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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2022
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APPEAL TRIBUNE
Leaders push for bike lanes to connect Salem
Whitney Woodworth
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
A group of community leaders are
pushing for the addition of 55 miles of
protected bike lanes, proposing Salem
spend funds from an upcoming $300
million infrastructure bond.
Those behind the proposal say it
would provide unprecedented access to
safe, direct bike routes for residents of
all skill levels and ages.
Salem City Councilor Virginia Sta-
pleton, Cherriots board president Ian
Davidson and Salem Parks and Recrea-
tion Advisory Board vice-chair Dylan
McDowell have outlined a plan that in-
cludes more than 55 miles of protected
lanes, including north-south and east-
west routes, city-wide connectors, a
downtown network and routes outside
city limits.
Protected bike lanes use planters,
curbs, parked cars or posts to separate
cyclists from vehicle traffic.
The plan is designed to accommo-
date the growth Salem is set to see —
60,000 residents are expected to move
to the area by 2035 — and address the
increasing number of housing develop-
ments designed to encourage people to
use public transportation and bikes.
“I constantly hear from residents and
neighborhood associations that they
want more bike lanes in Salem,” Staple-
ton said. “This plan provides a unified
and safe way to connect the entire city.”
Salem is currently exploring poten-
tial projects for its $300 million Com-
munity Improvement Bond, which will
go to voters for consideration in Novem-
ber. The bond will not increase resi-
dents’ taxes, as it replaces an expiring
bond.
Davidson said at best, Salem’s bike
infrastructure has potential. At worst,
he said, it is wildly dangerous, unsafe
A man rides his bike through an intersection in downtown Salem on March 17,
2020. MADELEINE COOK / STATESMAN JOURNAL, STATESMAN JOURNAL
and uninviting.
He said using some of the bond funds
to create a network of safe, protected
paths presents an opportunity to “place
a downpayment on the transportation
system of the future.”
A similar project in Bend cost about
$2,000 a mile for protected bike lanes.
Those behind the proposal said it co-
incides with historic increases in gas
prices, leaving many residents unable to
affordably travel throughout the city. A
comprehensive bike system would offer
a safe, affordable and carbon-free mode
of transportation that is unaffected by
fluctuating gas prices, they said.
Davidson pointed to two key propos-
als in the plan.
East-west and north-south paths
would mean that for the first time ever,
people would be able to cross the city on
protected bike lanes.
A multi-use path in West Salem built
alongside transmission lines operated
by the Bonneville Power Administration
would be separate from vehicles and be
beneficial to both BPA and residents us-
ing the route, he said.
Backers said the proposal would pro-
vide savings by helping the city avoid
costly projects to widen roads and make
the streets safer for all modes of travel,
including cars.
As an example, Davidson pointed to
17th Street. Officials recently reduced
the speed limit on the street from 30 to
25 mph, but people still drive at speeds
unsafe for pedestrians, cyclists and oth-
er drivers.
By redesigning the road with protect-
ed bike lanes, speeds could be naturally
reduced, making the road safer for ev-
eryone, he said.
“A truly integrated transportation
system means we must also invest in
bike infrastructure that both an 8-year-
old
and an 80-year-old are comfortable
riding in,” Davidson said. “This plan
achieves that.”
Backers of the proposal said it will
help the city follow meet goals outline in
the Climate Action Plan and Our Salem
plan.
“The past two years of the pandemic
have shown us the importance of mak-
ing long-term investments in our com-
munity,” McDowell said. “Salem has an
abundance of parks and green spaces,
and a unified bike system will mean that
residents can safely go from home to
work to natural areas without worrying
about traffic or parking.”
Those wanting to find out more about
the proposal and sign a petition can do
so online at salem-bike-vision.mail-
chimpsites.com/.
This proposal is just one of many for
the funds. Other areas of funding con-
sideration include:
h Fire equipment and fire stations.
h Street and sidewalks improve-
ments.
h Park upgrades.
h Civic Center earthquake safety im-
provements.
h Sites for affordable housing.
h Technology and cybersecurity im-
provements.
The Infrastructure Bond Engage-
ment Steering Committee, made up of
the mayor and three councilors, will dis-
cuss proposals at its meeting at noon
Monday. The full City Council will dis-
cuss bond funding proposals during a
work session on April 18 and during a
formal council meeting April 25.
Written comments can be emailed to
citycouncil@cityofsalem.net, and sign-
up for verbal public comment is avail-
able at both meetings.
For questions, comments and news
tips, email reporter Whitney Wood-
worth at wmwoodworth@statesman-
journal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow
on Twitter @wmwoodworth
Labor
Continued from Page 1A
Oregon to train and prepare workers for
positions the state's employers need.
“The goal of this legislation is to make
sure that folks have access to job train-
ing opportunities and sustainable ca-
reers in the future," Brown told report-
ers, standing on the Hillsboro campus of
Intel, the famed chipmaker and one of
Oregon's largest businesses. "We have
businesses across the state that are
hungry, that need a diverse skilled
workforce, and Future Ready Oregon
will help tackle these economic dispar-
ities that we see and help our families
access economic opportunities.”
Salem fared better than some
areas during the pandemic
Shut-down orders in the early days of
the pandemic in Oregon impacted ho-
tels and restaurants more than any oth-
er segment.
Hotels severely cut staff and some
closed, restaurants reverted to skeleton
crews as they could only offer to-go din-
ing, and movie theaters were forced to
close.
Those industries have regained 87%
of the jobs lost in the shutdowns, ac-
cording to the Oregon Employment De-
partment, but still need a lot of workers
to return to their pre-pandemic level of
220,000 employees.
