Between maps from ODOT's annual bikeway reports on 1972 and 1975, the number of Salem signed routes decreased significantly. This corresponds with an apparent decline in urban bicycle advocacy as recorded in the newspapers.
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| 1972 ODOT report |
The routes from 1972 correspond generally to the ones outlined in a piece from 1971.
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| April 30th, 1971 |
South Route: Leaves Bush Park on Davidson Street and follows Wilbur Street, Berry Street, Rural Avenue, Summer Street, Fairview Avenue, Bluff Avenue, Ratcliff Drive, Hulsey Avenue, Madrona Avenue (where it crosses Commercial Street SE at at traffic signal to be installed), Liberty Road, Stanley Lane, Ewald Avenue, Crestview Drive, Garlock Street, Neelon Drive, Browning Avenue, Oakman Street, Warren Street, Camelia Drive, Cunningham Lane, 13th Avenue, 12th Place, Joplin Street, Talisman Street, Joseph Street, Skyline Road, Kubler Road, Croisan Creek Road, and ending at South River Road at city limits.
East Route: Leaves Center of city at intersection of Winter and Mill Streets SE, follows Mill, 24th Street, Simpson Street, 25th Street, Mission Street, and then Turner Road to the southeast city limits.
North Route: Leaves center of city at intersection of Mill and 17th Streets NE, and follows 17th north to Silverton Road and then on Silverton Road to city limits. North Route also has a leg starting at intersection of 17th and D Streets NE and following D Street to Lancaster Drive NE and two legs toward center of city leaving from 17th Street and following Chemeketa and Court Streets NE.
West Route: Leaves Bush Park at Winter Street SE and follows Trade Street, Front Street and both Marion and Center Street bridges across Willamette River to West Salem. In West Salem it follows Wallace Road, Glen Creek Road, Kingwood Drive, Eola Drive and Edgewater Street NW.
The 1975 map shows fewer of them.
For example, on the 1972 map there's a loop in West Salem, a route north on the Liberty/Commercial couplet, and a route east on D Street.
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| 1975 ODOT report |
These all disappear on the 1975 map.
But this is not entirely surprising. Apart from the 1972 debate over a connection to Browns Island on south River Road, between 1973 and 1979 the Salem Bicycle Club disappears from the newspaper as an advocacy group for urban utility cycling. They appear mainly in recreational contexts, with the usual ride, race, and meeting announcements. The frame is bicycling as sport and recreation, not any urban transport, commuting, or substitute for driving.
Momentum and the focus for urban bike advocacy appears to shift to SATS, the predecessor to SKATS at the Council of Governments. In 1978 they had a committee and a proposal. Several routes that fell off the 1975 map appear back on a new map that was given a full page in newsprint.
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| December 3rd, 1978 |
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| December 3rd, 1978 |
We'll return to this for a closer look in another post.
A few other interesting moments stand out as sidebar kinds of things in the 1970s.
In 1972 Salem hosted the League of American Wheelmen National Roundup. A photo of an opening ride made the front page. Note the police escort. A brief story on the interior discussed the schedule, but it did not seem to have much to do with any Salem-area advocacy. A later story suggested attendance was off, 150 rather than an expected 500.
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| June 2nd, 1972 |
From discussions of Peace Plaza a decade ago and the Civic Center's 50th a couple of years ago, you might remember this photo and all the bikes at the opening dedication in August of 1972.
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| Library and Civic Center Dedication, 1972 (Salem Library Historic Photos) |
The Bike Club had organized a rally. And Bob's Hamburgers cosponsored. There was bike registration, safety and maintenance checks, and some racing.
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| August 15th, 1972 |
But no focus on urban transport.
A couple years later in 1974, again in what we know as Peace Plaza, both papers featured Mayor Lindsey, in one "atop his trusty bike," and a wee Steve Lewis on his bike.
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| Both papers, June 4th, 1974 |
Things took a profoundly tragic turn.
Nearly a half century later, Robert Lindsey killed a person biking on Windsor Island Road and then fled the scene. Nothing more was ever said publicly. He died less than a year afterwards.
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| October 2020 |
More cheerily, John Sangster formed a statewide advocacy group in 1978. The next year he was elected Treasurer and Hersch Sangster, President of the club. Many know them still. In 2020 Hersh was named Keizer First Citizen.
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| December 13th, 1978 |
Maybe there will be more to say later about how the Oregon Bicycle
Council fared. (Also, addresses in the 1970s pieces are redacted here.
Including addresses from farther back in the 20th century has not seemed
problematic, but addresses for current generations do not seem
necessary to reproduce further.)
In this period also was the start of the Monster Cookie ride. In 2016 they observed its 40th anniversary, but there did not seem to be any announcement for it in 1976. Here is an announcement for what I think is the second year.
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| July 22nd, 1977 |
The phrase "Monster Cookie" first shows up in 1983.
All in all, as reported in the papers, from 1973 through the rest of the decade, the Salem Bicycle Club was focused on recreational rides and racing, and was not active in municipal advocacy for safety or for bike lanes. For the slightly earlier period of 1969-1972, Carroll Quimby seems to have been mainly responsible. It may be also that he was particularly good at self-promotion and getting his name in the paper, and urban advocacy was more of a team effort. From the paper itself, it is hard to say.
Previously:
2 comments:
So no advocacy from the papers, the public or the government on bike use during the 1973 Oil Crisis?
This note is more narrow, about Salem Bicycle Club advocacy, not more generally "from the papers, public, or the government." It is not making claims about those.
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