There are days when Aloha motorcycle commuter Ken Smith smiles when he comes upon a traffic jam.

He hits the throttle instead of the brake, threading his Suzuki M50 between long lines of idling cars.

Of course, those days are during his road trips to California – the only state in the union that allows the controversial practice of "lane-splitting" by motorcycle riders.

Back home in Oregon, however, the day may be coming when Smith and the state's other 204,800 endorsed motorcycle riders will be able to squeeze through daily gridlock in the same way.

On Friday, the

will decide whether or not to pay for a poll to gauge the public's opinion about allowing lane-splitting, also known as lane-sharing and filtering.

A new

report found that lane-splitting, also known as lane-sharing and filtering, could reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as congestion.

Smith, 38, would be all for it, especially when he's sweltering in full protective gear on hot days.

During a summer trip to California, he was with four riders who moved freely between rows of stopped vehicles. They ended up swarming around cars at the front of the backup.

"I'm sure that wasn't appreciated," Smith said, "but it did make commuting on the bikes a little faster." But not all motorcycle riders are thrilled by the idea.

In fact, Team Oregon, the state's official motorcycle education program, is revving up opposition, saying the practice violates "core safety principles" and could stir hostility toward bikers.

In the thick of Tuesday's evening commute, motorcyclist Mark Lajoie found himself stuck in a backup on Southwest Yamhill Street in downtown Portland. Although there was room for him to motor up the middle of the two lanes of traffic, he said he wouldn't even if it were legal.

"I think it's dangerous," Lajoie said. "I really worry that a door would open on me or a driver not checking his blind spot would abruptly pull out."

Still, the state motorcycle safety committee thinks the issue is worth a look.

In the past decade, Oregon, like much of the United States, has experienced a large increase in motorcycle endorsements and registrations.

The greatest influx in motorcycle registration has happened in the Portland metro area, home to the state's worst daily traffic snarls.

Of Oregon's 133,800 registered motorcycles in 2009, 21,000 were owned by

residents, according to state Driver and Motor Vehicle records.

and

counties, meanwhile, had 14,000 each.

Responding to the desires of urban motorcyclists, state lawmakers have introduced proposals in 2001 and 2007 to change state statutes to permit lane-splitting. Neither bill made it to the floor.

"The idea is still out there," said Michele O'Leary, ODOT's motorcycle program manager.

The Governor's Advisory Committee for Motorcycle Safety, which advises the governor on road hazards and myriad other issues unique to motorcyclists, has budgeted $12,000 from motorcycle endorsements to conduct the public opinion poll.

The public can comment on the proposal at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the

, in Portland.

If the committee goes forward with the poll and finds support for the idea, it could recommend a change in traffic statute to the Legislature.

Team Oregon Director Steve Garets, however, said he would urge Gov.-elect John Kitzhaber to veto any such proposal.

Gartes said lane-splitting violates the core safety principle of motorcycle commuters keeping a "space cushion" between them and other road users. He also worries that zooming between vehicles stuck in traffic could stir negative attitudes toward motorcyclists they feel are cheating to get out of traffic jams.

"It doesn't take much," Garets said, "to move a car one foot or another to take out a motorcyclist,"

There has been scant research into the statistical crash risks of lane sharing in the United States. But the ODOT report quoted a 1981 study from California called the

conducted by researcher Harry Hurt, that showed lane sharing may actually reduce motorcycle collisions.

A similar study in the United Kingdom in 2004, however, found that motorists frequently turned their cars into bikers splitting lanes, even after decades of the practice being allowed.

Smith isn't convinced that lane-splitting is unsafe, especially since bikers tend to do it at low speeds around stalled traffic.

California has had the funding to commission a study focusing on lane-splitting in recent years. "I'm guessing," Smith said, "less accidents from lane sharing than from all other motor-vehicle against motorcycle accidents."

--