“We’re expecting those industries to
come back,” said Pat O’Connor, a region-
al economist of the Mid-Valley for the
Oregon Employment Department. “It’s
not that we as consumers spontaneous-
ly decided we didn’t want to go to res-
taurants anymore.”
O’Connor said Salem wasn’t hit as
hard by job losses as some areas of the
state.
In the years leading up to the pan-
demic, Amazon opened two new facil-
ities in Salem. That helped shield the
area from worse job losses as the online
giant hired workers at a rapid pace.
“Salem has certainly recovered better
than the statewide average,” O’Connor
said. “Definitely the warehousing in-
Juanillo
Continued from Page 1A
cides with Mexico’s Day of the Dead cel-
ebrations in November.
Another strong symbol of Mexican
identity, Our Lady of Guadalupe or La
Virgen de Guadalupe, sits on the ground
during our interview. Juanillo is unsure
if she’ll add an altar as she usually does
in most of her installations but the vir-
gencita, as she’s affectionately called by
many in the community, remains pre-
sent during Juanillo’s final brush-
strokes.
A piñata made of beans hangs in an-
other corner of the installation, her own
take on a traditional decoration.
Together, they create an installation
Juanillo hopes is warm, healing and in-
Owner Thorin Thacker poses for a portrait at Canyon Cannabis in Mill City, Ore. on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. The dispensary's former
location was burned to the ground during the 2020 Labor Day wildfires. BRIAN HAYES / STATESMAN JOURNAL
dustry was one that showed real steep
growth for all sorts of warehousing dur-
ing the pandemic with the demand for
warehouse workers, delivery drivers.”
It's not just the pandemic; lack
of housing after 2020 wildfires
Businesses in the Santiam Canyon
are still feeling the impacts of the wild-
fires of 2020.
The reduced workforce in the com-
munities east of Salem — Mill City, De-
troit and Gates — that were affected by
the fires, is partly due to the lack of
housing. That has made it harder to find
people for positions in that area.
When Canyon Cannabis, a dispen-
sary, re-opened in Mill City in March, its
four full-time employees returned to the
store after they held a series of tempor-
ary jobs.
Owner Thorin Thacker says that
while he was able to get all his old em-
ployees back, others are struggling. He
points to a nearby burger spot and the
dollar store.
viting.
It was important to do her own heal-
ing Juanillo said.
“So that wherever I’m at, I can still
feel safe despite being far away from my
family,” she said.
Joy, grief of immigrant stories
Most of Juanillo’s work centers on
immigration and how joy and grief coin-
cide within immigrant stories.
She said growing up in Oregon in a
community that was predominately
white was “really rough.” The environ-
ment did not grant her many opportuni-
ties to explore her identity, she said.
She graduated from Perryville High
School in a graduating class of 25 stu-
dents. Despite the small art depart-
ments at both schools, her teachers at
the high school and at Linfield have
"There are stores that I neighbor with
that can’t find anybody," he said.
Need for employees
will remain high
It could be a while until employers
find all the workers they want. But the
governor said she expects to see the im-
pact of the new job training money im-
mediately.
In the next 10 years, the Mid-Willam-
ette Valley alone is projected to add
about 43,700 new jobs — that's about
16% growth, according to the Oregon
Employment Department.
The fastest-growing occupations are
projected to be manicurists, physical
therapist assistants, nurse practi-
tioners, massage therapists and bar-
tenders.
The makeup of the labor force is
changing, particularly when it comes to
age.
Older workers retired at a significant
rate during the pandemic. According to
the Pew Research Center, 50.3% of
been extremely encouraging of her art
and her themes, she said.
“I feel like through my art practice
I’ve been able to stay more connected to
my Mexican roots, despite being in Ore-
gon,” Juanillo said.
The butterflies again represent that
connection and introspection.
“The monarch butterfly is also very
symbolic of transformation,” Juanillo
said. “Finding home within our bodies
demands that we heal our wounds and
traumas. The monarch butterfly is resil-
ient and a metaphor for the growth we
experience as we heal and accept our
body, mind and spirit.”
You can find more of Juanillo’s art on
her Instagram @color.obsessed. Mi
Cuerpo Es Mi Hogar will be on display
until April 23 at Bush Barn Art Center,
600 Mission St. SE.
She said the invitation to be featured
people over age 55 were retired in the
third quarter of 2021, up two percent-
age points from two years earlier.
At the same time, people are enter-
ing the workforce at younger ages.
In 2012, 5% of Oregon workers in lei-
sure and hospitality were between 14
and 18 years old. That share had leaped
to 9.6% of workers in 2021.
O’Connor said the pandemic started
an uptick in younger people entering
the workforce, especially in restau-
rants. He pointed to a sign he saw at a
McDonald’s in Salem encouraging 14-
and 15-year-olds to apply.
“If you’re a high school student,
there’s never been a better time to find a
job,” O’Connor said.
Bill Poehler covers Marion County
for the Statesman Journal. Contact
him
at
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com
Claire Withycombe covers state gov-
ernment for the Statesman Journal.
Contact
her
at
cwithycombe@StatesmanJournal.com
in the gallery is accomplishing a dream
that felt unattainable at times but her
parent and school support allowed her
to see herself in these spaces.
Juanillo said she hopes to do more
community work in the future, includ-
ing community murals and workshops
catered to the immigrant community.
“Art has the ability to bring people to-
gether and to reconnect people to their
culture,” she said. “Creating opportuni-
ties for that can allow children to see
themselves in spaces that normally are
for white people.”
If you have an idea for someone we
should profile for this series, please
email Statesman Journal senior news
editor
Alia
Beard
Rau
at arau@gannett.com