Scooter use takes wheel at city forum.Byline: CITY BEAT/EUGENE By Edward Russo The Register-Guard They traveled by bike, foot, recumbent bicycle A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle which places the rider in a seated or supine position (rarely, in a prone position). Recumbents hold the world speed record for a bicycle and were banned from international racing in 1934. , scooter and wheelchair for a conversation. The topic: the use of motorized scooters on Eugene's bike paths and bike lanes. A city-sponsored forum at Campbell Senior Center last Thursday to gather public opinion on the subject attracted 70 or so residents. Most people held strong views - pro and con PRO AND CON. For and against. For example, affidavits are taken pro and con. . "There is a lot of passion about it," said Linda Phelps, a senior planner with the Eugene Police Department. Scooter users worry that their low-cost travel method "will be taken away" by restrictions or bans, she said. Yet runners and bicyclists "strongly feel that the bike paths should never be used by anything that is motorized mo·tor·ize tr.v. mo·tor·ized, mo·tor·iz·ing, mo·tor·iz·es 1. To equip with a motor. 2. To supply with motor-driven vehicles. 3. To provide with automobiles. . You couldn't get more polarized A one-way direction of a signal or the molecules within a material pointing in one direction. ." The issue has simmered for months, since some residents began using gas and electric-powered scooters on bike paths and bike lanes. The use spurred noise and speed complaints from bicyclists and walkers. City law bans motorized vehicles, including motor-assisted scooters, from paths within parks. But there are no city prohibitions on scooters outside of parks, such as long stretches of the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trails Systems or the Fern Ridge bike path. Phelps and other city staff will take residents' opinions from the Thursday forum and use them to shape possible options for the City Council to consider at a Sept. 15 work session. Options include an outright ban on motorized scooters from all city paths, and the city doing a better job of enforcing existing rules with new signs. Other options would likely fall in between the two extremes, Phelps said. The forum lasted about 1 1/2 hours, but bicyclists and scooter users lingered outside afterward, she said. "It really is important for people to get a chance to talk about the issues," Phelps said. More bricks and mortar A store (shop, supermarket, department store, etc.) in the real world. Contrast with clicks and mortar. It may not have a single project as impressive as the Federal Courthouse building, but Eugene government wields a big hammer when it comes to construction around town. An update of projects by Mike Penwell, the city's design and construction manager, shows several city buildings that will change the urban landscape, plus interior renovations and equipment upgrades. Prices do not include land costs. Eugene Depot, north end of Olive Street. Work is nearly done, with Amtrak Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more than two decades of continuous operating deficits by privately run scheduled to move in during early September. A grand opening is planned for Sept. 20, after the Eugene Celebration The Eugene Celebration is an annual community celebration and civic event held in downtown Eugene, Oregon, United States. Featuring bands and performers from throughout the Pacific Northwest, the three-day festival is held in early September and attracts more than 40,000 attendees . Cost: $2.65 million. Architect: WBGS WBGS West Bank and Gaza Strip WBGS Watford Boys Grammar School (UK) . Contractor: Morris P. Kielty. Downtown Fire Station No. 1, 13th Avenue and Willamette Street. Structural steel up, 20 percent completed. The 28,000-square-foot building to replace the station in City Hall will feature a brick facade, and will have five bays, 12 bedrooms and living quarters and offices for the district chief and fire marshal fire marshal n. 1. The head of a department or office that is charged with the prevention and investigation of fires. 2. A person in charge of firefighting personnel and equipment at an industrial plant. Noun 1. . Expected completion in second quarter of next year. Cost: $6.64 million. Architect: WBGS. Contractor: Chambers Construction. Santa Clara Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. Fire Station No. 11, Santa Clara Avenue and River Road. Work started in late July. The 14,500-square-foot structure will have three bays and six bedrooms. Move in is scheduled for mid-2005, but one equipment bay should be completed by December so a fire truck can be housed there in the winter. Cost: $3.9 million. Architect: Berry Architects with Peck-Smiley-Ettlin. Contractor: John Hyland. Petersen Barn, 870 Berntzen Road. Bids are being taken for installing a central air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. and heating system. Passive cooling features, such as shades for windows and skylights, also are to be installed. Cost: $250,000. Energy consultant: Solarc. Hult Center, downtown. Construction documents are being prepared to replace the dimmer dim·mer n. 1. A rheostat or other device used to vary the intensity of an electric light. 2. a. A parking light on a motor vehicle. b. A low beam. light controls for the Soreng Theater. The dimmers are made of massive arrays of coils that generate intense heat. A small fire in the controls last fall brought urgency to the replacement project. New solid-state controls will use less energy and produce less heat. Cost: $200,000. Engineering design: Warner Engineering. Amazon ball field restrooms and lighting. Construction is done. Restrooms are designed to be low maintenance and vandal-resistant. Ball field lights are energy efficient and capable of two levels of brightness. Cost: $480,000. Architect: WBGS. Contractor: Colberg Commercial. Edward Russo can be reached at 338-2359. |
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