Ooof! The new People for Bikes "city ratings" are out, and Salem looks pretty bad.
With a numerical rating of 17/100, Salem is in the 35th percentile overall, and in the 28th percentile among mid-sized peer cities.
 |
| That's bad - People for Bikes |
The combination of old school, paint-only lanes on busy streets and very few improved low-traffic bikeways together makes for a high-stress network.
We've hardly improved on the conditions the Sustainable Cities Initiative identified over a decade ago.
 |
| Anticipated "Level of Stress" analysis (2010/2011) |
The current People for Bikes network analysis is substantially identical to this. The new streets at Fairview are the most substantial addition, though until any commercial hub is built, residents of Fairview remain pretty distant from destinations, and must go on zoomy stroads to reach meaningful places.
 |
| That's a lot of red for "high stress" biking |
BikePortland has a piece on Portland's score, and also collated the ratings of Oregon cities and ranked them.
- Ashland – 70
- Corvallis – 63
- Portland – 56
- Brookings – 39
- Eugene – 36
- Hillsboro – 36
- Grants Pass – 33
- Beaverton – 29
- Bend – 29
- Klamath Falls – 29
- Hood River – 27
- Tigard – 27
- Medford – 26
- Albany – 23
- Oregon City – 22
- Redmond – 22
- Gresham – 20
- Lake Oswego – 20
- Happy Valley – 19
- Salem – 17
That's not a very good place to be in the Oregon rankings!
More on the general set of ratings here, "2023’s Best Places to Bike" at People for Bikes.
 |
| Mayor Hoy and Councilor Stapleton after the ride |
It was great to see pictures of Mayor Hoy and Councilor Stapleton on the advocacy ride yesterday (funded with a grant from People for Bikes).
Hopefully they will be able to find ways to turn things around.
Previously see:
- More on why a focus on bikes alone is not sufficient, "On the Decline of Cycling and a Grant for Salem Bike Vision"
- On the summer rides, "Salem Bike Vision Announces Summer Slate of Rides"
- And all posts over the years on rankings
1 comment:
Over on Reddit a person says:
"I often bike to work and around Salem. I actually somewhat disagree with the low rating. Sure, it’s no fun riding on the busy arterials. But most destinations have multiple bike routes. You just need some forethought on how to use neighborhoods and parks to your advantage. Often I will use google maps directions for bikes which is helpful. Salem has a tremendous park system larger than most cities. Bike parking is everywhere. The map referenced by OP is overly critical. It doesn’t even give Minto Brown a good rating! Get out and ride!"
A couple points in response:
"it's no fun riding on the busy arterials" - but that's where most of the destinations are. The reason to rate a bike system on its arterials is that's there the grocery store is.
"you just need some forethought" - this is the problem! It takes too much planning and biking becomes a test of cleverness rather than just getting on a bike and going. A bike trip should be more frictionless and intuitive.
"It doesn’t even give Minto Brown a good rating" - Minto Park is not scored highly because it lacks destinations and permanent housing. The BNA score, Bike Network Analysis, takes into account the location of destinations. It's not just about the paths, "can you go for a ride," but "can you make an errand or commute to a job by bike."
Post a Comment