Open House for 25th and Madrona Wednesday Afternoon; Tell them to Think about Bikes

The City sent out an announcement about a Wednesday Open House for the project at 25th and Madrona:

July 22 Open House: Madrona/25th Street Intersection Improvements
The open house will be held July 22 at Fire Station No. 6 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. An invitation was sent to more than 780 area property owners and residents who may be impacted by the Madrona/25th Street intersection improvements. Construction of the improvements may require a five month closure in 2016.

Council approved Street sand Bridges Bond Measure and State of Oregon Immediate Opportunity Grant funding for the project in June 2013. Interested residents who are unable to attend can contact Gary Myzak at 50588-6211 or gmyzak@cityofsalem.net

Here's an old concept map from a couple of years ago, and there may be refinements that have not yet been shared.

Project Scope on 25th and Madrona

Though there's some embroidery about "safety," the project is really about free and easy  and fast truck traffic for the agricultural processing plant. From last year:

Project goes from railroad tracks to 25th St. on Madrona, also part of 25th and 22nd St. Westech is consulting group, facilitated by Norpac. Used bond savings of $5M, and $1M from state because of Norpac involvement.

Will be curving road south of Madrona to mitigate impact on wetland, also makes it easier for trucks to turn; so helping airport (since encroaching on their property). Intersection will be signalized with yield for right turn heading to Mission on 25th south of Madrona, signal will trip for turns left. Bike lanes taper out after intersection when on to 25th. 45 MPH design speed for roads leading to intersection, 40 MPH design speed through intersection to minimize impact to Pringle Creek. Curve will be banked. Need new box culvert to handle 100 yr flood that goes over the road. Raising road so that flooding won’t happen.

Stretch of 22nd street is only feasible if they have money left over, can do this now because railroad spur is gone. May not be able to afford it, but property owners want it. City passed new stormwater standards, they will be meeting those with bioswales. Timing: Right of way acquisition in fall, utilities in 2015, bid 2016, street construction in spring-fall 2016. Still evaluating if they can get it done in one year. Culvert put in while maintaining traffic is most difficult part.

Look at handout for Aaron’s phone number/email for questions. Traffic won’t necessarily increase; Norpac not making more product, just changing shipping routes. Planners still looking at bike lane options. [italics on crazy speeds added - why such a high design speed for semi-truck/trailer traffic??? This "forgiveness" will just encourage speeding!]

One real problem with the project is that meaningful numbers of agricultural employees commute to processing sites by bike, and the project may not contain an appropriate level of multi-modal, whole street design. The 40mph+ design speeds alone are problematic.

Even the meeting site is in a bicycling black hole on 25th Street.

Fire Station 6 on 25th at Airport

Consider letting the City know that this project can't be for truck traffic only.

Update, July 22nd

Updated plan concept - July 2015

25th and Madrona intersection detail - July 2015

The section of bike lane at the "pork chop"/median makes me nervous. On the OR-22 Pringle Parkway between Winter and Church, the curves have sections where the bike lane striping is totally eroded by trucks hugging the corner too tightly and encroaching on the bike lane itself. I suspect trucks here on Madrona and 25th will also take the gentle curve too fast and this will make for uncomfortable and even unsafe bike lanes. The pork shop also permits a north-bound, right-turn slip lane, and bike traffic merging across that will be very vulnerable. The turning radius on this slip lane also suggests truck traffic will hug the corner tightly and erode the bike lane striping.

This might be a candidate site for more physical separation or barriers between the motor vehicle travel lane and bike lanes.