Bridge to Work in the Paper Today!

Bridge to Work Day was great fun, and Dennis Thompson from the Statesman has a nice piece in today's paper. There's a sweet shot of City Councilor Dan Clem on the Eneloop bicycle! (We have more pix, but they are temporarily stuck on the camera! We'll post them later this week or next.) The coverage is especially nice to see considering the Election Day ink! The article leads with the great truth:

People strolling or biking across the rain-slicked Union Street Railroad Bridge on Tuesday morning were treated to blue skies, fresh air and a relaxing trip across the Willamette River.

A little farther up the river, cars clogged the Center Street Bridge as West Salem commuters jockeyed for position.

It was the contrast city and state officials hoped for when they declared Tuesday to be Bridge to Work Day for West Salem residents.

Later he quotes Clem:

City Councilor Dan Clem, who helped organize Bridge to Work Day, took the Eneloop on an extended spin through West Salem, across the bridge and into downtown.

"I rode up to Orchard Heights and zipped past all the cars waiting in traffic, waving at them," Clem said.

Clem helped organize and promote the event as a way to help relieve congestion on the Center Street Bridge.

"If people ask me what we're doing for congestion, I have an answer," he said. "I'd sure like to see you use the bridge as much as you can."

As many as 94,000 vehicles drive across the Marion and Center street bridges on an average weekday.

Walk or Bike as much as you can to avoid drive-alone trips. It's just that simple!

Thanks Councilor Clem!

(Photo: Kobbi R. Blair, Statesman Journal. Looking down Union Street towards the east, you can see the traffic lights at Front and High, and the cars stacked up on Commercial. Working on direct and intuitive connections down this straight shot of Union are one of the next steps for the bridge connectivity. Union at Commercial is especially tricky.)