Final Cordon-Kuebler Plan Finally Published

About a month ago the County finally published the final report on the Cordon-Kuebler Corridor Plan. (Find it under "Transportation Plans" here.) The project website hadn't been updated since November 2022, then it was deleted from the web. Meeting notes suggested the plan had been finished early last fall. But here it is, with a February date. Maybe it needed some last-minute edits.

To supersize Kuebler Blvd and Turner Road
(Remember, a big housing project is just south of here!)

Finally out

Broadly speaking it seeks enlarge the road, and in some places to supersize it.

Alarming warming in our ocean (NY Times)

New record

Not only in the introductory "goals and purpose" section, but throughout the whole of the summary report, there are zero instances of the words "climate" or "emissions." It is wholly disconnected from the Salem Climate Action Plan. Since this is primarily a County document, and they had already telegraphed their intentions, this is not surprising, though it is still disappointing.

Not a surprise: Silent on emissions

Most of the preferred alternative would widen the road to four auto travel lanes (yellow and purple cross-sections). 

The overall concept

North of Silverton Road, about a third of the whole, the corridor would retain two auto travel lanes (teal and brick red).

Cross-section detail

The summary gives a few pages of cost estimates on small project segments, but does not total sections by jurisdiction, cross-section, or a grand total for the whole length.

Nearly $300 million total

Summing them separately in a spreadsheet yields nearly $300 million. There is no funding identified for this wish list.

See previous notes on the project here. In particular:

• "Cordon-Kuebler Corridor Study Already Hinders Climate Goals" (2022)
• "Our CAP calls for Supporting Alternative No. 3 in Cordon-Kuebler Corridor Study" (2022)
• "Cordon Road Study Thumbs Nose at Climate: At the MPO" (2023)