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Let there be light By Damian Mann of the Mail Tribune Jul 25, 2019 05:36 PM A A 2 View all photos Medford is considering plans to shine a lot of light on the Bear Creek Greenway to make 2.5 miles of the pathway safer and help reverse its unsavory reputation. Under a proposal from Medford Parks and Recreation, solar lights would be installed every 120 feet — 69 lights in total — at various points along the Greenway from McAndrews Road to Bear Creek Park as part of a $300,000 improvement effort that was presented Thursday to Medford City Council. Other types of lights would shine on other areas of the Greenway, including through Hawthorne Park and near Siskiyou Boulevard. “The downtown area of the Greenway is a top priority,” said Rich Rosenthal, Medford Parks and Recreation director. In addition, metal containers to dispose of needles would be placed near Railroad and Hawthorne parks, where homeless people often congregate. The containers would cost $10,000. More trash cans would also be placed along the Greenway, and they would be chained to a fixed object to prevent them from being stolen. The metal cans are often vandalized, and the cost for the additional cans would be $13,000. Another round of work is planned to clear out blackberry bushes and non-native vegetation to improve visibility so emergency services can spot illegal camps more easily, and visitors won’t be worried about what might be lurking behind a bush. The work would cost $88,650, according to the proposal. The Greenway has gained a lot of unwanted notoriety over the years, with lots of illegal camping, illegal fires, drugs and fights.. The Greenway requires considerable effort by Medford police to go after scofflaws, with the City Council agreeing to put more officers on the path. The 30-watt LED lights, which cost $4,000 each, are powered entirely by the sun, and can operate for up to five days during cloudy weather. With no wires connecting the lights, the city would not have a lighting bill. Two test lights have been installed just south of McAndrews Road to give a glimpse of things to come. “We thought this would be a good spot to try this out,” Rosenthal said. The test lights are mounted on concrete platforms that can be moved into place with a forklift. The actual lights would be secured to a concrete pad. The lights would cost $278,350, with $188,350 coming from the Greenway improvement project, plus $40,000 from the Oregon Department of Transportation and $50,000 from a city Greenway lighting project budget. The solar lights are far less costly to install than traditional lights, which would require trenching, conduits and tapping into an electrical connection. Each solar light costs $2,600 less than standard lighting but provides equivalent lighting. Batteries have an expected life of seven years, with a $300 replacement cost. The solar panels have a 25-year warranty and would cost $250 for replacement. The city recently installed LED lights under the Interstate 5 viaduct from 10th Street to Main Street. Lights along Siskiyou Boulevard help illuminate the bike path near Bear Creek Park, Medford’s most-used park. The park, near Barnett Road, would get just over a half mile of lights along the Greenway path. Jenna Marmon, ODOT transportation liaison, said her department wants to improve the Greenway corridor to make it more appealing for cyclists. “We see the Greenway as the spine of the bike system in the region,” she said. “If the spine isn’t functioning properly, we need to look into better practices for maintenance and operation.” One of the better practices is the installation of lights. While many Medford residents might not venture onto the Greenway at night, Marmon said the lights serve other functions. During darker winter months, cyclists would be able to navigate the Greenway more safely in the morning and evening hours. Also, the additional lights would help to illuminate the Greenway, making criminal behavior more apparent to onlookers and the police. “It will give a lot more ability to have eyes on the trail,” she said. Marmon said the new lights would brighten areas adjacent to the bike path as well, and the vegetation-clearing efforts would make it easier to quickly see whether anyone is lurking just off the path. “People have to feel safe and comfortable out there,” she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm. Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune Solar powered lights illuminate the Bear Creek Greenway near the Rogue Valley Mall Tuesday evening. 0725-greenway-dmaThumbnail