Questioning Auto Domination

Curbing our love of autos to reclaim city streets

For close to a century, the automobile has so boldly seized Americans' imagination — sparking the economy, paving the continent, designing...

By Neal Peirce

. . .

High gasoline prices are prompting millions of us to think again about how often, and how far, we drive our cars. Recent months have seen total vehicle miles driven nationally fall off sharply — a radical reversal of decades of increase.

Across the country, there's pressure to reclaim city streets for the city's own people. Fueling this pressure is the alarm raised over high accident and death tolls from pedestrians struck by autos and trucks.

The "complete streets" movement — urging that city and neighborhood streets be made as welcoming and safe for pedestrians and cyclists as they are for autos — is gaining attention, now backed up by legislation pending in Congress.

Public-transit use is enjoying a banner year across the country.

A vanguard of cities is banning cars from public parks.

There's increased effort — lead cities range from Seattle to Buffalo to New Haven — to tear down ugly motorways that divide neighborhoods and occupy valuable space near city centers. (Demolition of a Milwaukee freeway in 2003 helped unify the city's downtown and sparked hundreds of millions of dollars of new development.)

Bike stations — quick ways to rent a bike, cruise around a downtown — are being proposed across the country.

A new "Walk Score" Web site (www.walkscore.com) lets users type in their home address and discover its "walkability" score — from 0 ("must have car") to 100 ("walkers' paradise").

A few cities are starting to charge true market costs for parking on public streets. Example: fees of up to $40 for four hours near the new baseball stadium in Washington, D.C.

. . .

So are today's auto-curbing efforts simply wisps in the wind? Possible — but not likely. Our once world-dominating automakers are teetering economically. "Peak oil," mounting energy scarcity and climate change are realities.

Of course, autos and trucks won't disappear; they're a key to modern nations' economies. But one senses a new genie out of the bottle — a demand for streets, urban and town roadways that enhance peoples' lives, restraining motor vehicles, not eliminating them. Every agenda from health (better air, less obesity) to aesthetics, energy-saving transit to quality of life, demands it.

And just think that our population will grow by 100 million by 2040 or so. Do we have the stunning amounts of steel, asphalt and public space to accommodate them as we've been living? We're dangerously behind maintaining the vast but overtaxed roadways we have. Realism says this century simply can't be a repeat of the heavily motorized 20th.

===========

And a radio story on rising train usage in the Northwest is here

Your chance to comment on the Boise Site rezone

South Waterfront Mixed-Use Zone Project Public Open House

When: September 11, 2008, at 6:30 p.m.

Where: City Council Chambers (555 Liberty Street SE - Salem Civic Center Room 240)

A public open house will be held by the City of Salem Planning Division on Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. for the purpose of seeking comments on proposed amendments to the City’s zoning code creating a new zone district, the South Waterfront Mixed-Use Zone, for the former downtown Boise Cascade property.

The proposed amendments:
Proposed South Waterfront Mixed-Use Zone

1) Create a new mixed-use zone that is consistent with the core concepts and vision of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) study published in 2006; and

2) Establish development standards and design review standards and guidelines for redevelopment of the property.

A public hearing on the proposed amendments is scheduled before the Planning Commission on September 23, 2008.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Contact Bryce Bishop, Interim Senior Planner, at (503) 588-6173 x7599 or bbishop@cityofsalem.net

Visit the City of Salem Planning Division website

We Look Forward to Seeing You There!

(Is there anyone in the city who calls City Hall the "Salem Civic Center" who isn't a city employee or contractor? Odd what happens when you move City Hall out of the heart of the city -- you have to assert that it's the "center." I suppose it could stick eventually ...)

More on the Cherriots Bond

Frequently Asked Questions About the Cherriots Proposed Tax Levy
Ballot Measure Number 24-247
November 2008

Why is Cherriots proposing this tax levy?

Rising fuel costs, increases in CherryLift use (a service required by federal law), and overall inflation have brought Cherriots to a point where next year Cherriots expenses will exceed revenues by over $3 million, if Cherriots provides the same level of service.

