SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 40, NO. 25
SECTION A
MARCH 22, 2019
$1.00
Committee fl oats 4th option for
bikes, peds along River Road
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Members of the Keizer
Traffi c Safety, Bikeways and
Pedestrian Committee found
all of the recently-proposed
enhancements to bike and
pedestrian traffi c on River
Road lacking at its meeting
Thursday, March 14.
“My main concern is
that all three of the options
have operational or safety
problems. If not for motor
vehicles, then cyclists and
pedestrians. The one that got
the highest marks confl icts
with current accepted design
policy,” said Pat Fisher, a
committee member.
As part of efforts to
rethink development along
Keizer’s major commercial
corridors, consultants to the
city unveiled three options
for improving multimodal
traffi c. One option would
involve removing the turn
lane from the center of River
Road and using the recouped
The Keizer Traffi c Safety
Committee put forth a new
option for redesigning non-
vehicle traffi c fl ow on River Road
North. The proposal would mean
narrower lanes and a multiuse
sidewalk for both bikes and
pedestrians on each
side of the street.
River Road
SIDEWALKS
5’
10’ *
EXISTING
ROAD LANES
12’
KEIZERTIMES
Candace Johnson
10’ *
*approximate
PROPOSED
space to install sidewalks and
buffered bike lanes. Another
option is narrowing lanes and
installing a multiuse sidewalk
on one side of the street. The
fi nal option put forth by
consultants is narrowing lanes
and installing unbuffered bike
lanes.
Members of the traffi c
safety committee preferred
another solution during talks
at the meeting. The group
put forth a recommendation
to the city to install multiuse
sidewalks on both sides of
the road. That means bikes
and
pedestrians
would
be traveling on the same
sidewalk, but have plenty
of maneuverability. Ideally,
cyclists would travel in a
“lane” nearest to the street
with pedestrians taking an
inside lane.
The idea would mitigate
the primary fl aw in having
only one multiuse sidewalk
proposed by consultants:
bikes traveling both ways on
one side of the street.
“Cyclists going both ways
would be introducing another
safety hazard because drivers
are not used to looking both
ways for cyclists,” Fisher said.
“It also doesn’t fi t the context
with so many driveways.”
The number of entrances
to businesses and other
properties along River Road
creates hurdles for any new
solution, but it’s a problem
the city inherited.
“[Marion] County devel-
oped River Road substan-
dard and we are stuck with it.
To do it right, we would need
to purchase right-of-way and
there’s no money,” said Hersch
Please see ROAD, Page A5
Boys lead off
with 5-0 win
PAGE A14
Find out
what’s in that
purple truck
PAGE A5
Parks board
seeks boost
to matching
grant fund
stallation of benches and tables
By ERIC A. HOWALD
while working with a sponsor
Of the Keizertimes
A conversation about in- from the city council or parks
stituting a parks improvement board,” said Lawyer.
The idea was also informed
fund aimed at assisting youth
projects turned into a plan by a conversation with City
Councilor Dan
to ask for a
Kohler. One
$5,000 increase
recent Keizer
to a matching
Eagle Scout,
grant program
and a liaison
administered
to the Keizer
by the Keizer
Parks Board,
Parks Adviso-
was looking for
ry Board at a
a service proj-
meeting Tues-
ect and ended
day, March 12.
Inspired by
— Robert Johnson up taking his
some of the Keizer parks supervisor time and tal-
ent to Salem
past projects
because
the
completed
neighbor
to
with a match-
ing grant fund, Board Member the south would offer funding
Matt Lawyer brought forth an up front instead of reimburse-
idea to create a similar pro- ment.
Lawyer suggested begin-
gram directed at youth with a
ning with a $2,000 annual
few changes.
“[The fund would] en- allowance for the program.
able and encourage youth However, whereas adults and
to participate in the volun- other groups must pay for im-
teer experience by paying for provements out-of-pocket and
maintenance projects or in-
Please see PARKS, Page A5
“You still want
to encourage
a matching
effort.”
READY
FOR DUTY
Submitted
John Hartzell got a personal tour of the Keizer Police Department recently. In addition to
meeting numerous offi cers, he got to try out some of the department hardware like a riot
shield and the department’s heavy-duty door knocker.
McNary
senior is
defining
service
PAGE A8
Clark lauds city’s efforts at Chamber lunch
Mayor Cathy
Clark delivers
the annual State
of the City
address at a
Keizer Chamber
of Commerce
luncheon
Tuesday,
March 12.
KEIZERTIMES/
Eric A. Howald
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
From livability and development to what’s be-
ing done to assist some of Keizer’s most vulnera-
ble residents, Mayor Cathy Clark is feeling good
about the future of the city.
“We are on a good course to our future. We
are known for showing up, speaking up, getting
involved and getting it done,” said Clark in her
annual State of the City address during a Keizer
Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday, March
12. “By coming together to create it, we will have
something to celebrate every day.”
Clark covered a lot of territory in the speech
while trying to hit on all the high notes that show
the work being done.
In regard to livability issues, Clark said the
groundwork is being laid to decide how the
city should approach its expected growth, either
through higher density development or expan-
sion of the Keizer Urban Growth Boundary.
The lack of available developable spaces is
turning the screws on Keizer’s renters. Keizer was
recently tabbed as one of numerous rent-bur-
dened cities in the state.
“At the end of the day, our [growth] will be
unique because our situation is unique,” she said
in a nod to the city’s shared UGB with Salem.
“I’m looking forward to hearing what options are
available to get [housing] demand and supply into
better balance.”
She’s also looking forward to some sort of res-
olution for west Keizer residents taking fi re from
a recreational shooting range. The city is currently
an intervenor in a lawsuit seeking a permanent
injunction and legislative fi xes are on the docket
in the 2019 Oregon Legislative session.
PAGE A14
Please see CITY, Page A5
This spring, we’ll be expanding
to a FULL SERVICE CLINIC
in Keizer. We’re bringing
Orthopedic care, closer
to home.
to better serve the Keizer community
Girls tennis
shows heart
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