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Lane Splitting Legislation introduced in CA

I ordered some stickers & magnets from you last night... Thanks! (in advance)

I don't want to sound like a Monday morning quarterback... but after quietly lane-splitting in California for the past 30+ years with zero problems, I predict all this recent publicity will not end well for us. Leaving it as the "grey area" it was, may have been the best choice.

I think all the effort has been for all the right reasons, and again, I support the cause... but I can't help wondering how long it will be before I get my first improper lane-splitting ticket?
 
budman said:
Inside info says bill is DOA.
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Sweet. DOA is good - but DOA because the bill was really poorly written and pointless and response was swift and powerful, or because all the legislators hate splitters and someone is going to introduce another bill to ban?

rtmac said:
I ordered some stickers & magnets from you last night... Thanks! (in advance)

I don't want to sound like a Monday morning quarterback... but after quietly lane-splitting in California for the past 30+ years with zero problems, I predict all this recent publicity will not end well for us. Leaving it as the "grey area" it was, may have been the best choice.

I think all the effort has been for all the right reasons, and again, I support the cause... but I can't help wondering how long it will be before I get my first improper lane-splitting ticket?
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Thanks! :thumbup All yesterday's orders went out this morning.
 
monkeyneck said:
Sweet. DOA is good - but DOA because the bill was really poorly written and pointless and response was swift and powerful, or because all the legislators hate splitters and someone is going to introduce another bill to ban?

.
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Sure anything could happen, but it being banned I think is unlikely now. My fear is a bill to control the practice like this one.

Hearing other states kicking the can is good. We are safer and more efficient when we apply lane splitting. Not being dickwads on the road and on target to keep our voice heard it what is best for us too keep this available to us.
 
budman said:
Sure anything could happen, but it being banned I think is unlikely now. My fear is a bill to control the practice like this one.

Hearing other states kicking the can is good. We are safer and more efficient when we apply lane splitting. Not being dickwads on the road and on target to keep our voice heard it what is best for us too keep this available to us.
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:thumbup Agree 100% with not being dickwads and keeping our voice heard. I joined ABATE last night - bookends nicely with my AMA membership.
 
Good news!
 
rtmac said:
I ordered some stickers & magnets from you last night... Thanks! (in advance)

I don't want to sound like a Monday morning quarterback... but after quietly lane-splitting in California for the past 30+ years with zero problems, I predict all this recent publicity will not end well for us. Leaving it as the "grey area" it was, may have been the best choice.

I think all the effort has been for all the right reasons, and again, I support the cause... but I can't help wondering how long it will be before I get my first improper lane-splitting ticket?
Click to expand...

This
 
I'm glad to see the AMA using such positive language about lane splitting. Is this a sign of them changing their tune on splitting?
 
monkeyneck said:
I'm glad to see the AMA using such positive language about lane splitting. Is this a sign of them changing their tune on splitting?
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I believe the AMA's California lobbyis...Governmental Affairs Specialist has always mentioned lane splitting favorably in press releases. He's had to go through this several times thanks Alan Lowenthal's office popping out bills to prohibit lane splitting over the last several years.
 
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So ABATE says on the CA ABATE Facebook group the bill isn't actually being withdrawn, but rather:

Contrary to the AMA's announcement, SB350 has not been withdrawn, rather it's now a 2-year bill. This means that while it may be possible that the bill is heard in April (April is the deadline for submission to the Senate Trans Cmt for all policy making bills); the likelihood is that it won't be heard by Committee until next January 2014. Good news for us, gives us plenty of time to work with our constituents to make certain the bill that is finally submitted will be a GOOD bill!
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Sheesh. Gotta add to my post on it, it seems.
 
Wumpus said:
Why make a GOOD bill? why not just make NO bill and have a good day?
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Some folks think having a law on the books helps protect us riders from a potential ban. Pre-emptive measure, basically.
 
monkeyneck said:
Some folks think having a law on the books helps protect us riders from a potential ban. Pre-emptive measure, basically.
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There is no pre-emptive measure when the attempts to restrict our current privilege are coming sooner and more frequently.
 
Got my swag yesterday... cool stuff! Thanks
 
Bill S.B. 350 to be withdrawn

The AMA site says that the bill would "be put on hold", not "withdrawn." But either way, they are going to wait until the University of California-Berkeley safety study is done.

