Bike Paths » News Lincoln County

Making Waldport more “bicycle friendly”

Bicycling, Bike Paths, Waldport No Responses »

Apr 112013

Waldport City Council
Thursday

Rick Hill
Green Bike, Waldport

Sharrows being installed in Newport

Green Bike, a service that provides free bicycles to anyone who wants to use them to get around Waldport, is looking to make bicycling a little nicer for locals and visitors alike. Green Bike lead mechanic and volunteer coordinator Rick Hill told the council he would like the council to authorize adding “Sharrows” to city streets where bicycling is encouraged. Sharrows are painted (or vinyl applied) symbols on regular travel roads to remind motorists that bicycles can be expected to use the roads as well, and to be on the lookout for them. It’s a safety thing.

Hill said that Newport recently added sharrows to a number of their streets as a safety reminder. Hill said Newport loans the stencils to other Lincoln County communities free of charge. He asked the council to designate which streets the sharrows should be painted on. Mayor Susan Woodruff said it would most likely have to be just on city streets for starters – maybe not on Highway 101 or 34, since those are under the jurisdiction of ODOT. Councilors came up with a number of streets that the sharrows would be good for by routing visitors to specific locations like parks, the port, visitors center, the beach, the post office, etc. City Manager Nancy Leonard said she’ll contact ODOT to see if they’d entertain sharrows and, if so, where.

Hill also posed the idea of the council establishing specific bike routes throughout the area so tourists could more fully enjoy their bike riding in Waldport. The council thought that was a good idea – in fact it was also suggested that the city work with the South Lincoln County Trail Committee which is in the process of updating trails for hikers, horseback riders, aquatic travelers and bicyclists. A member of the committee was in the audience and said “let’s do it!”

Share on Facebook

Getting our kids to school SAFELY! “Safe Routes to School”

Bicycling, Bike Paths, Pedestrian Safety, Traffic Safety No Responses »

Feb 252013

Safe Routes to School
Newport Rec Center

Creating safe routes to school

Walking/biking is exercise
Reduces child obesity
Students arrive ready to focus on learning

Safe Routes to School program

A group that wants to ensure that Lincoln County school children get to and from school safely put their heads together recently to come up with a plan to do just that – and it’s not about putting more cars on the road. In fact, quite the opposite.

The Safe Routes to Schools organization, which partners with the Oregon Department of Transportation, is making the rounds of Oregon communities to develop local walking and biking routes that are safe and convenient for students. School safety personnel, along with law enforcement, streets, trails and other public officials laid out their challenges for all Lincoln County students to be able to get to and from school on their own, without a flotilla of “mom vans” clogging streets and school pick-up and drop-off areas. They also acknowledged that walking and biking to school is healthier for kids. Not only does it help to prevent childhood obesity, children arrive at school after having done some exercise that results in a calmer frame of mind that helps children focus on learning.

Ideas to improve walking and biking conditions around Lincoln County included:

* Toledo High – Entry drive/walkway hill is not safe. No sidewalk, steep edges/drop offs, narrow road. No sidewalk on Sturdavent leading to school.
* Toledo Elementary – Limited sidewalk access on Sturdavent – only to the south.
* Newport High and Newport Intermediate – No sidewalk on 4th in front of Lincoln County Fairgrounds.
* Waldport High – Elementary – No sidewalk along Crestline to school. New high school will increase traffic from parents driving students, as well as student drivers. Lower speed limit near the schools. Raised crosswalks over highways, install crosswalk warning lights, create bike trails.
* Install flashing school zone lights on Crestline.
* Taft High and Taft Elementary – Wider shoulders along Highways 101 and 18 from Otis area. More sidewalks.
* Safety education for walkers, rights of way issues, crosswalk laws.
* Staff/volunteers needed for crossing guard training, vests, handheld flags and signs.
* Oceanlake Elementary – Need two handheld stop/slow signs.
* Bikers/walkers need to be educated about safety and traffic rules – vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.
* Everyone needs to learn about “Safe Routes to School.”
* Promote healthy benefits of walking/biking to school.
* Map neighborhoods to reveal challenges and opportunities.
* Plan “Bike to School” events.
* Coordinate special promotions for bike, clothing and helmet give-aways.
* Recruit volunteers to assist walkers/bikers.
* Create “group sites” to coordinate walking.

