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53 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, April 27, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 27, 2005 Bob Chauncey, second from left, a representative from the National Center for Bicycling & Walking in Washington, D.C., leads Medford staff, city officials and residents in forming a human roundabout at the intersection of Niantic and Edwards streets. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell WALK THIS WAY Medford officials, residents study ideas to make some streets better for pedestrians By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune West Medford drivers Tuesday maneuvered cautiously around a group of people in a circle holding hands in the middle of the intersection of Niantic and Edwards streets. It wasn’t a peace demonstration. It wasn’t an animal-rights protest. It was city of Medford staff, city officials and residents looking for ways to slow traffic at a busy residential intersection. "Is this a good place to put a roundabout?" queried Bob Chauncey, a representative from the National Center for Bicycling & Walking in Washington, D.C. People took their places where the edge of a roundabout would be. "This is what your traffic circle would look like," said Chauncey. The west Medford neighborhood was among five selected for a presentation and "walking audit" by the group. Chauncey led members in brainstorming sessions on ways to make some of the older neighborhoods more conducive to bicycling and walking. Advertisement The National Center for Bicycling & Walking is a program of the Bicycle Federation of America Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating bicycle-friendly and walkable communities. The city has $200,000 to spend per year on alternatives to the automobile, said Mark Gallagher, Medford senior planner, and results from this week’s workshops will help guide the city. "In our transportation plan there is a commitment to other modes of transportation," he said. There are some elements already in place, such as bike racks in front of new buildings. But if the area is not friendly to bicyclists, there’s no point in having a bike rack, he said. "Now we’re really looking at the systems," he said. Narrow walkway widths, unlit blocks, difficult street crossings and high-speed traffic in residential areas were among the problems pointed out on the walking audit. Gallagher said adding bump-outs or refuge islands can help make pedestrian crossings easier to walk, and narrowing fast streets, such as Columbus Avenue, can help make streets safer for bikers and walkers because the visual change causes drivers to slow down. He said city staff selected five sites they thought were inconvenient to bike or walk in, which included neighborhoods around City Hall, the Santo Community Center, Kids Unlimited, Rogue Community College and the Smullin Center. Resident Jane Bridcott, who lives in the Niantic/Edwards area, said her neighborhood needed some work. "There are no bike lanes in this area period," she said. "The sidewalks we do have are cracking and falling apart." She said the workshop was more than just another meeting because it outlines realistic solutions. "It’s helpful and it’s motivating," she said. Kathy Helmer, project manager with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, said the workshop lines up with RVCOG goals. "We’re looking at ways we can get people out of their single-occupant vehicles," she said. Helmer said she liked ideas such as adding a street light here and putting in speed bumps there, rather than revamping entire streets. "You walk through here and these are walkable neighborhoods, they just need a little this and a little that," she said. The workshops are sponsored by the city of Medford, the Medford Urban Renewal Agency, Rogue Valley Transportation District, West Medford Coalition and Rogue Community College. The groups also are marking up community maps with suggestions, and city staff will compile the information. If you go The final National Center for Bicycling and Walking workshop, open to the public, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon today at the Smullin Center, Rogue Valley Medical Center, 2825 E. Barnett Road, Medford. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Advertisement s