Super-Size Me! Open House on Wallace at Glen Creek Project

Tomorrow night learn about the intersection widening for Glen Creek and Wallace Road.

It might be the most important City road bond project (background analysis here) for people who walk and bike. This is an $11+ million project that will significantly enlarge the intersection and put more cars through it.

If you think it's difficult to cross the roads now, just wait until Wallace has 7 travel lanes and Glen Creek has 6. Getting to Roth's, the Post Office, the Library, the Transit Center, or the Union St. RR Bridge will be that much trickier for people who live in West Salem. It really makes the moat much deeper and wider.

(Click to enlarge)

5 car travel lanes will be added to 3 directions of travel through the intersection.

While the bike lanes will be transitioned across the right-turn only lanes, on the far side of the intersection the bike lane transition across merging traffic is not striped or otherwise marked. The transition across two lanes of right-turning traffic from Glen Creek looks especially tricky.

In considering the project, it is important to remember that Wallace and Glen Creek was the number one site in the City for reported crashes involving bicycles. It is unlikely that these changes make the intersection safer for people on foot or on bike, and it is far from clear that these changes even maintain the existing level of problematic safety.

In all likelihood, these treatments will make the intersection less safe for people on foot and on bike. They will also encourage drive-alone car trips and increase congestion on the bridges.

In addition to going to the Open House, email City Councilor Dan Clem (dclem@cityofsalem.net) to let him know your concerns about safe crossing for people on bike and on foot.

From the SJ:

An open house scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, will address the Glen Creek Road and Wallace Road NW project. The open house will be held in the West Salem Library, 395 Glen Creek Road NW, behind Roth’s.

Everyone is invited to stop by and learn about the project, ask questions, express concerns, meet the project manager Ralph Lambert from the City of Salem and ODOT project leader Jim Cook and register to get updates.

For information, contact Lambert at (503) 588-6211, rlambert@cityofsalem.net or Cook at (503) 986-2865, james.d.cook@odot.state.or.us.

And if you live in South Salem, don't forget about tonight's meeting on Kuebler!