The photo is from August 2023, when ODOT had completed this 1000-foot-long section of the Corvallis-Albany bike trail on Highway 20 at Independence Highway.
Remember the Albany-Corvallis bikeway that then Commissioner Linda Modrell of Benton County proposed in about 2004? Benton County and the state are still working on it, but its eventual completion looks very much in doubt.
That’s my conclusion after watching a joint meeting of the Benton County Commissioners and the Albany City Council Monday.
Laurel Byer, the Benton County engineer, briefed the gathering on the project’s status. One short section near Corvallis has been completed, I understood her to say, and another is pending.
But major sections of the 10-mile route are in varying stages of planning limbo, as they have been since the original idea of following the rail line between Albany and Corvallis went down the tube.
The idea now is to route the path along the south side of US 20, the Albany-Corvallis Highway. But since both the Albany and Corvallis ends would be north of the highway, this seems to require two bike and pedestrian bridges.
Then there’s the unsolved question of how to configure the route in North Albany and across the Willamette to downtown. Albany is thinking of having ODOT rebuild and widen the sidewalk on the Lyon Street Bridge, but that has not been decided.
ODOT has plans for the path from Merloy Avenue in Corvallis to Scenic Drive in North Albany and on from there. It even has a project page online called the “Corvallis to Albany Shared Use Path: NE Merloy Avenue to NW Rainwater Lane.”
Planning and design were to be done this year and next, according to that page. But as for construction, ODOT says: “Not funded.”
It’s not likely to get funded either. Where road funding is concerned, the hole that Oregon has dug itself is far too deep. There is no money for paths that would be great to have but that nobody absolutely needs. (hh)
This map appears on ODOT’s onine page for the “Corvallis to Albany Shared Use Path: NE Merloy Avenue to NW Rainwater Lane.”
Hasso, isn’t there a bike path along Hwy 34/riverside drive??? I think it is named after you.
The “scenic route” along Riverside Drive is named after me. The bikeway along Highway 34 from Riverside to Corvallis is separate from that. On Riverside, the county had wanted to widen the road shoulders to make them safer. It has done about half the road but not followed through on the rest.
Hasso, while it is not completed, it appears to be much safer while still being narrow than the Hwy 20 route.
Why not crossings at North Albany Road & Circle Blvd? It wouldn’t take that much additional work to implement, and on the long straighter sections, cross at your own risk when there’s a break in the traffic. How many cyclists will actually be using that road on a regular basis? You don’t have to treat all cyclists like children.
Anyone take a head count of how many people from the City Council & Benton County Commissioners actually ride a bicycle? Maybe after much head scratching, they can solve the issue with some GREEN PAINT to make them feel smug.
Bicyclists are not a protected class. There is no “right” to bicycle travel on dedicated roadway for residents. The City or the County need not accommodate the waste, fraud and/or abuse of building a lane dedicated to bicycle travel. Particularly in light of the sorry conditions of Albany, Corvallis and Linn-Benton county roads. The greatest good for the greatest number. Bicycle travel to-and-fro on a dedicated roadway between Albany and Corvallis seemed excessive when proposed and remains excessive today.
Damn betcha. No bike lanes mean cyclists have full rights to the highway just like a motorist. Look in your Drivers Manual.
How many miles to you want to follow a bicycle trying to pass?
Oh please, too early in the year for scrooge.
What with all the cuts having taken place in the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Community Services Consortium (Meals-on-Wheels, Housing Assistance, Head Start, Utility Assistance and more) now seems the perfect time to be Scrooge-like.
Unless the Orange God King changes his warped mind, the streets of Albany, Corvallis and Lincoln City will soon be populated with more homeless, more hungry and more without electricity. So, pardon me if I sound Scrooge-like. Those Albanians who voted for the Orange God King because “he’s better at the economy,” well, let’s see how that’s goona go. Certainly the folks at DOGE, an utter failure as the Trump administration is spending more month-to-month than President Biden ever spent. Don’t believe me? Go look it up.
So, in the end, the last need we require now is a paved roadway to Corvallis that less than 1% of the population would ever use.
“Unless the Orange God King changes his warped mind, the streets of Albany, Corvallis and Lincoln City will soon be populated with more homeless, more hungry and more without electricity. So, pardon me if I sound Scrooge-like.”
How sick are you? If what you say is true, cars will be unable to go anywhere anyway because of the homeless dead clogging the streets as YOUR former governor Barbara Roberts promised a couple decades ago. Obviously Democrat control is working toward that end.
Why would nobody need this?? I think it would be terrific if they could get this done! I would love to have a safe path like this to bike to Corvallis, and know many others who would too. Its sad these two cities cant get their act together to get this done.
how about some numbers? how many use the route now, and or 34, and how much use would we expect to see from its completion? and how will it get swept each spring of winter road sand? ….any idea at all, any numbers on how much bicycle traffic to and from corvallis now?
My concern is how much private property do you have to take by condemnation to make this path? The area closer to Albany is pretty dense in houses whose property goes right up to the road, never the less taking farm land. Also, if we are going to spend millions on bike paths then perhaps it’s time to go back to the days where bicyclists had to pay and register their bicycles with the city. Right now they pay zero into help cover the cost of these trails that are designed specifically for them. Just wondering as we’re getting taxed out of our homes here in Corvallis for everybody’s private pet projects.
Thanks for keeping up with this issue. While I wouldn’t say this will never happen, you’ve shown it does not look like it will be in the foreseeable future. I’m glad there has been some work done on its potential. With the continued increase in the population of our two cities, and a probable increase in ebike use, I think a trail will become even more of a consideration.
Some of the commentators’ questions may be answered in the documentation at: https://gis.odot.state.or.us/tpt/projects/23493.
Okay, Roads are built by a combination of taxes on motor vehicles, gas, license, etc, and are open to vehicles and bicycles F
Fair enough.
Those same sources pay for bike paths but motorists cannot drive on then!’
/fair? not really
The point can be argued both ways, just asking if anyone has given any to consideration of opening bike paths to motor vehicles?
Not a favorable alternative either.
i drive 16 miles North to North Albany and back 4- 5 times a week to West Thorton Lake Drive. I would, and desire, to replace nearly all my drives by biking if it were safer to do so. the most dangerous parts are North of Mid Way Farms where the shoulder pinches down to dangerous levels. i may have right of way with my bike, but i have seen many distracted drivers, many drivers driving far above the speed limit and many angry displays of intolerance. this coupled with this section’s record being one of oregon’s most dangerous highway (prior to recent safety updates), i refuse to endanger myself until there is a safer route. Benton county should address the dangerous sections first, then the less dangerous parts. You may have noticed that the completed section by the Farm Home is next to a wide shoulder. i appreciate it, but again focus on the dangerous parts first.
Easiest solution would be to use the existing rural NE Strawberry Ln roadway and build a wooden bike bridge across the river and connect to Riverside Dr at Walnut, essentially following the powerlines across that stretch. Virtually no traffic, a nice, scenic bike ride and minimal impact to cars.
Just looking at a map, I’ve thought of something similar on 53rd St., but I think boat traffic says that’s a no to any bridge.