News & Notes for the Politically Motivated Motorcyclists  

June 2003

 

News & Notes for the Politically Motivated Motorcyclists is a monthly service compiled and edited by the AMA Government Relations Staff to keep motorcyclists informed of happenings around the world. We welcome your news & views. Please submit all material to Terry Lee Cook, Government Relations Specialist, 13515 Yarmouth Drive , Pickerington , OH 43147 ; fax 614-856-1920 or e-mail to tcook@ama-cycle.org.

 

 

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) joins other OHV enthusiast organizations in being chosen as a partner in the revamped Take Pride in America (TPIA) initiative. The AMA joins the other new partners, which includes motorized and non-motorized recreational groups, civic organizations, and wildlife and conservation organizations.

            Acting under the direction of the White House, Secretary of Interior Gale Norton re-launched the TPIA initiative on Wednesday, April 16 at the National Press Club in Washington , DC .  The AMA is one of 100 Charter Partners that were invited to become a vital part of the new program.

Originally created in 1985, TPIA had been dormant since 1993. It was originally conceived to help Americans appreciate their public lands and heighten interest in volunteerism.

“TPIA will empower volunteers from every corner of America to restore and improve our parks, refuges, recreation areas and cultural and historical sites. The program inspires citizen stewardship through a bold and innovative public communication campaign. Outstanding volunteer efforts are rewarded with presidential recognition," Norton said at the National Press Club address.

A new website for TPIA (www.takepride.gov) has been formed. Local OHV clubs should use the website to demonstrate what great volunteers OHV enthusiasts are and gain recognition as good citizens and caring users of public lands.

            TPIA will have four core programs: 1) Deterrence of vandalism and theft of natural and cultural resources and promotion of an appropriate outdoor ethic. 2) Solicitation and recognition of volunteerism on public lands, including state and national awards. 3) Increased awareness of the shared legacy all Americans share in our Great Outdoors. 4) Ensure that American children, either through family or organizations ranging from scouts to schools, are afforded an introduction to the shared legacy of the Great Outdoors.

            Some of the other motorized groups who have signed on as Charter Partners for Take Pride in America include the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC), Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), Specialty Vehicle Industry Association (SVIA), American Recreation Coalition (ARC), Americans for Responsible Recreation Access (ARRA), Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) and the American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA).

 

 

Maine legislators have amended LD-819 (HP-596), a bill that would have restricted all motor vehicles, including motorcycles, to no more than a 95 dBA noise limit. The AMA government relations department contacted Representative Terrence McKenney (R-Cumberland), author of the bill, and the Maine Office of Policy and Legal Analysis to seek an exemption for motorcycles. The AMA pointed out that motorcycles, even though classified as "motor vehicles" in Maine , are permitted to emit greater than 95 dBA and should be exempted in this bill. The bill was amended and motorcycles are specifically exempted.

 

 

The National Recreational Trails Fund was established in 1991 by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). The Trails Fund was designed to return a portion of the estimated $167 million in federal fuel taxes paid by off-highway recreation users-such as fuel used by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s), off-highway vehicles (OHV’s) and off-road light trucks, to the states for both motorized and non-motorized trail-related projects, including trail reconstruction and maintenance.

In 1998, the Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty-First Century (TEA-21) significantly expanded this very successful program, now known as the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). The RTP has contract spending authority in the amount of $270 million over six years, with half divided equally among the states and the other half distributed in proportion to the estimated tax revenue from off-highway recreational fuel use in each state.

The AMA is urging Congress to increase the funding levels of the RTP to $858 million within the TEA-21 reauthorization process.

The AMA believes that trails are an essential element in the nation’s growing effort to address preventable public-health threats, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, associated with inactivity-related obesity. Research has shown that having trails available to a community increases the levels of physical activity. Substantial investment in trails through increased funding for the RTP is an appropriate response to the public-health crisis, a crisis now estimated as causing $180 billion in additional medical costs and 300,000 premature deaths annually! A special effort should be made to improve and expand trails on federally-managed lands, which are readily accessible to large numbers of people, either because they are nearby population centers or are along well-traveled routes.

The AMA encourages you to support an increase in RTP funding within the TEA-21 reauthorization process by visiting the Rapid Response section of www.AMADirectlink.com and sending an electronic message to your members of Congress.

 

 

Georgia legislators are crafting appropriation legislation to establish its fiscal year 2004 budget. Deep cuts have been proposed for state agencies, including $884,400 from the budget of the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles Motorcycle Safety Program. Your help is urgently needed to preserve this valuable program.

A senate sub-committee is currently reviewing all options to establish a balanced budget for the state. NOW is the time to contact the Senate Appropriations Committee and your state senator to tell them you oppose a cut in funding for the Motorcycle Safety Program.

Your letter of concern should be sent to The Honorable Jack Hill, Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee, State Capitol, Atlanta , GA 30334 . You may also contact Senator Hill’s office by calling at 404-656-5038 and/or sending e-mail to jhill@legis.state.ga.us.

An additional letter of concern should be sent to your senator at the Georgia Senate, State Capitol, Atlanta , GA 30334 .  Tell Chairman Hill and your senator the Motorcycle Safety Program is about saving lives. Tell them rider education works.

 

 

Texas Senate Bill 155 continues to advance through the state legislature. The proposed ban would still prohibit the operation of a motor vehicle in or on “the bottom, bed or bank of any river or stream”.

Despite proponents’ claims to the contrary, SB 155 is not about environmental protection– it’s about denying access to hundreds of thousands of Texans. SB 155 has passed the Senate and is now being considered by the House of Representatives. Please urge your state representative to oppose SB 155 and support the formation of a statewide OHV program.

