The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland
11 hours ago
Salem City Councilor Bob Cannon said he probably will resign before his term ends at the end of the year.
Cannon has represented Ward 7 in South Salem since appointed by the council in 2008.
Since November, however, Cannon has spent much of his time out of town in order to look after investments in Southern California and has attended council meetings via telephone.
"I will not be seeking reelection," Cannon said in a phone interview Thursday. "In all likelihood I will resign at or before the primary."....
Gail Achterman, a Portland lawyer and lifelong Oregonian whose record of public service spanned nearly 40 years in natural resources, environmental law and transportation policy, died Saturday of pancreatic cancer at age 62....This is a real loss for all of Oregon and a sad weekend for the Oregon Department of Transportation and fans of non-motorized transportation. Heartfelt condolences to friends and family.
She had recently retired as director of the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University and as chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission, having served for 10 years on the commission....
Achterman was born in Portland Aug. 1, 1949, grew up in Salem and attended Stanford University, where she received a degree in economics and was a three-sport athlete in basketball, track and swimming. She went on to obtain her law degree and master's in natural resource policy and management from the University of Michigan.
A Salem man died today from injuries he sustained after his bike was hit by a pickup.
Polk County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mark Garton said the incident occurred about 10:50 a.m. on Hopewell Road near Spring Valley Lane, about 10 miles northwest of Salem.
A Dodge Ram pickup was west on Hopewell Road when it hit the bike from behind. The impact threw David Apperson, 57, of Salem from his bike, Garton said.
Apperson was killed, Garton said. The driver of the pickup, John Taylor, 26, of Salem, cooperated with the investigation, Garton said.
Hopewell Road was closed for about four hours in the investigation. No criminal charges have been filed, Garton said.
To insure financial stability during the five-year forecast period, the City of Salem will need to reduce $10.5 million over the next three budget years, including $1 million from the current budget. Attendees will receive a presentation on the forecast and have the opportunity to provide input regarding budget priorities.In reading and rereading Jane Jacob's Death and Life of Great American Cities, I am repeatedly struck by a strand of deep, considered, and rather complicated conservatism in her writing. It is fertile and provocative, quite the opposite of the sound-bite excesses on both the Left and the Right.
Times and places of the meetings are as follows:
- Monday, January 30, 6-8 p.m., West Salem Roth’s
- Thursday, February 2, 6-8 p.m., South Salem High School library
- Monday, February 6, 6-8 p.m., Salem Coalition for Equality, 3850 Portland Road NE (Spanish speaking event)
- Wednesday, February 8, 6-8 p.m., Center 50+, 2615 Portland Road NE
Our expectation of plenty, and our expectation to pay only a portion of the full cost of growth, has led to a scarcity of resources. Our approach to land use now constrains us, growing our financial commitments at an alarming rate. It threatens real American prosperity with long-term economic stagnation and decline.
We can do better.
Come join us for the Second Annual Oregon Walk+Bike to School Retreat in Bend, Oregon June 21-23 as Oregonians interested in Walk + Bike to School and Safe Routes issues come together for an event that will give you an opportunity to access training*, learn best practices, network with others working on these issues, and work with us to create a strong state network.For complete information, see the BTA blog.
Please register by March 30th for the low price of $10/day (plus a $2 processing fee). Registration is limited to 100 participants due to space, so please register early to ensure your participation. Click HERE to register.
Vehicle Miles Traveled, Age Edition. cc: @citylab @e_jaffe http://t.co/YgMUdaXzle pic.twitter.com/lUHuUMXExR
— Oregon Econ Analysis (@OR_EconAnalysis) December 8, 2014
A Salem woman on a bicycle suffered minor injuries Friday when she was struck by a car in a downtown crosswalk.If you're interested in the issues around passing, Doug's got a good discussion.
Salem Police said Troyce Fortune, 22, of Salem, was hit by a car driven by Tanner Million, 20, also of Salem. The crash occurred on Court Street NE.
