COME LEARN ABOUT RIVERFRONT TO MINTO and ENJOY DOWNTOWN

ON YOUR FEET FRIDAY!

Free! And brand new for 2012!

Bring your family and friends for a fun time the 2nd Friday each month, May through October!

On Your Feet Friday (OYFF) is a fun, community and family oriented series of events, similar to a scavenger hunt, and is intended to help increase awareness of and funding for the Riverfront to Minto Bridge. On Your Feet means exactly that. The format encourages people of all ages to walk or run on sidewalks and through parks in downtown Salem to checkpoints which are local businesses or attractions. On their way, participants will discover new places, get in some exercise and have fun. Every month will include different checkpoints and at least one checkpoint that requires extra effort to reach.

5:30-6:15pm - Sign-ups and Passports at Gallagher Fitness Resources, 135 Commercial St NE – downtown Salem
6:15-7:00pm - ON YOUR FEET! To the Checkpoints
7:00-8:00pm - Raffle Prizes + Party

Click here to see the OYFF event for May: http://www.facebook.com/events/129990637133523/

May checkpoints: Bittersweet Boutique, Venti’s – Downtown, Jonathan’s, Bike Peddler, Salem Summit, Riverfront Carousel, Riverfront to Minto Bridge future site – Eco Earth area (Great Harvest’s checkpoint), and Courthouse Athletic Club - West

Click here for more details: http://www.activesalem.com/oyff.php

Updated 3 Parks - 2 Bridges Information in F2B trifold

City Holds Open Houses to Talk about Walking in Salem

The City of Salem is holding four Open Houses next week to talk about walking in Salem!

The City's plan for walking, its Pedestrian Element of the Transportation System Plan, is old and so the City is working on a new Walking Master Plan.

Four open houses will talk about and solicit feedback on the just-completed "needs assessment."

• Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Center 50+
• Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., West Salem Library
• Wednesday, January 26, 2011, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Main Library, Anderson Rooms
• Thursday, January 27, 2011, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Houck Middle School Media Room, 1155 Connecticut Street SE, Salem, 97317

If you want to read the whole needs assessment, it is here. (47pp and 8MB about sidewalks, crosswalks, good and bad places to walk in Salem.)

The assessment discusses walking in downtown.

Access from downtown to the Union Street Railroad Bridge.

And conditions on the west side of the bridge as you leave the path and want to go places on Wallace.

The bridges are - and will be! - two of the most important pieces of the walking environment in Salem. This is a great way to get involved while issues with the Minto bridge are being worked through.

Bridge wins Federal Transportation Planning Excellence Award

Earlier this year the Federal Transportation Planning Excellence Awards were announced, and the Union Street Railroad Bridge was one of the winners!

The Transportation Planning Excellence Awards (TPEA) Program recognizes outstanding initiatives across the country to develop, plan, and implement innovative transportation planning practices. This biennial awards program is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and is co-sponsored by the American Planning Association.

More than 80 projects were nominated for this year’s Excellence Awards. Eleven projects received Awards, and another eleven projects were recognized with Honorable Mentions.

(click image for larger view)

The bridge was one of the top-level awards.

In addition to realizing the vision of a connected bicycle and pedestrian system, this exceptional project met additional community goals of mitigating for past environmental degradation and stimulating redevelopment in two blighted neighborhoods, all while preserving a significant tangible reminder of the past.

Seated in the front row is Mayor Taylor and Director of Public Works Peter Fernandez accepting with the other winners.


Other winners include New York City and San Jose for large bicycle networks, the State of Minnesota for a rail plan, and the State of Florida for a climate change plan.

(For the complete list of winners and for more about the program, see the full TPEA brochure here (pdf).)

Kris Gorsuch Writes to Support Minto Bridge in SJ

In today's Statesman-Journal, F2B member Kris Gorsuch writes a counterpoint to the Captain of the Willamette Queen, who says that

A low clearance pedestrian bridge would eliminate our ability to offer cruises for almost a third of each year, which would undoubtedly force us out of business.

In response Kris says:

On Dec. 6 the Salem City Council will close the hearing on the proposed pedestrian bridge across the Willamette River slough from Riverfront Park to Minto Island Park.

The proposed bridge will connect 1,300 acres in three downtown parks and 26 miles of off-street trails. The bridge will be wide enough for emergency vehicles.

Currently, the only access to Minto is a 45 mph road without bike paths or sidewalks and which crosses the railroad tracks.

The bridge has been part of Salem's planning process for 30 years. It's in the Parks Master Plan, Transportation Plan, Downtown and South Riverfront Urban Renewal Plans and the Salem 2020 Plan. It's a council "goal." In 2009, the city held 17 forums on the proposed bridge. The community response was a staggering 91 percent in favor and 3 percent opposed.