What new services would be funded?

In addition to maintaining the current number of service hours, current routes may be changed to increase efficiency. More buses will be added to overcrowded routes so that they can run more often. This change will give people more travel options while helping with overcrowding. Passage of the levy will allow Cherriots to provide citizens with approximately the same level of service that they had before the 2006 service cuts.

What will happen if the measure does not pass?

If the levy does not pass, Saturday service will be eliminated. In addition, 3 – 4 weekday routes may also be eliminated. The result of the elimination of service and program reductions will be the loss of 15 – 20 jobs.

What about Sunday Service?

Sunday service is not planned as a part of this levy. The cost to add Sunday service is very high. In addition to operating the buses, adding a day of service requires additional maintenance staff, supervisors, CherryLift expenses, and utility costs when the buildings are occupied. This makes Sunday service less productive than adding more buses to routes that are overcrowded during the week.

What’s a tax levy?

A tax levy is a temporary property tax providing revenue needed to operate services provided by local governments. A levy is different than a bond. Bonds are used to fund capital projects such as streets, or the construction of a new building. The maximum time allowed for a tax levy to be in place is five years. Cherriots is seeking a five year levy which will be used for operating costs.

Why didn’t it pass last time?

In May of 2006 the voters approved the levy. However, less than half of the registered voters in Marion and Polk counties voted causing the levy to fail under Oregon’s double majority law. In November of 2006 the levy was narrowly defeated by 1,197 votes out of 70,343 ballots turned in.

Why can’t Cherriots just raise fares to pay for extra costs?

In order to replace the revenue shortage of $3.2 million Cherriots would need to raise the fares by 143%. This would increase the price of the regular adult monthly pass from $35 to $85. When prices rise by this much people stop riding the bus and less revenue is received. This defeats the purpose of gaining more revenue by raising fares. Cherriots cannot maintain the current level of service without $3.2 million in new revenue.

Why are you building a station in Keizer if you need more money for basic routes?

Construction projects and bus purchases are made with funds that are not allowed to be used for operations. These are funded through federal and state grants specifically set aside for these types of projects. The transit center will also help improve service to residents and businesses while not needing to increase the number of buses and drivers. The center will allow Cherriots to provide more services to Keizer residents.

Will you raise the fares again if the tax doesn’t pass?

Fares will probably increase again sometime in the future. Current Board policy requires Cherriots to evaluate fares every two years. Under this policy a fare increase was approved in July of 2008 to address inflation.

Is Cherriots asking for the same amount as in 2006?

No, in both May and November of 2006 the amount requested was 60 cents per one thousand dollars of assessed property value. In this election Cherriots is proposing a rate of 49 cents per one thousand dollars of assessed property value.

What is meant by assessed value?

Oregon’s property tax limitation laws create a value that is lower than what a house would sell for that is used to determine how much property tax is collected from property owners. This is known as the assessed value. In the Salem-Keizer area the average assessed value is approximately 47% of the current amount a home would sell for in today’s market. What this means is a home selling for $275,000 would pay taxes based on approximately $130,000 assessed value. Under the proposed levy a home of this value would pay $5.31 per month.

How can I get involved in the election to get it passed, i.e. a yard sign, going door to door, contribute financially, etc.?

To be involved in the campaign please contact the campaign at
yesforcherriots@gmail.com or (503) 581-8384.

How can I get a ballot?

If you are a registered voter and have not moved since the last time you voted, a ballot will be mailed to your home.

Information on voter registration is available at:

Marion County Elections Office or call (503) 588-5041; and

Polk County Elections Office or call (503) 623-9217.

Urgent: Get behind YES on Cherriots

This is from Lloyd Chapman, recent mayoral candidate, who continues to selflessly work for the betterment of Salem:

Friends,

Though I think I am only now recovering from the May election, the party conventions are underway and the focus is now on November.

