OSH Plans for Makeover Poses Potential for Wider Center St.

Why wait for another 5,000 additional population before waking up?

Photo by: Bonnie King

(SALEM, Ore.) - When the news rolled off the presses that Oregon State Hospital will be receiving a wholesale makeover due to its aging, unsafe buildings, no particular mention was made the fact that traffic on Center St. often fails to roll.

As it happens, Center Street gets siphoned from four to two lanes just past 14th St., near the Mill Creek Bridge. Motorists suddenly are consumed in this bottleneck, especially during rush hours. When a huge truck or Cherriot bus maintains a super-slow pace, anyone behind them is effected.

Road rage is always a concern, and this exacerbates the volatility. Psychologists are well-aware of delayed reactions by frustrated drivers. It can well contribute to domestic violence against innocent people. Quality of life plummets along the way.

Equally as important is the ripple-effect on Salem's workforce. Frustrated drivers make for frustrated workers. Anger begets anger. If some civil servants behave irritated and grouchy as they start their workday, work productivity sags. Sometimes the general public as consumers may bear the brunt of this carryover negativity.

There is a solution in sight, however: simply widen Center St. to a reversible center lane. That would allow an extra lane to flow downtown/uptown, in line with rush hour traffic. A study of the abundant lawn on hospital grounds reveals that the south side contains far fewer trees near the curb than the north side. Both have utility poles that apparently would require relocation.

Any municipal planning would estimate such costs in terms that could project a 5-year delay. How much would we save to pave in 2008 rather than in calendar 2013 at the present rate of inflation?

If the city were to move forward, these factors would need to be resolved:

• Will the state donate a lane's worth of lawn space for widening?
• Will Marion County do likewise with its 2/10 mile to the east?
• How costly would it be to compensate private property owners along Center St. between 17th St. and 23rd St. under eminent domain policy?
• Might OSH consider a pedestrian overpass along Center Street?
• How will the PGE utility respond to moving its south-side poles a few feet?

Once accomplished, Center St. can become a viable east-west artery, taking the current pressure off of State St. and D St. nearby. A safer Salem can ensue. Isn't that a most desirable goal? Why wait for another 5,000 additional population before waking up?