Traffic on Hwy 213 - 01.JPG
Steven Russell and Destiny York take a risk walking along Oregon 213 to get to Safeway in Molalla.
(John Flavin)
After the Molalla Thriftway Market closed in June 2011, residents were left with one supermarket choice: Safeway, two miles on the other side of town.
Driving there was no problem, but not everyone has a car. Some people walking, biking, using a wheelchair or pushing a stroller were forced to use narrow gravel shoulders on Oregon 211 and 213. Molalla Community Builders, a volunteer cohort of about 20 local residents and developed through the Ford Institute Leadership Program, had something to say about that.
They broke ground July 19 and are well on their way to building a pedestrian bridge over Bear Creek, which lies between a main thoroughfare, Toliver Road, and the west end of town on Oregon 211, just behind the Safeway shopping complex. It will offer a safe path for anyone from almost anywhere in town.
The volunteers networked, and fundraised for months, and the project gained traction when they teamed up with Evan Kristof, PSU Instructor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a few of his senior students working on their capstone projects.
Kristof is also the faculty adviser for PSU's Bridges to Prosperity (B2P). He and students design and build pedestrian bridges for rural/isolated communities in developing nations.
"The most important aspect of the project is to provide a safe route for people who do not have access to a car," said Kristof. "I am a strong proponent of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and this project seems like a great way to connect the multiuse path on Toliver Road to the shopping center."
Volunteer Project Manager Craig Loughridge contacted the engineering department at PSU for help with the design. The request was sent to Kristof because of his background in bridge design, including recent work for TY Lin on the design of the new Sellwood Bridge. The collaboration has allowed Kristof's students to gain real-world engineering experience, college credit, and the opportunity to improve the infrastructure of a rural town in a way that could save lives.
Cohort members (from left) Kelly Andrews, Lynn Blatter, Jennifer Walton-Satter, Angela Patton, Sherrie Rhodes, Shilo Wittrock-Laccino, Michelle Bayley, Craig Loughridge, Sandy Nelson, Linda Philpot and Bob Philpot.
"Evan's assistance with drawings and his guidance have been invaluable," said Loughridge. "[He] has personally donated a lot of time and effort in ensuring that every detail of the drawings is useful and accurate. His generous help and dedication have been examples of how PSU can provide a valuable resource for smaller communities around the state, [as well as] the city of Portland."
Patty McMillan, Project Coordinator of Clackamas County Safe Communities, and Kirsten Ingersoll, Community Engagement Coordinator of the Clackamas County Public Health Department, have each stepped up to support the volunteer effort with an $8,000 check, for a total of $16,000.
"We're always looking for innovative, community-driven ways that people can go from one place to another and feel safe," said McMillan. "Bear Creek Byway has all the elements of a project that would have success."
McMillan said her department's mission is "Reducing injuries and fatalities in Clackamas County...The project really fits our idea of safety."
Two core cohort members, Angela Patton and Sherrie Rhodes, said the main reason they are on board is also safety.
"Just last week we had a bicyclist on 211 get hit. He's got two broken legs and head injuries," said Rhodes. "It's only a matter of time before someone gets killed."
Patton added that "It easily could have been anybody. It's just not safe." But she also pointed to other positives, like community health, getting exercise, and families being able to be mobile. "It's good for the community, and it's a collaboration."
Getting local businesses involved was part of that collaboration. In Molalla, Loughridge and the cohort found no shortage of ideas or volunteers. Molalla Redi-Mix will re-purpose a 30-foot trailer to be the bridge. Co-owner and President Mitch Jorgensen said the trailer, valued at $900, will be cut down and made ready for the project. His company also offered $1,500 in concrete and $500 in estimated labor costs.
Said Jorgensen, "It's a worthwhile project that involves safety issues, giving people a alternate path to reach Safeway and the surrounding stores."
There are another half-a-dozen Molallans pitching in with various donations, time, and energy, not the least of which is Al Borromeo. Borromeo is a dentist at Fountain Valley Dental and co-owns C'est La Vie Café with his wife Sheryl. The bridge will come out onto their land on the Safeway side. Borromeo deeded 50-foot strips to the city, totaling two acres of land, in order to help accommodate the project. He acknowledges that it's also good for business.
"The number one reason to contribute is the danger. Also, there's access for business to come in through here. It's a win-win for everyone," said Borromeo.
Said Loughridge: "My experience with MCB has shown me that the people all around the Molalla area are extremely generous and caring."
Kristof concurred: "It has been a positive experience working with the community. I wish that I had more free time to work on the project."
-- John Flavin