Comments from the group included some frustration that sidewalks, rights of way, highway crossings and the like require full-blown plans before being qualified for grants, much less permits for construction. Plans cost money to produce, they said, and it makes it harder when the Safe Routes to School program requires plans for projects five to ten years down the road. “That’s well beyond our time line for local projects here in Newport,” said Public Works Director Tim Gross.

A Safe Route to Schools official said they understand the predicament but quickly added that there are many other tactics that schools and their communities can use to make routes to school more safe for students – like asking law enforcement to concentrate on school zones during times children are going to and from school. A deputy sheriff quickly replied “We’re very thin on patrols as it is. Budgets are tight. Officers don’t come out of thin air.” Response: “Then think about using reserve officers as deterrents – have them write down license plate numbers and send a letter to the registered owner that their vehicle was speeding in a school zone on such and such a date. They’ll get the message.” The suggestion was made that mobile radar trailers be used more consistently in school zones around the county. Public Works Director Tim Gross chimed in that getting creative with street striping can also slow down traffic if it narrows ‘perceived’ lane widths. It’s cheap to do.

Another suggestion was to contact parents or other adults who might like to monitor student commutes to school, provide guidance and to raise the level of safety while enroute.

Safe Routes to School officials said the next step will be for schools to do more outreach to students and parents to determine what impediments exist that discourages walking and biking to school. After that, create an action plan and take meaningful steps to enact changes that makes biking and walking to school more safe and enjoyable.

More meetings to come to keep the momentum going.

Share on Facebook

Lincoln City City Council moves ahead on Bike/Pedestrian Plan for the town

Bicycling, Bike Paths, Pedestrian Safety No Responses »

Oct 232012

Saying they want Lincoln City residents to be able to get around town without having to drive a car, or even ride a bus if they don’t want to, the city council gave their tentative approval of a new bicycle and pedestrian/hiking plan Monday night. Pictured above is a series of improvements aimed at helping motorists to more effectively share the roads with bicyclists and walkers. The plan calls for putting in sidewalks for pedestrians as well as lane sharing for bicyclists. Some of it will cost money. And some of it won’t fit within the narrow widths of many older streets in the city.

Resident Mike Meyers blasted the plan as lacking common sense in its application and excessive in its proposed fees or taxes to implement it. He said the city needs to stick to what’s needed, and avoid what is not necessary. He said that many city streets are too narrow for what limited parking there is without trying to take up space for bike lanes or sidewalks that, in some cases, would put both almost up to the front doors of some homes in Lincoln City.

ODOT representative David Helton, whose agency helped fund the bike/ped study said that Mr. Meyers brings up good points but that there will be no fees or taxes for any project that isn’t fully evaluated and brought before the city council in open public meetings. He said it’s a plan and nothing more, that lays out what the town might accommodate in the years ahead, with emphasis on “years.” City planner Debra Martzhan said that local fees or taxes are not the first choice for funding bike/ped improvements and that there are many grants and other resources that could be tapped first. The council was also told that any improvements would likely piggyback with other city projects associated with street or other circulation improvements in the years ahead and that each and every improvement will be presented to the city council who has the last say on whether an improvement is given the green light.

A representative of the Bay Area Merchants Association said their group supports the bike/ped plan, adding that it’s long been their opinion that the Taft area has been somewhat isolated from the rest of Lincoln City because of a lack of pedestrian and/or biking provisions on the street.

The council seemed okay with the plan, with some minor amendments. City staff said they would refer it back to the city’s consultants and then bring it back to the city council for review and probable approval at a future meeting.

Share on Facebook

Lincoln City edges closer to adopting biking and walking plan for the town

Bicycling, Bike Paths, Lincoln City, Pedestrian Safety, Recreation No Responses »

Oct 092012

We all know that America is filled with people who weigh too much, don’t exercise enough and who use their vehicles to travel 200 feet to the store. But slowly, city and county planners have been making it easier for Americans to envision a different kind of neighborhood, where walking and bicycling are not only possible, but safe and inviting.

Lincoln City planners Monday night debuted their proposed city-wide walking and biking plan to the city council. It was well received and roundly praised at successfully pulling many Lincoln City residents into the process of assessing the walking and biking needs of the city, where they could be constructed and where to go shopping for the money to make it all possible.