In addition to the presidential, senate, congressional and other elections on the ballot, Salem-Keizer Transit has a $30 million dollar five-year levy on the ballot. I have served on the Cherriots board for nearly nine years and I urge you to support the measure and especially to contribute to the campaign.

Unlike Portland and Eugene, which rely on a payroll tax, Cherriots is supported locally by property taxes. Our tax base was established in 1996 at an interim level, only to have subsequent ballot measures "lock it in".

I believe the district spends our money wisely and effectively. For five years now we have exceeded 5 mllion rides a year and have provided more than 127,000 Cherrylift rides to the disabled community in the last fiscal year. But in these difficult times we need to provide better and more frequent service.

This measure would be an important step in that direction. At a cost of 49 cents per thousand or $98 a year on a $200,000 house, the district will be able to maintain existing services, add frequency on well used routes and begin to build a small contingency fund (to deal with issues like rising fuel prices and increasing costs of our Cherrylift service for the disabled community).

We need funding for our campaign to be successful. We also need endorsements. A volunteer response is attached. As you know, there will be several other money measures on the ballot in November, so your help now is critical.

Send checks to Yes for Cherriots, PO Box 2774, Salem, OR 97308-2774. (Remember to include your occupation and employer on the check - we are required by state law to provide that information.)

The campaign email is yesforcherriots@gmail.com.

Thanks for your help.

Lloyd Chapman

The info requested on the campaign volunteer form is below (note, also the contribution form!):

Yes For Cherriots Volunteer and Contribution Information

Please indicate how you can help keep Cherriots a vital part of our community.

___ Phone bank
___ Canvass
___ Contribution (check enclosed)
___ Letter to the editor
___ House Party
___ Lawn sign
___ Locate Lawn sign placements
___ Help or plan event
___ Raise money
___ Use my name in an endorsement
___ Pledge $_____ and send by October 1, 2008

Name:_____________________________________________(please print)

Address:___________________________________________

City: _______________ State___________ Zip: ____________

Phone: Day:______________ Evening: ____________________

Email:______________________________________________________
Check which e-mails you want:
___ updates ___events ___ campaign work alert

Information required by law [for contributors]:

Occupation ___________________________________________________
Employer’s Name and Address: ____________________________________________________________

Thank you for this vital community help.
Yes for Cherriots

You can email us at
yesforcherriots@gmail.com

Print form and send with your contribution to

Yes for Cherriots, PO Box 2774, Salem OR 97308-2774

Best step you can take to cut your energy costs

Go to Solar Now! and see how simple and inexpensive it can be to add a solar hot water heater. If you are worried about rising prices, getting hot water for free is a nice way to relax about it.

Dire Predictions

Mike Mann and Lee Kump weigh in with "Dire Predictions"
11 Aug 08

. . .

With its eye-grabbing graphics and reader-friendly prose, Dire Predictions walks us through the findings of the world's leading climate scientists - and places the ultimately responsibility for the human future directly at our feet. -- Ross Gelbspan

Here's a powerful, straight-forward guide to how scientists, economists, and engineers really understand the problem of global warming. It makes 20 years of research and consensus-building completely accessible to anyone who cares to know the truth--and to do something about it. -- Bill McKibben

Dire Predictions is a must read for anyone who wants the straight facts on global warming. It cuts to the heart of the massive 2007 IPCC report, presenting major scientific findings in easy to understand language and graphics. Written by two of the scientific community's most thoughtful researchers, Dire Predictions' unbiased message about global warming arrives at a time when people need it most! -- Dr. Heidi Cullen, Climate Expert at The Weather Channel

For our friends in Corvallis area

Many folks in Oregon would profit from a solar hot-water system, preferably one installed before the end of 2008 to take advantage of generous federal tax credits slated to expire this year. (Far more so than the solar electric systems that get a lot more attention but are MUCH more expensive to install and are much more picky about shading from nearby trees and such.)