The economic impact of linking these parks is enormous. Numerous businesses would benefit, as would the Salem Conference Center and hotel. The bridge would also stimulate the downtown housing projects. It will take about three years for design and permitting. A Coast Guard permit is also required because the slough has one commercial user, the Willamette Queen sternwheeler.

The hearing addressed two bridge designs: low and high. Numerous individuals and organizations recommended the "low bridge." In 2006, the council held similar hearings and supported the low design. Now that the city has acquired the easement from Boise to land the bridge on the island, it has become a priority.

The impediment to the low bridge is the Willamette Queen. The low bridge would impair its navigation on the slough during winter high water but accommodates all other watercraft using the slough. In a December, 2007 article in the Statesman Journal, the captain "vowed to fight the project."

I support the low bridge because of lower cost and reduced impact. The "high bridge" is nearly three times as long and costs almost $6 million more than the low design. The catastrophic impact on the parks from the high bridge is irreparable and the added cost is irresponsible. Community surveys said 76 percent favored the lowest cost option and only 7 percent felt that preserving passage to the Willamette Queen was of "high" importance.

I hope a reasonable settlement based on verifiable economic loss and ship manifests can be made soon. Currently, the Willamette Queen is moored at a city dock. In a December, 2007 Statesman Journal article, the captain stated, "I've got an open invitation from the city of Newberg and the city of Lake Oswego to moor the boat right there at their city docks."

If a reasonable settlement can't be reached soon, then maybe the best solution for everyone is for the Willamette Queen to "cast off lines," the city agree to cancel the lease and immediately proceed with the permitting process for the low bridge design.

Bridge Reopening Events, May 15th and May 18th

Friends of Two Bridges is pleased to announce the historic Union Street Railroad Bridge will be reopening soon! To celebrate, we will hold a "Passport Adventure" on Saturday, May 15th and "Bridge to Work Day" on Tuesday, May 18th

On May 15th, residents are encouraged to join the fun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Salem’s Riverfront Park and Wallace Marine Park. Passport participants will begin by picking up event passports at any of the passport stops and then wander throughout the parks and across the Union Street Railroad Bridge collecting stamps in their passports. Passport stops include:

* A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village
* the Tom McCall statue
* the boat dock
* the Eco Earth
* the future site of Minto Bridge
* Salem’s Riverfront Carousel
* the Pavilion/Spray Fountain
* the Union Street Railroad Bridge historical signage
* the new trails at Wallace Marine Park

When “passports” are full of stamps, they are good for FREE one day admission to A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village over the weekend of May 15 and 16. Event attendees are encouraged to walk or bike to the event!

On May 18th, in the morning there will be be guided walking and biking trips from West Salem to the Capitol Mall. Other festivities are in the works! Cherriots rideshare will have prizes like $100 visa cards, massages, and $20 downtown dollars - and other incentives, too! Visit the Fast Lane site and sign up to drive less and save more!

Bridge to Close November 9; Info Meeting, Oct 12 [updated]

Old structures have old paint - many layers of old paint! And one of the hazards of old paint, of course, is lead. Fortunately, as part of the Federal Stimulus, the ARRA, the Oregon Department of Transportation recieved money to take care of the lead. The project went out to bid last month, and there's a schedule now. Unfortunately the bridge will need to close. But it will be back in time for fair weather!

Last week the City sent out this notice about the fall and winter closure of the Union Street Railroad Bridge during the lead abatement and encapsulation project.

Mon., Sept. 28, 2009 – Salem, Ore. – Last spring, the City of Salem was awarded $3.5 million in stimulus funds from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Transportation Enhancement Program for the second phase restoration of the Union Street Railroad Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. In order to complete this work, the bridge will temporarily close to the public from mid-Nov. 2009 to mid-May 2010. During the closure, encapsulation of lead-based paint, painting, bridge repairs, and installation of security cameras will be completed. Closure signs will be posted at the entrance on both sides of the bridge. Salem residents are invited to attend the Oct. 12 Salem City Council meeting where the bridge construction funding, timeline, and an overview will be presented.

Update - The closure date has been set: According to the city's release, "the six month closure begins Mon., Nov. 9, 2009."

Wallace Marine Park Perimeter Trail Build Kick Off!

On August 22, 2009 over 120 Willamette University football players , lead by coach Mark Speckman, came out to Wallace Marine Park to build the beginning of the Wallace Marine Park Perimeter Trail. Using shovels, tarps and rakes the football players spread woodchips and built over 1,500 lineal feet of the soft surface trail. This event was a United Way Day of Caring and was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Friends of Two Bridges, the City of Salem, United Way, Hands On of Willamette Valley, and the Willamette University Football Team.

