Pac-Man Bike Racks Sign the New Video Arcade on Court Street

This is mighty fine!  A reader pointed out last week the fact that there were new racks - but didn't want to spoil the surprise.  It was worth a chuckle!  (Gotta find some levity amid the complaining, right?)

Like Venti's a block down the street, this could be a high-demand location for bike parking, and it won't be surprising to see more than four bikes parked here!

Hill Hopping isn't just about Judgment, it's also about Design

Those crazy kids. Accidents happen.

Last week's headlines about a student being impaled on a fence pole understandably grabbed a lot of attention. It was horrific. Fortunately there were no deaths.

There's a follow-up in yesterday's paper.

The "hill-hopping" is framed as a matter of driver safety education and poor judgment among teenagers and other newly minted drivers.

But it's also an engineering and design problem, not simply the vagaries of chance, accidental fortune, and poor judgment by the young.  Whether we are talking about suburban arterials or rural roads - and there are of course important differences between them - in too many cases it is all too easy to drive at speeds in excess of what is "reasonable and prudent."

A little over a year ago there was an article about the intersection of Orchard Heights and Doaks Ferry, and the same concerns about "catching air" were raised.

Richard Chesbrough who lives near the intersection thinks some drivers are tempted to push that limit when cars speeding east on Orchard Heights Road.

"They hit that steep rise just before the intersection and they catch air," Chesbrough said.

Sound familiar?

Salem Bike Club to Broaden Offerings, Including Bike Camping

All kinds of interesting things are percolating this spring at the Salem Bike Club.

Maybe the most interesting is a bike camping trip to Silver Falls!

In the May Spokes is a request for club members to RSVP by May 15th for the overnighter.

The club is making a strong move to broaden the scope of rides it offers, and to appeal to a broader ranger of people who like to ride bikes.

Last year they piloted a series of introductory rides. They were short and slow-paced rides of around 10 miles, and aimed at practicing and learning new skills on super low-traffic roads. Offered during the summer they started in mid-afternoon at Ankeny Wildlife Refuge.

It looks like the series will be continued - and expanded! This is great news.

Additionally, there's also a group discussing ways to offer alternatives on longer rides. Some of the discussion is about internal matters, ways to handle the mileage credit and such, but it also touches on offering more variety for people who might not want to keep to a pace, might want to stop for sights, or otherwise are interested in varying the out-and-back routine.

It looks like an exciting summer for club riding!

Membership is not expensive. Annual membership dues are $15 for individuals and $20 for families. So if you have an interest in club riding, this summer might be the best time ever to explore it.

Historic Landmarks Commission to look at State Hospital District and other Public Buildings

On Thursday the 16th at 5:30 pm the Historic Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing in Council Chambers at City Hall on some proposed changes to the City's historic preservation code.

Restored Kirkbride building in winter

For an interested citizen, though, it's not exactly clear what is going to be discussed.

The hearing notice is more than a little opaque:

Existing Salem Revised Code (SRC) Chapter 230 does not include any processes or local historic design review standards for public resources. As the mitigation for the demolition of portions of the Kirkbride and associated structures within the Oregon State Hospital District, the Oregon State Hospital Replacement Team provided a proposed set of design standards. The HLC and Staff then updated the proposal to include additional provisions which would be applicable to any public resources within the City of Salem.

What is left largely unsaid (perhaps implicit to those that have followed matters closely over the years and other insiders?) is what problem this is trying to address. Are State-level processes seen as insufficient for the City? Is this a squabble over turf? Just what's going on here?  More background would be helpful!

City to Start Construction at Miller Street Cut-Through to River Road

Narrow Cut-Through at Miller Street and River Road

From the City:

Sidewalk construction activities will begin along the east side of River Road S, near the terminus of Miller Street S, during the week of May 6, 2013.

Motorists should use caution as this work will require lane closures on River Road S at Miller Street S. Travel lanes will be intermittently closed, narrowed, and shifted to facilitate work within the construction area. Bike lanes will be periodically closed and cyclists will be signed to merge with other traffic. At times, flaggers will be present to control traffic.