Corvallis area folks have a chance to attend a workshop put on by Solar Oregon that explains the ins and outs of this smart way to reduce your carbon footprint while also reducing your utility bills:

The use of solar energy is back in the spotlight again and our free workshops are quickly filling to capacity. That's why I wanted to take a moment to invite you to register early for the FREE Hot Water Solar Systems workshop being held at the Corvallis Public Library on September 6th from 9:00AM to 11:30AM.

Seating capacity is limited - so register ASAP.

Here is a link for more information and registration to this free workshop.

Solar Oregon is a local nonprofit organization of Oregon.

Please feel free to pass this on to your friends and neighbors too.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Best,

Hadley Price

The largest ground transport system in the country

. . . sits idle most of the day and much of the year, while absorbing huge chunks of capital that could have been invested in providing cleaner, smarter transport for all. Isn't it odd that money supposedly targeted for schools is actually being spent to deal with the blunders in our land-use planning and in our hostile-to-everyone-but-motorists transportation system?

How about we make ODOT and city and county planning departments pay the costs of getting kids to schools? Wouldn't that lead to more sensible decisions?

The problem isn't just the cost of school bus fuel--it's the model of mega-schools that are so large that they have to draw students from such a large area that motorized transport is required.

Outside rural areas where relatively few students live, most kids should never see a school bus, period.

Climate Change: The Opportunity of a Lifetime

From the folks at Onward Oregon:

Are the twin challenges of climate change and disappearing fossil fuel reserves a huge threat to America or do they provide the greatest opportunity of our time?

How we answer this question will help determine how we respond. Cylvia Hayes, executive director of 3E Strategies, believes now is our big chance to face up to these challenges. Here is a summary of her thinking:

Chances are pretty good that if we were to sit down and create an ideal energy system from scratch it wouldn’t look like the one we have now! Our current fossil fuel-based energy system is threatening our environmental life support systems. At the same time, our nation is now importing over 60 percent of our oil, much of it from politically unstable regions in the Middle East and Africa.

However, a fossil-based system did make sense when it was created. In 1859, the discovery of oil in the U.S. solved many problems. It allowed us to grow more food and move into the industrial age. Petroleum-based plastics brought great advancements in medicine, transportation and communications technologies.

These innovations enabled our numbers to grow from approximately 25 million people in 1859 to 300 million today. Average life expectancy has nearly doubled to 80 years. These are phenomenal successes. Unfortunately, along the way we developed an economic system that results in the emission of staggering amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Global climate change is the unforeseen and unintended consequence of America’s economic success.

As Americans, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up for this success. The people who tapped the first wells couldn’t have imagined a globally connected economy. They couldn’t have imagined our world population would go from one billion to 6.5 billion in just 15 decades. They also couldn’t have imagined the unintended new problems that would come along with our fossil fuel consumption. Problems like climate change.

Fossil fuels made sense at the time. They no longer do. It is time to rekindle those best of American traits--innovation, idealism and hard work--in order to make the rapid transition to a post fossil fuel, low-carbon economy.

We have the necessary resources to do it:

Solar: Every hour the Earth receives enough energy from the sun to supply more than ten times the electricity needs of all of humanity.
Geothermal: The heat in the upper six miles of Earth’s crust has 50,000 times more energy than all the world’s oil and gas reserves combined.
Wind: The winds in Oregon, North Dakota and Texas alone are enough to satisfy our national electricity needs.
Transportation: Plug-in hybrid cars are capable of going about 50 miles using no gasoline at all and overall get around 100 miles per gallon. Big breakthroughs are happening in passenger and freight rail efficiency.
Already, some of the early stepping stones are being laid on the road to a post fossil fuel economy. The wind, solar, hydrogen and biofuels sectors reached $55.4 billion in 2006. Investment in these four energy sources are projected to be $226 billion by 2016. Economists expect that energy efficiency products will likely generate even larger revenues. Current estimates in the U.S. are that renewable energy and energy efficiency generate $970 billion and could be as high as $4.5 trillion by 2030.