Nobody said it was all going to happen soon. They agreed that it’ll be a long slog, especially as the country tries fitfully to pull out of the worst recession in over 80 years. Cities and counties are having trouble enough paying for the things that are “must haves” as opposed to what are nice to have to improve the community’s quality of life which bike and walking paths would be a part of.

However, planners reminded the councilors that there are many no-or-low-cost options to be explored with the city’s own public works department, and certainly with the Oregon Department of Transportation, which has control over Highway 101 – the main transportation corridor through town. They say a few immediate improvements could come from just laying down some paint where appropriate.

To be sure, shared lanes, discreet lanes, sidewalks, pedestrian pathways, all come at a price. And certainly the more pricey ones may take a while to build. But that’s what planners said is so good about the city’s nearly-adopted plan. They say it was formulated after a series community meetings and discussions that examined what’s on the ground now, and what would make sense projecting out five to ten years to connect Lincoln city’s scattered neighborhoods without having to jump in a car. They said funding for these non-automotive ways of getting around will likely come from a number of sources; federal, state, private foundations, local contributors and yes, even taxpayers, if they can be convinced of the value. So having a plan with specific sets of expectations, of what should be put where, will help focus the work of raising the money.

The plan’s comprehensiveness exceeds any one news story’s ability to even scratch the surface. You really should read the plan. But before your eyes glaze over, click on the link at the end of this story and see for yourself how very readable and easy to understand it is. It’s well made so everyone can get a good sense of what’s in the offing and of ways to move it forward. There are detractors who think it’s all a bunch of expensive fluff that the city can’t afford, but if you spend some time with the plan you’ll get your own view of the possibilities. Although the plan was presented to the city council Monday night, the council postponed adoption of it until at least one more public hearing can be held 6pm, Monday, October 22nd, to give more Lincoln City residents a chance to weigh in on the discussions.

At any rate, here’s the plan: Click here.

Share on Facebook

Walkers and Bicyclists of Lincoln City! C’mon down!

Bicycling, Bike Paths, Lincoln City No Responses »

Jun 222012

Provided by Lincoln City Planning

CITY GEARS UP FOR FINAL STEPS OF WALKING AND BIKING PLAN
Second Open House Scheduled for Sunday, July 15th, at Lincoln City Farmer’s Market

Lincoln City’s Walking and Biking Plan is heading for the finish line! The Planning and Community Development Department invites the public to an open house on Sunday, July 15th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Lincoln City Farmer’s Market, 540 NE Highway 101 (Cultural Center lawn) to share your thoughts on the evolving plan. Accessible parking and bike racks are available. In case of inclement weather, the event will be inside the Cultural Center.

While you are there, review improvements for walkers and bicyclists and comment on how to pay for them. You can talk with project consultants, city staff and our Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) liaison, and members of the advisory committee about your priorities for making walking and biking in Lincoln City safer and more enjoyable.

The city also wants your input on “road diets” for Highway 101 in Oceanlake and other places without adequate room for sidewalks and bike lanes. A road diet narrows motor vehicle lanes or reduces the number of lanes from four through lanes to two through lanes and a turn lane, which makes room for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Children are welcome to attend the open house. The city will provide coloring sheets and crayons, but no child care. The open house will offer handouts and give-aways while supplies last. A grant from ODOT’s Transportation Growth Management program is funding the Walking and Biking Plan. By early fall, a draft of the plan will be available on the project’s website. The Planning Commission and City Council will hold public hearings in the fall prior to adopting the plan.

Make your voice heard for this plan! Visit the project website for the Walking and Biking Plan at www.lincolncitypedbike.org or by clicking here. Facebook users can “like” the project page for “Lincoln City Walking and Biking Plan.” If you have questions about the event or need assistance, please contact Kate Daschel (541-996-1232) or Timothy Novak (541-996-1226).

Share on Facebook

Newport looking for pedestrian and bicycling boosters

Bicycling, Bike Paths No Responses »

Dec 132011

Newport City Hall

The City of Newport is seeking applications from citizens interested in serving on the Pedestrian/Pedestrian Committee. The Pedestrian/Bicycle Committee meets monthly on the second Tuesday, at 5:30 P.M., at the Recreation Center, 225 SE Avery Street. The purpose of the Committee is to advise the City Council on issues relating to bicycle and pedestrian transportation, safety, recreation, and education. The Committee also acts as a resource to provide additional information related to the unique problems associated with non-motorized transportation.