This work will create traffic congestion within the area and motorists should expect delays. Pedestrian traffic should expect sidewalk closures within the work zone and signed detour routes. Normal work hours are 7 a.m. through 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Additionally, the speed limit will be reduced to 25 miles per hour on River Road S, from approximately 800 feet south of Miller Street S, to just north of Miller Street S (see attached map). The speed limit reduction will begin on May 6, 2013, and will remain in affect until the work is completed in June 2013.

The Keep Salem Moving! Streets and Bridges Bond, passed by Salem voters in November 2008, provided funds for improvements to sidewalks and bicycle lanes to improve safety to schools and parks.

Please contact Will Kuenzi, P.E., Engineering Associate at 503-588-6211 or wkuenzi@cityofsalem.net for additional information.

Wouldn't it be great for the speed limit to stay at 25mph?!

The project was identified in October, 2011 for approximately $15,000 in funding.

National Bike Month Starts Today

It's national bike month!  Where will the ride take you?

Here are some existing project and programs.  Join in!  And if you don't see something you like, there's plenty of opportunity to create something new!

Walk + Bike Challenge

Walk + Bike Challenge Month starts tomorrow, and there's still time to register. McKinley, Richmond, and Salem Heights are in!

But that leaves a bunch of other schools. If your child's school isn't participating, consider getting active.

Cyclo Femme on Mother's Day


In DIY spirit, CycloFemme is organizing rides all over the country on Sunday, May 12th:

HONOR THE PAST and the emancipation of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, for the freedom to choose and the chance to wear pants. CELEBRATE THE PRESENT and the riders who keep it rolling, bringing women's racing to the forefront, pushing the limits, breaking down barriers and sharing the love of the bike with everyone along the way. EMPOWER THE FUTURE of women in cycling and the opportunity for positive social change. Teach women to ride and they will change the world. MAY 13TH, 2012

There's no ride currently scheduled in Salem, so if you want to organize another lady-centric ride, here's a great opportunity!

The field is wide open in Salem for women-on-bikes programming - classes and clinics, rides and repair, fashion and fun. If you have an idea for a project, don't wait to start it! And if you have an interested friend, encourage her to try out one of these opportunities.

Vintage image from "Bicycling for Women" in Cosmo, 1896! See also Francis Elizabeth Willard's 1895 book, A Wheel within a Wheel: How I learned to Ride the Bicycle.

Ride of Silence

On Wednesday, May 15th, the Salem 2012 Ride of Silence will be at 6:15pm. John Henry Maurice and Joanne Heilinger of the Salem Bicycle Club will lead the ride, which departs from the "red lot" downtown. Since 2003 "the mission of the world wide Ride of Silence is to honor bicyclists killed by motorists, promote sharing the road, and provide awareness of bicycling safety."

New Book on Zena Reminds us of Great Riding and Great History

There's a new book out that offers all kinds of riffing on the notion of "a sense of place"!  Finding a Sense of Place: An Environmental History of Zena looks terrific.

So what is this place Zena?

Some of the very best bike riding around Salem is in the Eola Hills to the northwest of Salem.

Wineries and Vineyards near Zena

There's a lovely cluster of wineries and vineyard land on the hills and picturesque rural roads, several of which enjoy relatively low traffic.  A great wine, it is said, shows a sense of place.  It can be from this area, this vineyard, and no other.  It is distinct.

On Memorial Day Weekend, most of these wineries will be open!

This part of the Eola Hills is also rich with history. Zena and Lincoln are old, old settlements, and little remains of them.  You may know about the church, but much of the rest is not remembered.

Zena today and in 1852
click to enlarge to see approximate location of early road and Phllips claim
(General Land Office survey map from UO)

On Spring Valley Road is the Greek Revival John Phillips House, built in 1853.  Houses from before statehood are quite rare, and are in need of special care and attention.  It's worth a ride to see it, though the house sits back from the road and has been fenced for security.  It's a precious thing - and you wouldn't see it by car!