,” a man named Ravi said. “If there’s’ something in the road and I have to get out the way really quickly, I would hate to accidentally have to merge into his driving lane.” “Well, I think that’s an incredibly bad idea but if you want to take that risk,” said a woman named Kate. The lane filtering proposed in Oregon takes many of the concerns into consideration. “Traffic has to be either stopped or moving less than 10 miles an hour. The motorcyclist cannot exceed the speed of traffic by more than 10 miles an hour,” said longtime motorcyclist Patrick Leyshock of Northeast Portland. Advocates, of which there are many of both sides of the political spectrum, point to three benefits to permitting lane filtering: reduced congestion, reduced emissions and enhanced rider safety. This last point seems counterintuitive unless you’ve ever ridden a

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Paying More for Less Service

General Posts / By Wayfarer

By 2021, New York City will begin charging drivers who enter Manhattan below Central Park under the guise of congestion pricing. No one is surprised. City and state officials have been trying to make this happen for years. The rare alignment of views between the governor, the mayor, and the state legislature─each likely motivated by the prospect of monetizing driving─made it happen. But at what cost? In a study last year, a proposed flat rate of $11.50 for cars and $25.00 for trucks was suggested but the budget that passed on April Fool’s Day did not specify any fees. The decision of who will pay what will belong to the governor, the mayor, and a yet-to-be-named six-member panel. The budget goal is to raise $15 billion to fix the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s subway, train, bus, bridge, and tunnel system. This grand scheme has nothing to do with reducing traffic and everything to do with finding more cash to bail out mainly the city’s beleaguered subway system. Not only will all sorts of vehicle-related services such as taxis, rideshare and delivery surge in price, but the goods and services provided to New Yorkers will almost certainly go up too. “Not a nickel goes to roads in a state where 69 percent are considered in bad or mediocre condition,” said AAA Northeast spokesman Robert Sinclair to Bloomberg. Not only that, the wrangling for exemptions has already begun. Suburban motorists say they already pay various tolls to drive into the city so why should they pay another fee for the privilege of driving in the city. Commercial truckers also want an exemption as do taxi drivers, and the disabled. Exemptions to the congestion pricing have already been made for motorists on FDR Drive and the West Side Highway north-and-southbound express routes. New Jersey

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