Thank you to all of our volunteers for making the Wallace Marine Park Perimeter Trail build kick off a success!

Work on the Wallace Marine Park Perimeter Trail will continue on September 12^th, 2009 at 9am as an additional United Way Day of Caring. Friends of Two Bridges is looking for Volunteers to spread woodchips and trim brush. Tarps, shovels, rakes and clippers will be provided by the City. Volunteers should bring work gloves and appropriate work clothes. Volunteers will be required to sign a city waiver provided at the sign in table located at the first parking lot on the left as you enter the park. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. Please contact Ellen Miller with the Friends of Two Bridges with any questions, 503-409-9502.

Grand Opening Blogroll

The reactions pour in...all positive!

Over at AC Gilbert House, Bubble Girl frolics with the Mayor and has a slideshow.

At Pacificpedaling there's another slideshow.

Salem-News has a video and article.

Oregon Farmer calls it "awesome."

Paul Gehlar sends this great slideshow:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

What an Opening!

Beautiful weather, wonderful crowd, great speeches and enthusiasm. What more could you ask for?

Here's the Statesman's coverage. (pdf here)

The better part of an hour was necessary to make an official half-mile trek across the river Saturday morning, but those who made it seemed to relish the experience. Hundreds of eager river crossers endured some 50 minutes of ceremonial oratory, salutation, acclamation, and approbation from at least a half-dozen speakers, waiting to get a shot at a trip across the Union Street Railroad Bridge.

For a Statesman Photo Gallery, click here.

Today it seemed just as crowded. One person on a bike counted over a hundred of pedestrians on the bridge during the 5 minutes he rode from one end to the other. A few were standing and gazing at the wonderful views of the river, but most were strolling. That means thousands of people used it this weekend!

(Photo: Thomas Patterson, Statesman Journal)

Interpretive Signs with Historic Timelines

Over at SHINE, Virginia Green has posted images of the three signs that will be mounted early tomorrow morning, in time for the Grand Opening ceremonies! Aren't they fabulous?

SJ Photo Gallery

The Statesman Journal has a nice little photo gallery of the bridge. I don't know if the link will go into the paid archive and die, but here it is for now!

It's Almost Here! Bridge Grand Opening on Saturday

Wow! The Grand Opening is just a few short days away! It starts at 10am this Saturday, April 18th.

The ceremony will feature music by the 234th Army Band and presentations by Salem Mayor Janet Taylor, Senator Peter Courtney, Senator Jackie Winters, Congressman Schrader’s Field Representative for Marion County, Jon Pugsley, Councilor Dan Clem, and Friends of Two Bridges Chair, Hazel Patton.

A formal ribbon cutting will follow the presentations and then the inaugural bridge parade will begin. The bridge parade will be led by the North Salem Color Guard and will feature Mayor Janet Taylor on the SANYO electric hybrid eneloop bike, followed by the 234th Army Band.

Event attendees will be joined by local mascots, including A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village’s “Bubble Girl,” Salem’s Riverfront Carousel’s “Ambassador,” and the Salem-Keizer Volcanoe’s “Crater” to complete the procession across the bridge. Following the parade, attendees will enjoy cookies, coffee, hot chocolate, and family activities in Wallace Marine Park.

In addition, local businesses will be offering special opportunities for attendees in honor of this momentous occasion: The Willamette Queen Sternwheeler will be offering a 9:45 a.m. Union Street Railroad Bridge Ribbon Cutting Cruise for $5.00 per person; A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village will be hosting a FREE day for families from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Dragon Boat Club representatives will be available at the docks in Riverfront Park to answer questions about the boats and club involvement; and Downtown and West Salem merchants will be open for Saturday shopping and meals.

The event will be crowded, and the weather looks to be good, so we encourage people to walk and bike! If you must drive, park on the west side, in Wallace Park, and use the old Center Street Bridge path to get to the east side. Click through for a larger version of this map for more detailed directions.

Bridge so Popular, Impossible to Keep Closed!

Salem loves the Bridge!

Yesterday interest in the bridge was so intense that it proved impossible to keep people off it! Today the Statesman notes that demand was so great that at about 1:30pm yesterday City officials opened the bridge to bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

The Grand Opening ceremony is still scheduled for Saturday, April 18th, at 10am.

(Photo: Timothy J. Gonzales, Statesman Journal)

Vision 2020 Open House Report

(Updated with Photo! - Mayor Taylor, Stephanie Matlock Allen, Virginia Green, Tom Green, Jr. at the Vision 2020 Open House)

Almost 100 people came to the Vision 2020 Open House on Tuesday. But in many ways the most exciting part of the night featured a Friends of Two Bridges board member, Virginia Green.

