The State of Oregon has gotten one step closer to passing its lane-sharing bill, Oregon Senate Bill 574.
We say this because SB 574 passed a vote in the Joint Transportation Committee on April 1st (7 to 4), and now is ready for a vote on the Senate floor.
For those who don’t remember, SB 574 proposes legalizing lane sharing for motorcycles in Oregon when they are riding on a highway with a speed limit of 50 mph or higher; the flow of traffic is 10 mph or slower; and so long as the motorcyclist does not go faster than 10 mph than the traffic around them.
There are also a number of situations when lane sharing wouldn’t be allowed, like next to bicycles, in school zones, and through cross walks.
This marks a big step of the effort to legalize lane-sharing in Oregon, as two years ago the same effort died in committee, despite its strong bi-partisan support.
The hope now is that Oregon can take this bill to the finish line, and begin to show that motorcycles offer unique transportation solutions to the Beaver State, which will then allow these basic provisions to be expanded upon by future bills.
Of note, California has been practicing safe and legal motorcycle lane sharing for decades now, and the Golden State recently codified the practice. Still, the uptake of lane sharing in other jurisdictions in the United States has been literally zero.
This is despite strong research that the practice increases safety, helps reduce traffic load, and is better for the environment. Hopefully in 2021, the State of Oregon will pass SB 574 and set a precedent for other states to follow.
Asphalt & Rubber urges our readers in Oregon to contact their representatives to let them know that they should pass SB 574. You can do so, very easily, via the Lane Share Oregon website.
Source: Lane Share Oregon
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