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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 […]

Organizers cancel Memorial Day motorcycle ride in Washington

General Posts / By Wayfarer

By NIKKI WENTLING from https://www.stripes.com WASHINGTON – A motorcycle rally in the nation’s capital, designed to replace the popular Rolling Thunder event, won’t happen on Memorial Day weekend because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced Tuesday night. AMVETS took over plans for a motorcycle ride through Washington after Rolling Thunder organizers announced that 2019 would be their last event. Rolling Thunder, a 32-year-old tradition, attracted hundreds of thousands of participants every Memorial Day weekend. AMVETS planned a similar event, Rolling to Remember, for the weekend of May 23. “As always, the health and safety of our riders and the veteran community is our top priority,” AMVETS said in a statement. “Due to the federal and state restrictions on public gathers and the guidance of the public health officials amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rolling to Remember motorcycle demonstration will not take place in Washington, D.C.” The goal of the three-day event was to focus on raising awareness for prisoners of war and troops still missing in action, as well as the issue of veterans suicide. Instead of the in-person ride and rally, AMVETS asked motorcyclists to ride 22 miles on May 24 in their local communities, while following social distancing guidelines. The 22 miles recognizes an often-cited statistic that 22 veterans die by suicide every day. Participants can download a phone app titled “REVER” to track and share their ride. The weekend Rolling to Remember activities were expected to kick off May 22 with “Blessing of the Bikes” at the Washington National Cathedral. AMVETS was working with the National Park Service to have a stage on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with speakers and other programming. Then, on May 24, motorcyclists were scheduled to ride past the White House, the Capitol Building, around the National Mall and stop at

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