Other vehicles stopped as Fortune entered the crosswalk, police said. Million's car did not stop, hitting Fortune.
Million was issued a citation for passing a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk, police said.
A capital improvement plan (CIP) is a five-year plan for financing major public assets based on City-adopted master plans, goals and policies. The purpose of a CIP is to match scarce financial resources with the capital needs of a growing community and to preserve or enhance existing capital assets to provide efficient city services....The overall plan budgets about $142M spread over multiple categories.
The City Council’s role in the CIP begins each year with receiving the Preliminary CIP and setting a public hearing. In preparation for the public hearing, staff provides notice to the community in general and also communicates specifically with all neighborhood associations. At the public hearing, staff provides a presentation designed to educate both the City Council and the public about capital planning in general and the planned projects in particular. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the City Council votes to adopt the CIP either as presented or with whatever changes it deems appropriate. Whatever version of the CIP is adopted becomes the Adopted CIP. Staff completes the annual cycle by publishing the Adopted CIP.
The Willamette Heritage Center chose to exhibit a bicycle whose front wheel rises more than 4 feet high.
"Bicycles were a very liberating thing for women in the late 1800s," Booth said. "They were a form of transportation that women used as a form of empowerment." Among the innovations that followed: bloomer dresses so women could ride modestly and safely.
On Tuesday, Salem City Manager Linda Norris announced mid-year cuts in departments funded through the City’s General Fund. Salem is targeting spending reductions of at least $4 million to begin in the current fiscal year. Revenues for the current year are expected to be $1.1 million below budgeted levels and revenue projections for the next five years have been scaled back due to the prolonged economic slowdown.But you know, there is actually one area where we all can do more with less: Even AAA says having an extra car is expensive!
Preliminary estimates for mid-year adjustments include eliminating between 22 to 28 positions over the next five months. About half of the positions are currently filled, but others have been held vacant in anticipation of possible staffing reductions....
Planned reductions include police non-sworn staffing levels; parks maintenance; aquatics; planning services and projects; code enforcement; urban development program support; central services; staff training and overtime; and purchases of supplies and services.
The problem of American waists that are too big for seats meant to accommodate them is certainly not new. Today, everything from love seats to toilet seats can be built bigger to accommodate wider profiles, and the seats offered on public transportation are no different....Bigger and fewer seats makes transportation of all kinds more expensive.
“It’s clear that the U.S. population is getting heavier,” said Martin Schroeder, chief engineer for the American Public Transport Association and the committee’s chairman. “We are trying to get our hands on that and figure out what is the best average weight to use.”
State workers should realize that, because of premium share, they now have a personal stake in the health of their fellow employees.The Salem YMCA recently announced a community health project.
If the rates of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease continue to rise, then health care premiums will continue to rise. And that 5 percent health premium share will eat deeper and deeper into paychecks.
Any wellness plan that effectively promotes healthy living is a good thing for state workers' pocketbooks.
And inaction ultimately will cost everyone, healthy and sick alike.
The Family YMCA of Marion & Polk Counties is now part of a national initiative that has helped local leaders make their communities healthier through long-term policy and environmental changes.Meanwhile, Bike and Walk Salem is stuck as various interest groups try to pare it down. The County and its "I Love Me" campaign haven't yet embraced active transportation, strangely enough.
YMCAs nationwide have brought together community leaders to launch various projects as part of Pioneering Healthier Communities.
Those efforts include creating safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists to providing more fresh fruits and vegetables in school lunches.
The YMCA of the USA recently selected the Salem nonprofit as one of 10 communities to join the initiative. The local YMCA was also awarded a $64,000 grant mainly to provide leadership training....
After the group implements a particular project around the second year, it will then focus on making sure their long-term goal is sustainable.
More than 100 communities have participated in the Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative since it was launched in 2004.
Each community identifies its own goals depending on the area's health needs.
