After 28 years in the heart of the Oregon State campus, TEAM OREGON Motorcycle Safety Program moved into a new home – the former DMV field office in South Corvallis. With Marys Peak in the background, hawks and opsreys overhead and plenty of parking, Oregon’s motorcycle safety center is poised to grow along with the demand for rider training.
In 2009, the state legislature passed a law requiring all new motorcycle riders to take a training course, based on age, phased in over five years. For 2013, that means all new motorcycle riders age 50 and younger will be required to complete an approved course. The requirement has increased annual student enrollment dramatically, with 12,000 students in 2012, up from fewer than 9,000 in 2010. More than 17,000 are anticipated in 2015.
In its first year, the newly remodeled facility served as a waypoint for hundreds of riders participating in motorcycle events such as the Jackson Street Shelter Rally for Homeless Youth, the fallen officer Chris Kilcullen Memorial Ride and the Oregon 500 Motorcycle Rally. TEAM OREGON welcomes opportunities like these to connect directly with motorcycle riders and engage them in discussions about riding safely.
The new location also makes it a snap for the PHHS outreach program to open its doors to the community. Students, instructors, partners and friends are encouraged to stop by any time. The office is located at 3550 SW Deschutes Street in Corvallis – two miles south of Marys River on Highway 99W; turn down McKenzie Street at milepost 86 and you can’t miss it.