Mayor Taylor gave the first annual Visionary Award for exemplifying the spirit of Salem’s Vision 2020 to Virginia for "her leadership and commitment to the long-term vitality of Salem’s vibrant City Center."

The award citation singled out her work in leading "projects highlighting the historic character of downtown." And of course the Union Street Railroad Bridge is one of them!

Another board member, Ellen Miller, staffed the F2B table. Ellen reports that

Many people stopped by the table to share their enthusiasm for the opening of the Union Street Railroad Bridge and their stories for how they were planning on using it, from Salem Bicycle Club riders to workers commuting to the downtown area from West Salem.

She also noted that the conceptual plans for the Minto Island Bridge led to two frequently asked questions. Courtney Knox from Urban Development had these answers:

What is the ownership status of the island?
Boise Cascade owns the 310 acres on Minto Island which were formerly in industrial use, supporting their downtown operations. The northernmost 22 acres of the Island was purchased by the Salem Audubon Society. The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department had been working Boise to purchase the property. Those negotiations have ceased. As a result, the City is initiating discussions with Boise. Staff will need to resolve the bridge landing location with Boise to allow for further design, engineering and assessment to support regulatory agency permitting. However, the Coast Guard can issue a preliminary determination regarding appropriate clearance height for the bridge without resolution of the bridge landing.

Have wildlife impact assessments have been done on the island?
We're only in the conceptual design phase at this time and have not secured enough funding to continue through the additional design, engineering, environmental and biological assessments and well as other technical analyses which will be required to support a permit application for the bridge to cross the Slough. Estimating the potential wildlife impacts of the proposed bridge crossing, at this early date, is premature. As we get further into the detailed design, we'll have more precise information to begin the analysis and assessment of impact to the animals making their home on Minto Island or along the Slough.

The complete staff report can be read here (24pp. pdf).

Ellen reports that CCTV was filming, and we hope to have a link when the video is done! Also maybe some photos of Virginia!

Vision 2020 Open House - Tonight!

Don't forget about the Open House tonight at the Conference Center, from 5pm - 7pm. Learn about many different ways that folks downtown are working to make walking and biking better!

More Good News: More Stimulus Funds

Today the Salem Keizer Area Transportation Study Policy Committee (SKATS-PC) voted to allocate $50,000 for preliminary engineering of a bike/ped path from the west end of the Union St. Railroad Bridge to Glen Creek Road. This allocation will not fund construction, however - just the preliminary engineering and planning phase.

Nevertheless, stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are making it possible to accelerate the completion of the bridge by eliminating long gaps between staggered phases.

Good News! City Council Votes to Move Forward

Though the wait was long, and the matter didn't come to Council until just before 10pm, tonight City Council voted without debate to accept staff recommendation and to move forward with the Minto Bridge. The next step is starting a conversation with the Captain of the Willamette Queen and to work on securing Coast Guard approval.

Come to City Council on Monday the 23rd!

On Monday, March 23rd, City Council will be considering the next steps for the proposed Minto Bridge!

From the summary of the staff report:

Staff recommends that City Council direct staff to: (1) Negotiate a strategy with the owner of the Willamette Queen to allow placement of a low clearance bridge; and (2) Move forward with the low clearance tied arch design, authorizing the City Manager to execute an application to the US Coast Guard for a preliminary determination on appropriate clearance height for the proposed Minto Island Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge.

Here's the complete staff report (24pp. pdf).

Consider coming to council to show your support for the bridge! The council meeting will start at 6:30pm, but come a little early to sign up. Council meets at the Vern Miller Civic Center, in the northmost part of the complex.

Between the cost of the bridge, the navigability issues, and the environmental mitigation, this is not a simple project, and it's worth showing strong support. Please join us!

The Bridge in the News

Excitement is building for the Bridge opening! Some news pieces have been written about it, and we hope to see more in the next month.

Salem Monthly posted an article to their website and we expect it'll go to print in the April edition.

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance held the Alice Awards on March 7th, and honored Mayor Taylor and the City with the wittily named Alice B. Toeclips Award. The BTA give the Alice Awards to individuals, businesses, and organizations in Oregon and SW Washington "for stellar works of bike advocacy that have promoted the use of bicycles and increased the livability of our communities." In the bike world these are a big deal! The nomination and award citation specifically called out the Mayor's advocacy for the bridge.

Read the Statesman web version here (or the pdf here). For more local coverage of the award as well as links to a longer profile of Mayor Taylor and the Bridge, see the MWVBTA Breakfast on Bikes Blog stories.