Anyone interested in serving on this committee should apply using the city’s committee application which is found on the city website at www.newportoregon.gov; click on “City;” then on “Committees;” and then on “Application for Committee/Commission.” The completed form can be submitted electronically. Copies of the committee application form can also be obtained by contacting the City Manager’s Office at 169 SW Coast Highway, Newport, Oregon 97365, or by calling 541.574.0613. The application deadline is December 30, 2011.

The Pedestrian/Bicycle Committee will interview interested volunteers at its January 10, 2012 meeting, and forward a recommendation to the City Council for formal appointment at its January 17, 2012 meeting.

Share on Facebook

Lincoln City biking and walking lanes on the horizon??

Bicycling, Bike Paths, Lincoln City 3 Responses »

Jul 262011

Correction: City has received the planning grant.

When Lincoln City was combined many years ago, it was combined with a lot of smaller, but connected communities that had more than aging sewer and water systems. They had many narrow and sometimes very user-unfriendly streets for bicyclists and walkers. And they still have them today.

But the Community Development Department is taking the first step toward making all of Lincoln City just a little bit more accommodating for walkers and bicyclists. The city has received an ODOT grant to develop a bicycle and walking plan that will attempt to create easier and safer ways to navigate through Lincoln City, mainly north to south, as well as convenient routes for local residents who would like to reduce their carbon footprint and get in some good exercise.

City planning staff told the city council Monday night that the city has received the grant of $142,600 which will help pay for an inventory of strategic city streets that, with slight modifications, can help reduce the number cars on the road in favor of bicycles in bike lanes and streets that share the road with bicyclists and walkers.

Staff said they expect to hold a number of public meetings about possible bike and pedestrian accommodations for many streets around town. Again, the first step is to assemble a plan which will then create a push toward actually changing the look and feel of many Lincoln City streets to make them more inviting for bicyclists and walkers. Staff says they would like to have the plan created in about a year. After that it’s all about available city funds and grants to make it all happen.

Share on Facebook

Cruizin’ Newport with Casey Miller…

Bicycling, Bike Paths, Newport No Responses »

May 222011

Casey grabbed his camera the other day and learned a little something about how top end touring and mountain bikes are sold around the world. And of course his travels took him down to Bike Newport where Trek Bikes were being handed out left and right for use on an extended bike ride. So Casey thought he’d roll his camera and capture a little bit of the fun…

Share on Facebook

Look Ma! No gas!! Bike to Work, Bike to School Day in Newport

Bicycling, Bike Paths No Responses »

May 202011

Video Provided by Casey Miller

Bike to Work and School Day
Photos courtesy: Ken Dennis
(Click to enlarge photos)

Bike Newport was ground zero this morning for the launch of Bike to School, Bike to Work Day. An estimated 80 men, women and children showed up early to show that bicycling is alive and vibrant on the Oregon Coast, even if it was 7:15 in the morning. Bicyclists were escorted across a busy Highway 101 on their way to work and to Sam Case Elementary, Newport Middle School and Newport High School. Arrangements were also being made for a return safety escort later this afternoon.

Newport is trying to become a more bike friendly community with the creation of new designated bikeways, lanes and paths along the coast and inland. Sharrows are being painted on major throughways where motorists are being asked to share the road with those who enjoy not paying $4.00 a gallon gas while reaping priceless health benefits from cycling.

Click on Banner!

Share on Facebook

Sharing the road in Newport. It’s right there in front of you!

Bike Paths No Responses »

May 162011

NW 6th, Monday

Newport city workers were on NW 6th Street today, reminding motorists that certain streets and roads around Newport are official “share-the-road” streets for bicyclists. Sharrows, as they’re called, are planned to be laid down on roadways in many areas of Newport, including Elizabeth, Oceanview, Naterlin and others. They will coincide with the official state coastal biking trail that runs from Astoria to Brookings. The thermal plastic bike and sharrow design are very durable and reflect brighty at night in headlights. The sharrows are paid largely through grant funds.

Thermoplastic design is good for up to five years, even under severe stormy and muddy conditions here on the coast. Not all roads will be thermoplastic, however. Those that will soon be pavement overlaid will be painted with standard white pavement paint, then their sharrows will be redone with the thermoplastic.

Share on Facebook

Older Entries