City Council, August 9th (or, consider Short Track Racing!)

From a strictly bicycling standpoint, Council tonight doesn't offer anything very significant.

[Update - Walker caught the matter of the Subway on the corner of Columbia and Fairgrounds. See comment below.]

So we'll get to that in a minute.

Instead, head on out to the fairgrounds for the Salem Mountain Bike Short Track Series! Usually it's the racers and not the organizers who get all the love. Here Jeff & Jesse tally results from the first race. Thanks for putting this on, guys!

Here's a shot from the Salem, Oregon Daily Photo Diary (check out the high-res images over there!). There's a full gallery here of individual racers.

So, back to Council...On the Urban Renewal Agency agenda is an update from the Downtown Advisory Board regarding the Downtown Strategic Action Plan.

It's not very long, but it is notable that "access to downtown...especially for bikes and pedestrians" is one item. Also interesting is that while "parking can be a challenge, it is unclear whether there is a true parking problem." There are several other good and encouraging things in it, and it's worth a brief look.

There's also an item on the Salem Renewable Energy and Technology Center. It would be the

the first amendment to [the Center's] Codes, Covenants, and Restrictions, applying certain restrictions to wetlands and riparian areas in Tracts A, B, and a portion of Parcel 2

It appears it might be related to Councilor Tesler's concerns about oak savanna preservation. It's not strictly transportation related, but it does touch on our city government's commitment to sustainability.