So to be brief. The key question is whether the path would connect homes to jobs and commercial districts - does it function as a transportation corridor?(Previous discussion here and here. Map: google bike layer in green.)
What is most disappointing is that the City didn't go out to transportation advocates earlier in the process to solicit feedback that might be useful crafting a proposal that better meets the requirements of the Flex Fund program and Salem's own 21st century transportation needs. The recreational path AND connections to jobs and housing for people who would like greater mobility choice.
What's on the table is old-school. What might have looked visionary in 1975 is pallid in 2011.
* The board of the URA has the same membership as City Council.
2 comments:
Absolutely. It is a plan lost in the shag carpeting, overdosed on Tang. Sigh.... Maybe, just maybe, something can be done before shovels hit the ground???
The Minto Trail will provide a great recreational opportunity and the city's commitment to connecting downtown to Minto Island is laudable. However, as you note, it is very difficult to see how the circuitous trail will provide a transportation resource for any significant number of people.
The grant criteria place a premium on projects that provide valuable links for multi-modal transportation. It sure would be interesting to see what, if anything beyond wishful thinking and hallucinations, city staff have that lead them to believe that the grant application will be competitive for this particular source of funds.
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