New Funding may Boost Safe Routes Planning: At the MPO

The Technical Advisory Committee for SKATS, our local Metropolitan Planning Organization, meets next week, and they'll be talking about Safe Routes to Schools.

The Legislature just funded Safe Routes with $10 million annually. That's statewide, though, and competition for funding will be very competitive. It will be interesting to see how far it actually goes. While the Street Trust and others have been quick to trumpet the feat and funding level, as a practical matter I think it is going to be disappointing when we see how thinly it ends up being spread statewide. Still, that funding level is effectively a huge jump from nothing - that's an "infinite" increase!

Locally, you may remember that Hallman Elementary has struggled with a Safe Routes program, and that the whole Bike and Walk Salem project was supposed to generate a city-wide Safe Routes plan. Here and there, there have been little spurts of Safe Routes planning and even programming, but nothing like a sustained and coordinated effort.

At the SKATS meeting there's no specific action on the agenda, but it's very nice to see "the discussion of how to prepare and coordinate to apply for these funds."

Maybe we are at an inflection point and this will change.

Even if we aren't successful in securing funding from this particular source, the planning for it will yield actionable plans that can be funded by other means. This should take Safe Routes planning here locally to another level.

Planning for the 2021-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program is also beginning.

At the most general level, the first matter for ODOT is to settle "the big question," the general proportion and priority for different kinds of projects.

Not directly on the agenda here, ODOT also has a survey out soliciting public opinion on "the big question."

Part of the survey

It's good to see an expression of "fix it first" at the very top, but "reducing traffic congestion" is also at the top, and that gets resolved to "build more highway" rather than "make it easy not to drive." Those items like "public transportation," "sidewalks and bike lanes," and "Amtrak service" are buried at the bottom of the list.

Check it out and add your two cents!

SKATS will also be making comment to ODOT and the OTC on priorities. At the moment they are likely to advocate for "highway expansion" and "free-flow" more than reducing congestion by making it easy not to drive. The Salem River Crossing is of course their idee fixe.

When will we really start to act on safety?
It has to mean driving less and more slowly.
From 2015, and little has changed.

The TAC will also be talking about:

• Safety Performance Measures (See an early discussion from 2016 here)
• The OR-22/Mission Street project (notes on the Open House last year here)

Look for the historic sign
next to the entry

You can download the agenda and meeting packet here.

SKATS Technical Advisory Committee meets Tuesday the 8th, at 1:30pm. SKATS is at 100 High St. SE, Suite 200, above Andaluz Kitchen and Table Five 08.