At City Council on Monday

Monday night Council will touch on four transportation related matters.

At 5:30pm they will get an update on the Salem Rivercrossing process. This is a half-billion dollar project to place a highway-style bridge across the river. If you are concerned about the possibility of overbuilding a bridge, of designing one that is less safe, harms neighborhoods, increases greenhouse gas emissions, and fails to anticipate changing community transportation needs, consider attending the meeting or watching the video stream. This is the single biggest infrastructure project considered in the region, dwarfs the current road bond by a factor of five, and will have large impacts over the next century. It's too important not to pay attention to it!

Then, at the regular 6:30pm start are three other matters.

Last month at City Council, Sustainable Fairview presented their latest Refinement Plan for developing the Fairview Training Center parcel. One of the interesting things about it was its proposed use of sharrows on a proposed collector-level street.

The matter of vacating portion of Strong Road for the creation of that new collector street will go before Council on Monday.

Council will also be asked to adopt the first set of legislative positions from the Legislative Committee. The committee strongly opposes Senate Bill 1059, which would create a "process for adoption and implementation of plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by motor vehicles." The bill, came from last session's House Bill 2186, Metropolitan Planning Organization Greenhouse Gas Emissions Task Force. Particularly in light of the City's recent Community Energy Forum and interest in a sustainable energy strategy, it is disappointing to see the City take a position inconsistent with its energy goals. Let the City Manager and City Council know that supporting SB 1059 is a good thing!

Finally, the multi-use path between the Union St. RR Bridge to Glen Creek Road continues to make progress. Before Council will be the matter of the 11% match for Federal Funds. Details here and here. The path will help make more intuitive connections between the Bridge and Glen Creek road.