In an unusual alliance, a Marion County “Tea Party” group and progressive activists have both questioned a proposed $11 million expansion of Salem’s Municipal Airport. They’ve combined forces to write a letter to the Salem City Council asking questions about the project and requesting a reply.Their letter leads with the indisputable fact of a consistent pattern of failure:
With three failed airline ventures, what has recently changed that would justify the City of Salem’s plans to use FAA funds and Connect Oregon II Lottery funds for runway expansion and other upgrades to the airport. Please provide a market analysis and documentation, grant applications, and supporting documents justifying your claims for your proposed expansion. Also please provide supporting data, letters of intent from specific air freight companies who are actively considering coming to the Salem Airport.That's a project measured in the low 10s of Millions of dollars.
Influential individuals across the political spectrum met this morning on the sunny, frigid banks of the Columbia near the Vancouver base of the hulking I-5 bridge to discuss the one thing they can all agree on: The Columbia River Crossing (CRC) plan to replace the bridge is flawed and should not be funded.This is a fascinating development, and may have implications, too, for Salem's own $500 Million project.
The Oregon legislature's oversight committee begins meeting next week and people ranging from Metro Councilor Carl Hosticka to State Representative Lew Frederick to free-market think tank Cascade Policy Institute's John Charles all say the committee should not authorize spending more money on the bridge plan until more alternatives are examined and a solid funding plan is secured.
"Please stop the bleeding," said Councilor Hosticka. "At a time when the state highway department is laying people off, it's a bad idea to keep spending over a million dollars a month on a project that may never get built. After six years of trying, there is not yet any assured funding from any source."
"The current finance plan is a disaster waiting to happen for the taxpayers of Oregon," said Plaid Pantry President Chris Girard.
To insure financial stability during the five-year forecast period, the City of Salem will need to reduce $10.5 million over the next three budget years, including $1 million from the current budget. Attendees will receive a presentation on the forecast and have the opportunity to provide input regarding budget priorities.
Times and places of the meetings are as follows:
- Monday, January 30, 6-8 p.m., West Salem Roth’s
- Thursday, February 2, 6-8 p.m., South Salem High School library
- Monday, February 6, 6-8 p.m., Salem Coalition for Equality, 3850 Portland Road NE (Spanish speaking event)
- Wednesday, February 8, 6-8 p.m., Center 50+, 2615 Portland Road NE
all additional right-of-way costs are TSDC eligible, as well as all additional pavement, bridge and culvert expansions, installation of needed storm drainage systems (curb, gutter, catch basin to pipe systems or open ditch/swale systems), required water quality systems, and the cost of replacing existing pavement, curb, gutter, drainage, sidewalk, bicycle lanes, landscaping and street lighting needed to be moved or reconstructed due to having to expand the roadway section, or it beign [sic] damaged by constructing the improvement. [italics added]But the representative from the Home Builders Association sought assurances from the City that SDC fees wouldn't fund bike infrastructure. I don't understand this completely, but it bears watching. (If you know the issues, please chime in!)
The City shall encourage schools, safety organizations, and law enforcement agencies to provide information and instruction on bicycle safety issues that focus on the most important accident problems. Law enforcement agencies should use warnings and citations as a tool to enforce safe operation by bicyclists. [italics added]As Doug pointed out, the enforcement policy should be mode-neutral and accurately assess risk: Unsafe motorist behavior kills a lot more people than unsafe bicyclist behavior and is involved in most serious crashes.
Additional key issues raised at the Planning Commission Work Session included proposed methods for acquiring property for bicycle and pedestrian proejcts and how people were notified of the proposed TSP amendments. As noted, project implementations, including property acquisition, will be consistent with the provisions of the Salem Revised Code.Unless there's a rotten "easter egg" hidden in the SRC, this means that property acquisition for bike/ped projects will proceed by the same processes and be evaluated by the same standards as property acquisition for auto-oriented road expansion.
Focus on Cars, Driving, and Speed in Vision Zero As the City develops a Vision Zero Plan and rolls out a Twenty is Plenty campaign, I hope t...