Yet, despite the specter of climate change and the obvious economic opportunities in the clean energy industry, as a nation we are not moving nearly fast enough. Each American produces many times more carbon than people anywhere else on the planet. Our demand for oil continues to grow. Renewable energy accounts for only about six percent of America’s energy consumption.

Why? Why are we stuck here, moving so slowly toward a lucrative solution?
It comes down to three reasons: First, we only recently reached the point where we can see that the damage caused by fossil fuels outweighs their very real benefits. Second, only in the past couple of decades have renewable energy technologies become advanced enough to replace fossil fuels. And third, there are now a lot of stakeholders invested in the status quo.

These stakeholders include the automobile industry, oil and gas production companies, utilities, not to mention consumers who have a big appetite for fossil fuel and are deeply ingrained in a driving culture--like you and me.

When any proposal to change the system is put forward, these stakeholders become advocates for or against it based on how they think it will impact them economically in the short term. So far, these competing economic interests have effectively blocked any serious consideration of a solution to a problem that poses a clear and present danger to our nation and our planet.

How then can we accelerate the transition to a sustainable future? First we need to acknowledge that today there are millions of people whose jobs depend on the current fossil fuel-based economy and nobody wants to lose their job.

Similarly, millions of people drive inefficient cars and heat and cool their homes with fossil fuels. People will not give them up without affordable alternatives.

The challenge is to acknowledge the very real economic interests involved and find ways to make this transition while keeping everyone’s livelihoods intact. And this is doable!

The skills required to drill for geothermal resources are similar to those used by oil well drillers. The expertise needed to run a clean bio-energy turbine is the same as that of a coal turbine operator. The skills needed to manufacture solar panels are very similar to those required to manufacture inefficient SUVs.

Our grandparents and great grandparents built the infrastructure we currently enjoy--the highway system, the transmission grid, the oil wells and coal plants. Now, we need to lay down the infrastructure of the future.

This is our watch. It is our time to create a post fossil fuel, low-carbon economy. If we decide to suck it up and get it done, we could make the transition to a post-fossil fuel economy in twenty years.

What we need is a unified commitment similar to what we had during World War II. When the US entered the war, we literally re-wired our economy to meet the challenge. Automakers became airplane and tank makers. Housewives became machinists. A carousel manufacturer converted to making spark plugs. Everybody had jobs. And in three years time we ended the war.

We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before us. To seize it, we must once again think of ourselves as citizens rather than just consumers. It is easy to feel powerless as individuals in America right now. Mega corporations are turning record profits while they pollute our skies, rivers and oceans and as it gets harder and harder for regular people to pay their bills and dig out of debt. But we must recognize corporations and governments are made up of individuals, and individuals can reshape them to reflect the values that once made America great-- responsibility, innovation and willingness to take risks for bold dreams.

We have a responsibility to solve this problem and seize this opportunity--to act boldly and use our imaginations and drive. We can restore our environment and create prosperous 21st century economies in the United States and Europe, even in the Middle East and Africa.

I believe it is genuinely amazing to be alive during such an important and transformative time.

We have a chance to lend our creativity and will to the groundswell that is rising up to simultaneously solve the climate crisis and create enormous economic opportunity. This is our time to protect and restore this beautiful blue planet that sustains us and to give our kids and grandkids a shot at a healthy, peaceful life, full of opportunity. This is our chance to achieve something truly great.

And we CAN do it.

Thank you,
The Team at Onward Oregon

Salem River Crossing - September 3 - next joint Task Force and Oversight Team meeting

Hello Everyone,
 
Please mark your calendars. The next joint Task Force and Oversight Team meeting will be on Wednesday, September 3 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm in the Anderson Auditorium at the Salem Public Library (585 Liberty St SE).
 
More information will be emailed to you as we get closer to the meeting.
 
Thank you,
Brandy Steffen
CH2M HILL

Oddly enough, if you follow the links to the calendar page for the project (http://www.salemrivercrossing.org/calendar.aspx) you are told that "Meeting materials will be available at the link above."  Nothing there in the way of materials.