 

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a proposed survey (U.S DOT Docket Number NHTSA-2003-14375) that the agency claims is committed to developing effective programs that can reduce the incidence of motorcycle crashes.

Recently, NHTSA sponsored an effort to assess future needs regarding motorcycle safety. Recommendations from the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS) indicated that additional research is needed to determine rider characteristics and factors leading to motorcycle crashes. NHTSA notes this proposed study supports the NAMS and future efforts to reduce motorcycle injuries and deaths by providing updated information about rider operator characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors. Of particular interest will be comparisons of the training, experience, attitudes, and behaviors of those operators who have been involved in crashes versus those who have not.

The proposed survey will be administered using face-to-face interviews. Motorcycle operators, both licensed and non-licensed will be included, with a special emphasis on riders over 40 years of age. Participation by respondents will be strictly voluntary. The basic interview will vary from 8–10 minutes; whereas for crash involved operators, an additional 5 minutes of questions will be administered. The average interview should last approximately 12 minutes.

The findings from this proposed survey would assist NHTSA in addressing the problem of motorcycle operator safety. NHTSA would use the findings to help focus current programs and activities to achieve the greatest benefit, to develop new programs, to decrease the likelihood of such crashes, and to provide informational support to states, localities, law enforcement agencies, and motorcyclists that will aid them in their efforts to reduce motorcyclist crashes, injuries and fatalities.

Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of NHTSA, including whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of NHTSA’s estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments must be received on or before June 30, 2003 .

 

 

Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) has proposed, and House Bill 1245 has been filed, known as the “Motorcyclists Matter” bill, modeled on legislation in the AMA’s "Motorcyclists Matter" campaign. This bill seeks an increase in penalties for motorists who violate the right-of-way of motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians, and cause serious bodily injuries or death.  HB 1245 has been posted on the General Court website (http://www.state.ma.us/legis) and is scheduled for a pubic hearing before the Joint Committee on Criminal Justice May 28, 2003 .

MMA has been in contact with leaders of bicycle and pedestrian groups in Massachusetts , and will be working together to enact this or similar legislation.

MMA, AMA Community Councils, and other interested riders will be lobbying for this and other legislation on May 22^nd, when the MMA sponsors ROAR to Beacon Hill from 11-1 p.m. in Nurses Hall, Room 222.

 

 

AMA Community Council - Metro Richmond (VA) Co-Chairman David Jennings has been invited to attend a state level work group by Transportation Commissioner Philip Shucet to discuss the specific needs of Virginia ’s motorcyclists.

 

 

Connecticut Senate Bill 851 could have serious consequences for motorcycle and ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) enthusiasts.

SB 851 would require a biennial $30 registration and the display of registration numbers for all ATVs. (Off-highway motorcycles are included in the state’s definition of ATV.) The legislation would also require that all riders who are at least 12 years old obtain, and carry on their person, a “safe all-terrain vehicle certificate” from the state Department of Environmental Protection to ride on state-designated ATV routes. Riders under 12 would continue to be barred from state lands.

Generally, the AMA supports state off-highway vehicle registration programs. Often these programs provide money for rider education as well as trail construction and maintenance. Indeed, SB 851 purports to set money aside within the Conservation Fund from registrations as the “all-terrain vehicle account”. However, the legislation does not specifically disclose how the state will meet its obligation to use the motorized recreation community’s money wisely and appropriately.

This vagueness has caused much concern about SB 851 among Connecticut ’s off-highway riders. The New England Trail Rider Association (NETRA) issued a long summary of its concerns including: vague prohibition of riding which affects the habitat of endangered/threatened species or even “species of special concern;” age requirements not consistent with federal standards; ATV registration and rider certification fees not dedicated to rider training and trail projects; rider certification requirements that doesn’t endorse a nationally recognized curriculum; helmet requirements, noise restrictions and lighting requirements that are not consistent with federal standards; and the display of registration numbers not being possible on many machines.

SB 851 is currently before the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. Please write to the chairpersons of the committee, Sen. Eileen M. Daily, Room 3700, Legislative Office Building , Hartford , CT 06106 and Rep. Andrea L. Stillman, Room 3703, Legislative Office Building , Hartford , CT 06106 . Urge them not to advance this legislation without first amending it to rectify the concerns of motorized recreationists; then send a similar message to your state representative and senator.

 

 

North Carolina House Bill 965, sponsored by Representative Dewey Hill (D-Whiteville) and co-sponsored by Representatives Walter Church, Sr. (D-Valdese) and Louis Pate, Jr. (R-Mount Olive), proposes additional penalties for motor vehicle operators convicted of right-of-way violations that result in injury or death. North Carolina House Bill 965, patterned on AMA Motorcyclists Matter model legislation, passed the House 04/30/03 and was sent to the Senate 05/01/03 for consideration.

            Your letter in support of HB-965 should be addressed to your representative at the North Carolina House of Representatives, State Legislature Building , Raleigh , NC 27601-1096 and to your senator at the North Carolina Senate, State Legislature Building , Raleigh , NC 27603-2808 .

 

 

The US Department of Interior informed Congress it intends to halt all reviews of its western land holdings for new wilderness protection and to withdraw that protected status from some 3 million acres in Utah .

By suspending wilderness reviews, the department would limit the amount of land held by its Bureau of Land Management eligible for wilderness protection at 22.8 million acres nationwide. Congress, however, could order additional areas protected.

The wilderness decisions Secretary Gale Norton advised Congress about are contained in a legal settlement of a lawsuit brought by Utah . The settlement must be approved by federal judge in Utah , who also has yet to rule on efforts by environmentalists to intervene in the case.