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How can you help turn this 'Plan' into a reality?

It’s important that the Winter-Maple Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan doesn’t gather dust on a shelf.  Citizen input is still needed to move the plan toward completion. The Budget Process will soon begin and there are several ways for plan supporters to get involved.  

Possibilities include:
1) Testify at Budget Committee meetings regarding the value of investments in Salem’s active transportation infrastructure.

2) Provide written testimony to the Budget Office for review and consideration by the Budget Committee regarding the opportunity to complete the Winter-Maple Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.

3) Email your City Councilor to let them know of your interest and support for the Winter-Maple Plan and its full completion.

A few of the less expensive steps that could complete the Neighborhood Greenway portion of the Plan (and impact the greatest number of “interested but concerned” riders) include: construction of traffic circles at E/Winter and Columbia/Maple, installation of shared-lane pavement markings, and improved pavement conditions along the whole of the route. The next piece of the puzzle (connecting residential to commercial) would be the addition of buffered bike lanes on Winter Street between Court and D St.
PROJECT UPDATES:
In February, City Staff Kevin Hottman and Anthony Gamallo attended the Grant and Highland Neighborhood Association meetings to provide an update on the Winter-Maple Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. In March, City Manager Steve Powers included the project in his “City Manager's Update.
As this project had such wide support from Salem residents, updates to a wide audience is appreciated. Sadly, the wording in the updates is sometimes confusing.To clarify: the accepted plan is called the “Winter-Maple Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.” This plan includes design elements that can improve all active transportation options along the studied route.

The bike boulevard section, running from D Street to Bliler Ave, is officially called a “Neighborhood Greeenway.” This section passes through primarily residential areas and received a 20 mph designation to improve safety for all people (in cars and on bike/foot/skateboard) who are sharing the low-speed, low-volume street.

Planned areas north and south of the “Greenway” have no official name – just as bike lanes marked on Liberty, Pine, or other streets don’t have a specific title. Looking to the future, design elements in these areas (i.e. separated bike lanes and connected multi-use paths) have the potential to create a connected network with greater access.

Additional note: While the final approved bike and pedestrian plan is not posted to the City's website, the December 2017 proposal can be found here.
 

MULTI-USE PATH:
The multi-use path at Maple Ave. NE & Auto Group Ave. NE was constructed over the winter.
This wide path allows folks, who choose active transportation, to move along the route separated from people driving their cars in this commercial area. Trees in the “planter strip’ will provide much welcomed green and shade in an area dominated by asphalt and concrete. A request during planning to incorporate tactile warning devices for cars crossing the multi-path was heeded. Sadly, the design fell short. The texturing was done on the path - instead of before the path. People in cars won’t feel any difference in pavement until they are already in the very spot where a conflict with pedestrians or cyclists can occur.

 
SIGN INSTALLATION:
Twenty mph speed signs and Neighborhood Greenway place-making sign-toppers were added to the route in March.

A 20 mph posted speed is appropriate for a Neighborhood Greenway route that is “intended to prioritize bicycle circulation while discouraging non-local cut-through vehicle traffic.” Speed limit signs remind drivers that “twenty is plenty” when people in cars and people on bikes share the road. Communities around the world are embracing lower speeds in an effort to create more live-able street environments.
 

COMING SOON:
City staff has marked out the preliminary locations for speed humps along the Neighborhood Greenway. They will be communicating with the adjacent property owners prior to the May installation. The intersection near Grant School (at Market and Winter) will also receive some loving care this Spring: a marked crosswalk and in-street warning signs.
Used in other parts of Salem to successfully protect neighborhood streets from excessive car speeds, speed humps will automatically enforce the slower speed designations. Two of the humps will be placed on South St. to slow cars that cross the Neighborhood Greenway route, as well as address concerns by local residents about excess speed and limited visibility on South Street.

At Market and Winter Streets, adjacent to Grant Community School, the east side of the intersection will receive a crosswalk, so as to provide balanced access. In-street paddles will also be installed to caution drivers as they pass through this busy area. A big thank you to Salem Leadership Foundation who made a financial contribution towards this meaningful safety element.


 
COMING IN 2020:
Pedestrian crossing improvements at the intersections of Fairgrounds/Norway and Pine/Maple are scheduled for construction in 2020.
These intersections are used daily by children traveling to and from school. When improved, they will connect both sides of the neighborhood and provide greater safety for those choosing active transportation. The Pine Street improvement comes five years after neighbor Caroline Storm was struck and killed at this site by someone driving a car.
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