VOL. 53 ISSUE 26 JULY 6, 2016 P25
CALIFORNIA LANE-SPLITTING
BILL MOVES FORWARD
T
he lane-splitting bill (A.B. 51) passed the
California state senate committee on transpor-
tation and housing and moved through the Appro-
priations Committee to the full Senate.
The proposed legislation would formally legalize
lane splitting. The practice has been condoned by
law enforcement for years because no law pro-
hibits it. A.B. 51 was modified by state Assembly-
man Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) for the 2016 legislative
session to remove specific speed restrictions
proposed in 2015. The revised bill defines lane
splitting and authorizes the California Highway
Patrol to develop educational guidelines for safely
splitting lanes.
In developing those guidelines, the CHP would
work with the state Department of Motor Vehicles,
the Department of Transportation, the Office
of Traffic Safety and a motorcycle organization
focused on motorcycle safety. The AMA supports
this bill. CN
PARIS,
FRANCE, BANS
MOTORCYCLES
J
uly 1 marks the first day that
motorcycles built before 2000 are
banned from the streets of Paris,
France on weekdays as part of a plan to
reduce vehicle emissions and improve
air quality.
The ban is in effect between 8 a.m.
and 8 p.m. The ban also includes
cars and trucks built before January 1,
1997. The anti-pollution measures are
scheduled to expand through 2020,
when cars registered before 2011 and
motorcycles registered before July 2004
will be banned from the city. Owners of
banned vehicles can receive as much
as $452 toward purchase of an electric
bicycle and half-price subscriptions to
one of two bicycle-sharing services. CN
GOOD NEWS FOR
MINNESOTA TRAIL
RIDERS
A
multi-use trail system on a 2000-acre parcel in Crow
Wing County in Minnesota received approval in June
from the County Board.
The proposal designates trails in the Mississippi River
Northwoods using existing forest roads and motorized trails
carved through the property when the land was privately
owned. The project now goes to the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources for consideration for funding from the
Off-Highway Vehicle Trails Assistance Program. CN
Minnesota might
be getting some
more trails to ride
on, and that's
always good
news.
