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Bikers participating in a tour of Roseburg's streets in June leave the Roseburg City Hall parking lot.
How you can get involved ...
The city will continue to accept comments on revising its bicycle-pedestrian plan, which sets planning goals for the next 20 years.
To comment, a survey on existing biking and walking facilities may be downloaded from the city’s Web site, www.cityofroseburg.com. From the home page, click on “Planning Division” and then click on “Permits and Forms.” You may fill out either or both walkability or bikability checklists.
In addition, the city will hold two more community forums as part of revising its bicycle-pedestrian plan. The News-Review will report details as they become available.
To comment, a survey on existing biking and walking facilities may be downloaded from the city’s Web site, www.cityofroseburg.com. From the home page, click on “Planning Division” and then click on “Permits and Forms.” You may fill out either or both walkability or bikability checklists.
In addition, the city will hold two more community forums as part of revising its bicycle-pedestrian plan. The News-Review will report details as they become available.
Charlie Meador remembers when the Stewart Park bike path was built. An avid biker, Meador also knows many more people use that path than when it was first constructed.
He thinks it’s time to widen and repave it as a result.
“Yeahs” of agreement rose from many of about 20 people gathered at the Douglas County Library Saturday morning. Meador’s suggestion was one of many the group offered as part of a community forum on what the city is doing to revise its plan to get walkers and bikers around town, also known as its bicycle-pedestrian plan.
The forum is part of an 18-month process being paid for with a $70,819 state grant. The plan, last revised in 1988, will guide bicycle and pedestrian planning in the city and its Urban Growth Area for the next 20 years.
Earlier in the forum, Shelley Oylear, who works for Portland-based Parametrix, a consulting company hired to redo the plan, spoke to participants. She shared some of the concerns residents have raised after taking part in biking and walking tours of the city.
About 60 people took part in the tours in June. Another 40 or so people took part in tours on Thursday.
A chief concern is that bikers simply feel unsafe riding on busy Roseburg streets. Bikers and walkers find too much debris on bike lanes and sidewalks. Others said drivers and walkers need to be more courteous.
Mike Tressider works for Alta Planning and Design, a subcontractor working on updating the bicycle-pedestrian plan.
He explained some of the “tools” that could be used to improve biker and walker facilities. The tools range from various configurations of bike lanes and paths to using street lights and shade trees to starting programs to encourage more bikers.
Oylear then explained, based on the public input received so far, the consultants have tentatively identified critical routes to focus on improving.
They include improving North Stephens Street from Garden Valley Boulevard to Winchester, Harvard Avenue from Interstate 5 to Lookingglass Road, and Garden Valley from Interstate 5 to Highland Street.
Another critical route might entail beefing up bicycle-pedestrian facilities along Douglas Avenue as an alternate route to using Diamond Lake Boulevard.
Oylear then asked the group to split into smaller groups to talk about the possible critical routes and any suggestions for others.
After the small-group discussions, each group shared its ideas. Many agreed that Harvard Avenue, Garden Valley Boulevard, Stephens Street and Diamond Lake Boulevard need some work. They agreed bike and pedestrian paths could be cleaner.
Several people wanted to see improvements to the Stewart Park bike path, particularly enhancing security on the tunnel that runs under Garden Valley.
Bikers recommended providing safe places to park bikes. A couple suggested rerouting the bike path near Roseburg High School to deter nonstudents from hanging out near the high school.
Leif Johnson, who uses a motorized wheelchair to get to work, said sloping driveways and railroad crossings are a hazard for him.
Nikki Messenger, the city’s Public Works director, said the city has plans to improve the Stewart Park bike path and Garden Valley Boulevard and has applied for a grant to spruce up Diamond Lake Boulevard.
Near the end of the forum, the group brainstormed how to get more residents involved in updating the bicycle-pedestrian plan, including having volunteers canvas neighborhoods.
“Now is the time we want to know (people’s opinions),” Community Planner Dick Dolgonas said. “The last thing we want is to be a year from now and have people come out of the woodwork (with their concerns).”
Two more community forums will be held as part of updating the bicycle-pedestrian plan.
• You can reach reporter Kathy Korengel at 957-4218 or by e-mail at kkorengel@nrtoday.com.
He thinks it’s time to widen and repave it as a result.
“Yeahs” of agreement rose from many of about 20 people gathered at the Douglas County Library Saturday morning. Meador’s suggestion was one of many the group offered as part of a community forum on what the city is doing to revise its plan to get walkers and bikers around town, also known as its bicycle-pedestrian plan.
The forum is part of an 18-month process being paid for with a $70,819 state grant. The plan, last revised in 1988, will guide bicycle and pedestrian planning in the city and its Urban Growth Area for the next 20 years.
Earlier in the forum, Shelley Oylear, who works for Portland-based Parametrix, a consulting company hired to redo the plan, spoke to participants. She shared some of the concerns residents have raised after taking part in biking and walking tours of the city.
About 60 people took part in the tours in June. Another 40 or so people took part in tours on Thursday.
A chief concern is that bikers simply feel unsafe riding on busy Roseburg streets. Bikers and walkers find too much debris on bike lanes and sidewalks. Others said drivers and walkers need to be more courteous.
Mike Tressider works for Alta Planning and Design, a subcontractor working on updating the bicycle-pedestrian plan.
He explained some of the “tools” that could be used to improve biker and walker facilities. The tools range from various configurations of bike lanes and paths to using street lights and shade trees to starting programs to encourage more bikers.
Oylear then explained, based on the public input received so far, the consultants have tentatively identified critical routes to focus on improving.
They include improving North Stephens Street from Garden Valley Boulevard to Winchester, Harvard Avenue from Interstate 5 to Lookingglass Road, and Garden Valley from Interstate 5 to Highland Street.
Another critical route might entail beefing up bicycle-pedestrian facilities along Douglas Avenue as an alternate route to using Diamond Lake Boulevard.
Oylear then asked the group to split into smaller groups to talk about the possible critical routes and any suggestions for others.
After the small-group discussions, each group shared its ideas. Many agreed that Harvard Avenue, Garden Valley Boulevard, Stephens Street and Diamond Lake Boulevard need some work. They agreed bike and pedestrian paths could be cleaner.
Several people wanted to see improvements to the Stewart Park bike path, particularly enhancing security on the tunnel that runs under Garden Valley.
Bikers recommended providing safe places to park bikes. A couple suggested rerouting the bike path near Roseburg High School to deter nonstudents from hanging out near the high school.
Leif Johnson, who uses a motorized wheelchair to get to work, said sloping driveways and railroad crossings are a hazard for him.
Nikki Messenger, the city’s Public Works director, said the city has plans to improve the Stewart Park bike path and Garden Valley Boulevard and has applied for a grant to spruce up Diamond Lake Boulevard.
Near the end of the forum, the group brainstormed how to get more residents involved in updating the bicycle-pedestrian plan, including having volunteers canvas neighborhoods.
“Now is the time we want to know (people’s opinions),” Community Planner Dick Dolgonas said. “The last thing we want is to be a year from now and have people come out of the woodwork (with their concerns).”
Two more community forums will be held as part of updating the bicycle-pedestrian plan.
• You can reach reporter Kathy Korengel at 957-4218 or by e-mail at kkorengel@nrtoday.com.
