Dysfunction Junction of South Commercial and Liberty to get a Signalized Crossing

The City's announced the start of construction on a significant walking and biking project from the Commercial-Vista Corridor Study.

A bike signal to cross Liberty southbound at the Y

Mostly it's great. But it appears the City has quietly reduced the project scope. Here's the first version from 2017.

From the 2018 - 2023 SKATS TIP

From the City yesterday:

Beginning in March 2024, Salem will improve bike and pedestrian infrastructure along Commercial Street SE from Oxford Street SE to Madrona Avenue SE. The project includes installing new high-visibility bike lanes, a bicycle signal to cross Liberty Road S, and a rapid flashing beacon on Commercial Street SE at Triangle Drive SE to provide added awareness and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Key Upgrades:

• Bicycle Crossing Signal: A bike signal on Liberty Road S at Commercial St SE to create added visibility for cyclists continuing south on Commercial.
  
• Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon: A flashing beacon sign will be installed at Triangle Drive SE to provide extra visibility for both cyclists and pedestrians at the intersection.
• High-visibility Bike Lanes: Restriping of bike lanes to include high-visibility green markings will provide dedicated space for cyclists, reducing potential conflicts between cyclists and motor vehicles. 

Schedule:

• Phase 1 (Starting March 4, 2024) This phase will include the installation of a bicycle signal on Liberty Road S and a flashing beacon on Commercial Street SE at Triangle Drive SE. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers should use caution and expect some lane closures and delays.
  During Phase 1, pedestrian access may be restricted within the work areas and temporary pedestrian routes will be identified around the work zone.
  
• Phase 2 (Starting in summer 2024) This phase will include restriping lane lines of Commercial Street SE to install dedicated bike lanes with high-visibility green markings.
  During Phase 2, work is expected to occur in the overnight hours (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) Temporary traffic control will include lane closures, limited sidewalk access, and delays along Commercial Street SE from Oxford Street SE to Madrona Avenue SE.

This project was originally identified in the Bike & Walk Salem update to the Salem Transportation Plan 2013. This plan identifies enhanced bike facilities along Commercial Street. In 2018, we were awarded funds from the Oregon Department of Transportation's (ODOT) All Roads Transportation Safety (ARTS) Program to design and install buffered bike lanes on Commercial Street and improve bicycle and pedestrian crossings in the area.

It's interesting the City release is silent on the Commercial-Vista Corridor Study, preferring to mention Bike & Walk Salem.

Did we lose the median at Triangle?

It's also silent on pedestrian refuge medians. In fact, it's totally silent on the crossing at Waldo Avenue. The City never did say explicitly that this crossing had been deleted. The deletion was buried in an agenda item at SKATS a few years ago. The current press release mentions only the beacon at Triangle Drive. Is there no median? In 2015 a median was called out with the beacon, but already in 2017 it's missing and maybe deleted. Without a median at Triangle Drive, that is still a full five auto travel lanes, plus bike lanes, to cross. That's a big street!

A beacon alone is likely not enough!

A median refuge or lack of it will be a detail to watch.

Here's more detail on the bike crossing for southbound travel on Commercial Street at the Wye with Liberty.

Southbound on Commercial at Liberty

Last fall a reader remarked on this treatment:

The signal setup at Commercial and Liberty seems sketchy to say the least. There is seemingly nowhere to wait to cross the street when the signal is red. A lack of protection for this queue is nerve-wracking. 

They highlight the threat of being rear-ended while waiting for the light. Maybe more of a jug-handle queue up on the sidewalk with curb cuts would have been helpful. Could signal-detection and programming create a leading interval so that a person on bike is not faced with queuing? Anyway, there is room to refine and improve things here.

As I read it the green paint, all of it, will be in phase 2.

In 2017 the bike lanes also went to Winding Way instead of stopping at Madrona.

It will be great to see it finished, but it's also not as great as it could be, having been cut down at several points in the last decade.

See previous posts on the Commercial-Vista Corridor Study here.