New City Manager says he will Walk or Bike to City Hall

Welcome receptions are love-fests, right? Everybody's putting their best foot forward.

Well, that's a very nice foot forward.

Welcome to town, City Manager Powers.

Bike Map from Crestview to City Hall

The article said Steve Powers was in the process of buying a house on Crestview Drive, so it seems fair to comment on the commute. Crestview, like it sounds, is on the crest of the hill above Candelaria school. Given that as the crow flies it's not very distant at all from downtown and City Hall, it also fairly encapsulates some of the challenges for people on foot and on bike in Salem.

Though Crestview is an attractive low-traffic street for walking or biking, it is in an enclave bounded by River Road, Commercial/Liberty, and the cemetery. Maybe more than anything, this will give City Hall first-hand experience on the barrier posed by the Cemetery.

With a Cemetery connection, continuous and very lovely low-traffic route is possible. But without that, a person has to contend with very busy roads.

It's also hilly, and maps might not reveal how much hill-climbing will be necessary on foot or on bike.

A person who walks or bikes regularly from Crestview will have an effective first-hand experience of the challenges for non-auto travel in Salem. Not all of them of course, but a decent enough sample.

Hopefully he will be a voice for a more balanced transportation system.

Cheers, and Good Luck, Manager Powers!