Collaborative Efforts for Improved Bicycle Infrastructure

[Jaron Rosenau]

Dear Sustainable Transportation Advocates,

I hope this email finds you all well. I recently spoke at the last two Corvallis Planning Commission meetings, where I shared my concerns about the current state of bicycle infrastructure in Corvallis. The Planning Commission is currently reviewing and modifying rules and guidelines in response to changes in the land use code at the state level, which includes the Climate Friendly and Equitable Community rule updates. The Planning Commission has also begun to discuss updates needed to the city's Bicycle Parking Code.

In my speeches, I highlighted the inconvenient location of bike racks and the lack of curb cuts in various parts of the city, emphasizing the need for better bicycle infrastructure planning and urging the city to reconsider the standard approach. I cited examples from the Linus Pauling Institute and the Peavy Forest Science Center and mentioned on-street bike parking as a possible solution to some curb cut problems.

During the follow-up discussion, Commissioner Shean requested an agenda item be added for a discussion to look more thoroughly at what the code says about the location of curb cuts in relation to the building and the bike racks. Bob Richardson, the University Use Planning Manager at OSU, mentioned OSU's interest in providing consolidated bicycle parking locations that serve multiple buildings, offering easier access, better visibility, and increased security. He also specifically addressed the concern I raised, stating that the current practice is to place bike parking wherever it fits, rather than considering the most useful locations for cyclists.

As bicyclist advocates, it is vital for us to work together with city planners, policymakers, and institutions like OSU to create a more bike-friendly community. The conversations I had with the Corvallis Planning Commission meeting are a promising start but I encourage all of you to reach out to the planning commission and city council yourself to advocate for improved bicycle infrastructure, including accessible curb cuts, better bike parking, and collaboration with institutions. Answer the question, "What makes it difficult for me to ride or why don't I ride?" and use your answer as the spark for your own small personal campaign to better Corvallis streets.

Together, we can make a difference and create a brighter, more sustainable future for our community. I've attached transcripts of my speeches and the follow up discussions between the commissioners.

2/15/2023 Planning Commission Meeting Speech and Discussion Video (skip to 31:10): https://vimeo.com/799622001

3/15/2023 Planning Commission Meeting Follow Up Speech and Discussion Video (skip to 1:08:55): https://vimeo.com/808790671

Best regards,
Jaron Rosenau

[Dave Hockman-Wert]

This is an interesting issue, Jaron.  I certainly experience the lack of curb cuts near bike parking (LPI and Peavy are prime examples, for sure), but I guess I find them a fairly minor annoyance.  To me, places that have no bike parking (the Southtown shopping center with Sharon's Cafe and 7-Eleven and a gym) are a much more frustrating situation.

And one of the commissioner's comments makes me wonder if a curb cut requirement might make things in that regard worse, not better:

"Commissioner Woods: What do people think about this scenario, so let's say someone has a business and they want to install more parking but doing so would require that they pay for anew curb cut so they decide they don't want to add the parking because parking is required. What do we feel about setting up that scenario where the thing we wanted, which is more bike parking, is thwarted because they have to spend the extra money to do the curb cut."

Still, I recognize that my ability to deal with curbs is different than someone with limited physical ability, so I'll ponder this one awhile longer.  Good for you for taking your concern to the folks who can do something about it.

Dave

--
——————
Transportation Action Team | Corvallis Sustainability Coalition
 
VISION: Corvallis is a hub in a regional transportation system that includes sustainable transportation modes for people and goods.
 
sustainablecorvallis.org/what-we-do/action-teams/transportation
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Transportation Action Team | Corvallis Sustainability Coalition" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sustainable-corvallis-tr...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sustainable-corvallis-transportation/0ce5a1b5-04a4-4a28-bf30-b0886a8bce63n%40googlegroups.com.