"An aide to state Senator Jim Beall (Democrat-San Jose), who sponsored S.B. 350, confirmed in an email to the AMA on Tuesday that the bill would be withdrawn, pending the results of a University of California-Berkeley safety study expected later this year."
http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/industry-news/2013/02/27/anti-lane-splitting-bill-withdrawn/
 
Chill said:
The AMA site says that the bill would "be put on hold", not "withdrawn." But either way, they are going to wait until the University of California-Berkeley safety study is done.

"An aide to state Senator Jim Beall (Democrat-San Jose), who sponsored S.B. 350, confirmed in an email to the AMA on Tuesday that the bill would be withdrawn, pending the results of a University of California-Berkeley safety study expected later this year."
http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/industry-news/2013/02/27/anti-lane-splitting-bill-withdrawn/
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Hmm. The AMA appears to have pulled down the page for their original announcement, which was at http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com...stricted_lane-splitting_by_motorcyclists.aspx. Google-cached page is here.

California lawmaker withdraws bill that would have restricted lane-splitting by motorcyclists
February 26, 2013
The sponsor of a California Senate bill that would have restricted the current practice of lane-splitting by motorcyclists will withdraw the bill from consideration.

Lane-splitting by motorcyclists in California is recognized by the California Highway Patrol and helps ease traffic flow.

An aide to state Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose), who sponsored S.B. 350, confirmed in an email to the AMA Tuesday afternoon that the bill would be withdrawn, pending the results of a University of California-Berkeley safety study expected later this year. The bill, introduced Feb. 20, would have allowed lane-splitting only in certain instances: on divided highways with three or more lanes of travel in the same direction, only when traffic is congested and only at "a safe" speed.
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Even your quote says withdrawn - of course pending the study.

The original page still comes up in a search on the ama site for SB 350 (they use Google search) but the page is gone, and there's no new announcement under Rights > Issues & Legislation > CA. Weird - what gives?
 
monkeyneck said:
Hmm. The AMA appears to have pulled down the page for their original announcement, which was at http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com...stricted_lane-splitting_by_motorcyclists.aspx. Google-cached page is here.



Even your quote says withdrawn - of course pending the study.

The original page still comes up in a search on the ama site for SB 350 (they use Google search) but the page is gone, and there's no new announcement under Rights > Issues & Legislation > CA. Weird - what gives?
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Take a look at the 2 URLs. They changed the language from "withdrawn" to "places_bill_on_hold" :wtf

Broken:
"http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/NewsView/13-02-26/California_lawmaker_withdraws_bill_that_would_have_restricted_lane-splitting_by_motorcyclists.aspx"

Working:
"http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/news/13-02-26/California_lawmaker_places_bill_on_hold_that_would_have_restricted_lane-splitting_by_motorcyclists.aspx"
 
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Chill said:
Take a look at the 2 URLs. They changed the language from "withdrawn" to "places_bill_on_hold" :wtf

Broken:
"http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/NewsView/13-02-26/California_lawmaker_withdraws_bill_that_would_have_restricted_lane-splitting_by_motorcyclists.aspx"

Working:
"http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/news/13-02-26/California_lawmaker_places_bill_on_hold_that_would_have_restricted_lane-splitting_by_motorcyclists.aspx"
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Oh jeez. They should have left the original URL intact or redirected it. And they need to get that new link into their own search and under the CA section of the site. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Budman - Is it worthwhile to ask Rep Beall for a townhall meeting with some BARFers & AMA folks to quietly discuss this? Not suggesting a massive rally (yet), but a 10-20 BARFer group to meet & talk?
 
Cincinnatus said:
Budman - Is it worthwhile to ask Rep Beall for a townhall meeting with some BARFers & AMA folks to quietly discuss this? Not suggesting a massive rally (yet), but a 10-20 BARFer group to meet & talk?
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Beall has his next "coffee date" listed on his site as March 15. Agree that low key is good for now. ABATE has characterized him as moto-friendly and stated that the person in his office working on the bill is a rider.
 
monkeyneck said:
Beall has his next "coffee date" listed on his site as March 15. Agree that low key is good for now. ABATE has characterized him as moto-friendly and stated that the person in his office working on the bill is a rider.
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thats good news. although I prefer fewer laws to more laws, this one seems like it will go the way of a law sooner or later, and in that case, having a rider working on the bill for a moto-friendly senator following on the CHP having just publicly stated a position is probably the best outcome.

It's already the case that the CHP stated position has in essence made lane sharing above 30mph a ticket....
 
Norcal-Cycles said:
thanks for the stack of stickers. (got it on our parts counter) we slapped it on our trucks right away... and yes hopefully there will be more clarity on this...
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Where can I get some stickers?
 
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