A new non-profit group has incorporated to help promote sustainable agriculture and encourage the public to support local farmers. They're called Friends of Salem Saturday Market. I heard about them from the Salem Locavores group. Sounds like one of their fundraisers is a valet parking for bikes at the growing Saturday Market downtown. They're hoping to have this going by June 6th.
I used to live near a small downtown bragged about how I would park my car on Friday night and would not need to travel by auto until I went back to work on Monday morning. Now, I'm out in the suburbs with a young family and find it difficult to travel the streets by bicycle. Thank goodness for places like Minto Park where it's a pleasure to pedal along the Willamette River free of the danger and noise of being in the mix of automobile traffic.
By the way, does anyone out there have a used bike in their garage they'd like to sell. I'm looking for a basic mountain bike or beach cruiser. I'm also looking for a bike rack that fits the back of a Ford Explorer. Send me an email at eatsalem@gmail.com
Let your city councilor know about your concerns about biking in the suburbs! The City of Salem has applied for grants to update its Transportation System Plan for bicycles, and to develop a school-district-wide Safe Routes to School program. Both of these contain pieces that will make bicycling in the suburbs safer and more pleasant. Reengineering the streets and intersections is possible without these grants - but of course they require political support. If these are values to you, let your officials know!
ReplyDeleteThe Mid-Willamette Valley Chapter of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance has released the penultimate draft of its "Blueprint for Better Biking: Salem-Keizer Top 12 List." If you are interested in reading it, and if you'd like to offer comments, hit me with a note salembikes - at - gmail - dot - com (make appropriate typographic changes!) I'll email you a copy.