tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post5938514007413246055..comments2024-03-25T17:49:41.408-07:00Comments on Salem Breakfast on Bikes: DAB: Police Station, Union St Bike Lanes; also Victory Club and the AlleySalem Breakfast on Bikeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-60990678232579527072016-03-19T10:24:46.756-07:002016-03-19T10:24:46.756-07:00Update - the buffered bike lane is actually part o...Update - the buffered bike lane is actually part of a future, unfunded phase. Right now only sharrows are going in on Union Street east of Commercial.<br /><br />The City isn't communicating very clearly on exactly what details are funded and will be constructed and what is not yet funded and therefore still a "hope." We'll be returning to this, as it is an important project!Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-73927528201830620502016-02-11T10:19:55.608-08:002016-02-11T10:19:55.608-08:00Thanks for the reply, this was informative!Thanks for the reply, this was informative!atsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16321237792574141903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-90137306007765745302016-02-10T13:35:01.014-08:002016-02-10T13:35:01.014-08:00Excellent questions!
The plan that is driving the...Excellent questions!<br /><br />The plan that is driving the Union Street project is formally known as the Central Salem Mobility Study. (I call it the "<a href="http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/search/label/Downtown%20Mobility%20Study" rel="nofollow">downtown mobility study.</a>") It was formally adopted by the City in the summer of 2013. So in a general sense, the project concepts are already baked and there's not really a formal opportunity to comment on them. The primary opportunity for comment is to urge City Council for speedier implementation of the study's recommendations.<br /><br />That said, if the "overton window" on things can shift, and there is sufficient political support to improve on the details, then it might be possible to alter and improve some of the plans.<br /><br />So that's why Ray in his comment indicated that parking protected bike lanes had been considered, but ultimately did not attract sufficient support.<br /><br />On the Union Street project, the shift from no bike lanes and angle parking to buffered bike lanes and parallel parking is a big one.<br /><br />More than anything is the traffic light at Union and Commercial. Right now Commercial is a very challenging and forbidding crossing, and a traffic light will improve things hugely. It may not look like much change to you, but it's enormous for connectivity to the Union Street Railroad Bridge!<br /><br />As for specific advocacy opportunities:<br /><br />1) Salem Bike Boulevard Advocates are leading the charge for a full family-friendly bike boulevard treatment in downtown and north Salem along <a href="http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/search/label/Winter-Maple%20Bike%20Boulevard%20Study" rel="nofollow">a Winter-Maple Street alignment</a>. A planning study for that will likely kick off this summer or fall, and there will be lots of opportunities for comment and community advocacy on that comment.<br /><br />2) This spring, public meetings for another study, <a href="http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/search/label/State%20Street%20Study" rel="nofollow">the State Street Corridor Study</a> will kick off, and it has the potential to be the most revolutionary and visionary of current studies. It could involve really reshaping State Street between 12th Street and 25th Street. That is definitely one to get involved in.<br /><br />3) <a href="http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/search/label/Commercial%20Vista%20Corridor%20Study" rel="nofollow">The Commercial-Vista Corridor Study</a> is close to wrapping up and the City later this year will look at formally adopting its findings and plan. There will be opportunities for comment there, and urging Council for speedy implementation of it will also be helpful.<br /><br />4) <a href="http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/search/label/Edgewater%20District" rel="nofollow">The West Salem Business District Action Plan</a> contains an undercrossing that would extend the Union Street Railroad Bridge path on the west side. This is "a mixed blessing" kind of compromise project, insofar as part of the path system will disappear, but the connectivity resulting will be a net gain. That will require public support for funding and construction.<br /><br />I think those are the major local ones right now above and beyond more general "yay bikes!" kinds of advocacy.<br /><br />An important statewide advocacy opportunity, and maybe the most timely of the whole bunch, is to comment before Feb 18th on the draft State biking and walking plan. <a href="http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/2015/12/tell-odot-to-make-state-bike-plan-better-draft-oregon-bicycle-pedestrian-plan-public-comment.html" rel="nofollow">See more here</a>.<br /><br />As other opportunities arise, we'll be blogging about them!Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-37935869224961640392016-02-10T12:47:36.798-08:002016-02-10T12:47:36.798-08:00The "New plan" doesn't look much dif...The "New plan" doesn't look much different than what is already there. There are ways to get both parking and protected bike lanes. However, I am new to bike advocacy here and would like to know more about it.<br />What if I would like to comment about the plan? And what could busy people do if they would like to comment on the plan, but can't make it to the meetings? If I can make it to the meetings or comment how should I submit alternative ideas? Thanks in advance for any tips you can provide.atsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16321237792574141903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-52002849631268287082016-02-10T10:52:58.818-08:002016-02-10T10:52:58.818-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.atsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16321237792574141903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-68253047862757434462016-02-10T07:45:45.627-08:002016-02-10T07:45:45.627-08:00During the planning study that included Commercial...During the planning study that included Commercial/Union, all the options you listed (and more) were discussed. It did come down to the design most likely to garner the support necessary to move the project forward.<br /><br />Another disappointment (for me) was <b>not</b> removing/closing the western portion of the Commercial/Union intersection to vehicular traffic. The reasoning at the time is that it was due to people traveling down Front St and taking Union St to reach Commercial and thus the Marion St Bridge.<br /><br />Ray<br />MWVCOG-SKATSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-32979066349054352702016-02-09T18:33:50.329-08:002016-02-09T18:33:50.329-08:00re: "the appearance that autos would not be a...re: "the appearance that autos would not be able to head East on Union through the intersection"<br /><br />Well, in general we should probably discourage auto through-traffic on Union and instead shunt it over to the Marion/Center couplet. If you are leaving the park on Union and want to proceed east, it seems reasonable to ask you to work over to Center Street for the main connection.<br /><br />There is also the two-phase jug handle transition for southbound bike traffic on Commercial as well as the weave for east-bound bike traffic.<br /><br />1) South-bound bike traffic starts in the right-hand bike lane and proceeds to the median island, where they have to wait for the Union Street light. East-bound bike traffic is also waiting at the bike box/median.<br /><br />2) When Commercial is stopped and Union is green, then southbound bike traffic transitions diagonally through the intersection to the left-hand sharrow lane. This path is shown with a dashed line on the plan the City presented. The right hand merge to the bike lane on Union Street also involves a diagonal weave.<br /><br />3) If east-bound auto traffic is not prohibited here, then there is a dangerous conflict in the mixing zone between people on bike transitioning from right-to-left and people in cars proceeding straight.<br /><br />I think traffic counts also showed for car traffic a preponderance of right-hand turns onto Commercial and very few full east-bound crossings. It's hard to think there is high demand for that east-bound crossing. (An early concept that was rejected <a href="http://breakfastonbikes.blogspot.com/2012/12/Downtown-Mobility-Study-Church-Union-Streets.html" rel="nofollow">you can see here</a>, and it totally blocked one side of the intersection into a cul-de-sac.) The <a href="http://www.cityofsalem.net/Departments/PublicWorks/TransportationServices/tr_planning/Mobility%20Study%20Meetings/MobilityStudySAC_1_ExistingConditionsPresentation.pdf" rel="nofollow">existing conditions report of the Downtown Mobility Study</a> shows low demand for the crossing, but there's one time of day, the evening rush, when there's a good bit of right-hand turning movements - it may be traffic on the Front Street by-pass turning onto Union to get onto Commercial to get onto the Marion Street Bridge west-bound on the right side lanes for a Wallace Road exit. (The other on-ramp puts you in the left-hand bridge lanes and makes you weave all the way across the traffic if you want to make the Wallace exit on the right.) I can't remember exactly - but it's something like that, I think.Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666195730630249633.post-67838235131173165432016-02-09T14:56:29.665-08:002016-02-09T14:56:29.665-08:00I'm very green on the DAB and this project was...I'm very green on the DAB and this project was put in motion before my time. I'm not sure who is leading the design. It was presented to us as a progress update. The question regarding Union Street (for me) had to due with the appearance that autos would not be able to head East on Union through the intersection. I don't know if and/or why that would be - there may be a good explanation - I just don't know it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09454018177008925205noreply@blogger.com