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[GregKhougaz]

Proving once again the government is run by "C" students or below:

AMA: CHP Forced to Remove Lane-Splitting Guidelines from Website

A single complaint from a Sacramento man has forced the California Highway Patrol and other state government agencies to remove information from their websites that was intended to help motorcyclists safely execute the allowed lane-splitting maneuver.

Kenneth Mandler, a longtime state employee who now conducts training sessions on how to get a state job, petitioned the California Office of Administrative Law in 2013, claiming the CHP created an “underground regulation” by formulating and distributing guidelines for safe lane splitting.

Lane splitting, also called lane filtering, is the practice of riding a motorcycle or scooter between lanes of stopped or slowly moving traffic. The practice has been permitted in California for decades and no statute prohibits it. No other state allows the maneuver.

The CHP posted its guidelines with the intention of helping motorcyclists and motorists understand safe practices and to discourage unsafe lane splitting.

“Some have interpreted the recently published Motorcycle Lane Splitting Guidelines as rules, laws or regulations that could or would be enforced by the department,” according to a CHP statement. “The guidelines were never intended for this purpose and were prepared simply as common sense traffic safety tips and to raise public awareness.”

The Office of Administrative Law sided with Mandler, noting that CHP Commissioner J. A. Farrow certified that his department would not “issue, use, enforce, or attempt to enforce the public education information.” The OAL determined that posting the guidelines on the website was “issuing” them.

“By forcing the California Highway Patrol to remove its guidelines, Mr. Mandler and the Office of Administrative Law are denying the public vital safety information,” said Nick Haris, AMA western states representative and a member of the California Motorcyclist Safety Program Advisory Committee, which helped write the guidelines.

“Lane splitting is still allowed, and motorcyclists are still using this long-recognized riding technique to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety,” Haris said. “But now, neither riders nor motorists have a place to turn for authoritative guidelines on the practice.”

The AMA supports the continued use of safe lane splitting in California and the implementation of lane-splitting laws in other states, coupled with extensive rider and driver education programs.

The AMA position statement reads, in part: “Reducing a motorcyclist’s exposure to vehicles that are frequently accelerating and decelerating on congested roadways can be one way to reduce front- and rear-end collisions for those most vulnerable in traffic.”

Denny Kobza, of the Bay Area Riders’ Forum and a member of the California Motorcyclist Safety Program Advisory Committee, said he was extremely disappointed that the CHP was forced to take down the guidelines.

“It is very disturbing that one person can affect three years of hard work,” Kobza said. “We put a lot of hard work into those guidelines, because lane splitting is a safer way to go than waiting for a motorist to make a mistake.”

Kobza said he has full faith in the California Highway Patrol’s continued advocacy for motorcycle safety, and he hopes the guidelines can be reposted to state government websites soon.

[owl893]

Thanks Greg, good get.  This was inevitable (IMO) as cagers view the practice as "butting into the front of the line" rather than traffic congestion relief. Moreover, cars that "squeeze" the split and/or fake a door opening, exacerbate the issue.

I've been in a car in congestion and on the bike; gotta admit it is annoying when you have waited your turn to get to the front of that "single lane ahead" flagman only to have someone from back in the pack pass you up.  On the other hand, the less vehicles in the line makes the line move more quickly. During rush hour in high traffic cities this is a big "road rage" issue . The fact that it is still legal, just harder to obtain clear guidelines, will only make matters worse. 

As far as a small group enforcing their will on others; unfortunately that is our new world. The Washington Redskins are receiving their lesson right now.

OWL

[JCZ]

I don't know about a "C" student or below Greg.....but he is a Harvard University graduate.  I just found this on his linkdin page:

Ken Mandler's Overview
Current Job Coach at State Job Workshops
Past Owner/Editor/Publisher at Capitol Weekly Corporation
Founder/President/Owner at Legi-Tech
Education Harvard University Graduate School of Design
University of California, Berkeley
Connections
3 connections



Ken Mandler's Experience






Job Coach

State Job Workshops



January 2006 – Present (8 years 7 months) Sacramento, California Area

I help people get great jobs with the State of California. Over the past 6 years, I've helped over 1,800 people land jobs through my coaching. I hold monthly workshops in Sacramento on the state job process.
 



Owner/Editor/Publisher

Capitol Weekly Corporation

Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Publishing industry

January 1988 – December 2005 (18 years) Sacramento, California Area

Capitol Weekly focused on state government issues in Sacramento, California.




Founder/President/Owner

Legi-Tech



January 1981 – December 1988 (8 years) Sacramento, California Area

Legi-Tech was a time-sharing legislative information system provided to lobbyists, state agencies, unions and corporations.
 


Ken Mandler's Education




Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Master of City & Regional Planning, City & Regional Planning

1976 – 1978




University of California, Berkeley

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Forestry

1972 – 1976

[2k]

Helping people land jobs with the State? Is that a little like welfare fraud?
What ever happened to ' the best qualified person gets the job'

[grc]

Helping people land jobs with the State? Is that a little like welfare fraud?
What ever happened to ' the best qualified person gets the job'

 

Landing jobs in local or state government in my neck of the woods doesn't involve anything even remotely related to actual "qualifications".  Patronage is still the name of the game, and if you can get out the vote for your favorite crook politician, you can get a nice cushy sit on your butt and do nothing government job.  It really works well.  My county government alone employs nearly 1800 people, and yet the county hands out huge contracts every year to connected businesses to perform the work that is supposed to be performed by some of those 1800 people on the payroll.  The same thing can be seen in the towns and cities, as well as the state government.

Jerry

[lowflight]

Those of you in CA should encourage your elected folks at the State level to pass a law that tells the CHP to publish the "guide lines", very easily done as addendum somewhere.

[GregKhougaz]

And the beat goes on:  California Motorcyclists. Lanes Aren’t For Splitting. Or Are They?