11:45 a.m. — 1:15 p.m.
January 10, 2011
January 10, 2011
Renaissance Building
136 SW Washington St.
136 SW Washington St.
Corvallis
THE ISSUE
Everyone who commutes across the Willamette River knows that it’s a dangerous drive. Three highways converge in downtown Corvallis, creating a bottleneck that backs up traffic in all directions. Over the past five years, 23 crashes happened at the South Bypass intersection, and 71 crashes were reported at OR34 and Peoria Road. If nothing is done by 2030, traffic will back up in all directions for over a mile, and crashes will send many more commuters to the hospital.
ODOT has studied this problem and has come up with a short- and long-term strategy to fix it. It begins with improvements at the South Bypass intersection and Peoria Road and includes investments in transit, park and rides, and multi-use facilities. This plan requires change from everyone who drives, cycles, or walks between the river and Peoria Road.
SPEAKERS
Jerry Wolcott leads planning for the project in ODOT’s Corvallis field office. He says that it will take investment in infrastructure and transit, reducing the number of vehicles, and streamlining the intersections in Corvallis to relieve congestion. Steve Rogers, Corvallis Public Works Director, has reviewed ODOT’s plans and suggests that expanded bus service will present the city and region with a challenge. Short-term planned projects also may cause difficulty for the biking community, which cannot travel easily east along Hwy. 34 across the Van Buren bridge.
To register, send e-mail to Nick Houtman, City Club president, nickhoutman8@aol.com, by January 6, 2011, with “City Club January 10” in the subject line. Attendance is free to all. Lunch is $8 for members and $10 for non-members. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.