BROWN-GIERGA Bill
Oops.. I think I boo boo'd, and sent this message to the wrong email at
first. Let's try this again. Sorry if it starts two threads. Here it is
............
-----Original Message-----
From: BROWN-GIERGA Bill
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2000 7:32 AM
To: 'ob-@cycling.org'
Subject: Lane County Roads; Chip Sealing Policy
This is the first time I've posted to OBRA. Hopefully this message will
make it onto the email circuit, and or web site as a news issue.
This email is mostly directed at cyclists who are residents of Lane
County, but the problem is really part of a much bigger picture, that
effects all counties in Oregon. All states really.... since county and
city road maintenance supervisors attend regional meetings, sharing
information on new road maintenance methods, and cost saving ideas.
What's happening in LC may be happening all over the state.
I'm refering to Lane County's new chip sealing formula, that went into use
last year, and will once again go into full swing this summer. Rather
than completely reform my email threads.... I'm simply going to include
them here (below the dashed line) for your reference to the issue. So
please read on below, but let me add a few things that are relevant to
this much larger audience:
1) If you live in Lane County and decide to email your commissioner on
this issue, please call 682-4203, and ask the receptionist to tell you
which commissioner is assigned to your district (where you live). If this
takes off (and I hope it does), I won't be able to handle all these
requests (as I mentioned I would, in one of the emails below). If you do
email your commissioner, it doesn't have to be long. All you have to do
is say that you are in favor of returning to traditional full repaving
methods, or at the very least, go back to an earlier chip seal formula
that uses more tar oil, and smaller, less sharp rocks. And as always,
don't do a "driveby" (Don't yell, or be sarcastic. .... the usual
caveats).
2) Please do not email all of the commissioners. They're extremely busy,
and the "system" is really set up for each person to communicate with
their own commissioner. And most importantly, many people contacting
their one commissioner has a much greater effect later, once the
commissioners get together to compare notes.
3) If you live in another county, please do not email a Lane County
Commissioner. You may, however, want to consider contacting your county
Commissioner, if this is happening in your town. Thanks for your support.
4) Just this week, a little bit of movement is happening on this issue.
This is going to basically come down to the County saving money, vs. a
relatively small group of cyclists wanting to spend more of it. The
Commissioners need something to bite into besides our cycling quality.
Those issues, or "catches" are; Tourism and safety (see the third email
below). You may want to reference these things in your email. They
probably have a little more mileage in them.
Lastly.... It's hard to get a complete pulse on the moods of the Lane
County Commissioners, but I'm getting indications that they may have the
time to deal with this right now (now = next one to two weeks). These
folks are incredibly busy, and this is a relatively small issue to them,
normally. We need to strike while the iron is warming up. Please
consider sending an email to your commissioner on reversing the current
chip seal policy, and soon (like, this week if possible). Many thanks
OBRA folks.
Lane County Commissioner's email addresses:
Peter.S-@CO.Lane.OR.US South Eugene district
Anna.Mo-@CO.Lane.OR.US West Lane / River Road district
Cindy.We-@CO.Lane.OR.US East Lane district
Bobby.-@CO.Lane.OR.US North Eugene district
Bill.-@CO.Lane.OR.US Springfield district
Bill Brown-Gierga
BBrown--@HACSA.Lane.OR.US
(541) 682-2510
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<<EMAIL SENT TO WILLAMETTE VALLEY TANDEM CLUB MEMBERS, LAST WEEK.....>>
I think my tandem club address list is a bit out of date, but hopefully
this will reach most folks.
Can I just pop out my little portable soap box for a second (shwa-ching).
Oky doky (now standing a full one inch taller), here goes.....
Last year I sent out an email about the county's new chip seal strategy.
A refresher; Chip sealing is where they spray down oil, then gravel, let
the cars pack it down for a week, and then sweep off the excess gravel.
It leaves a much rougher surface. This is instead of, traditional paving,
which leaves a very smooth surface. Last year the county changed their
chip sealng formula to use much less oil, and to switch to larger (one
quarter inch), sharper rocks. In my most humble opinion, this new process
is ruining the roads. Once performed, only traditional re-paving can
repair the damage.
I'd like to encourage folks again this year, to consider emailing or
calling your county commissioner, and trying to persuade them to change
their chip sealing policy. During the 1999 construction season, work
crews chip sealed a dozen popular cycling routes using this new method.
This year, they plan on continuing, to complete another dozen.
Construction will start soon, so there isn't much time to act. If you're
interested in emailing a commissioner or calling them, email me and I can
supply you with their info. Just let me know what your address is (unless
you already know your particular commish's name) so I can look up your
district.
So... we're not talking about the old chip sealing method here. There's
lots of roads that have been paved this way (the old way) for years. Some
aren't too bad at all. Fairly smooth. I'm talking about a whole new era
of chip sealing. A great example: Go out for a ride on Central road.
Check it out, especially on the hill. It looks like it was sand blasted,
leaving nothing but pits and rocks. Mucho bummero.
Thanks for your time folks. Sorry to soap box a bit, it's just that once
they're done......
<< EMAIL SENT TO MY COUNTY COMMISSIONER, LAST WEEK >>
Hello commissioner Sorenson. My name is Bill Brown-Gierga. I live in
your district, and was hoping I could converse with you about the county's
current repaving strategy.
My wife and I are both cyclists, and we ride most of the counties roads.
We ride our tandem mostly, and are very active in the local tandem club
that we helped form last year. I spoke at a commissioners meeting, in
public session, last summer (and made too long of a speech. Phew... that
timer goes fast). I didn't contact you directly, because I didn't know
that was possible. Looking back on it, speaking at the open forum didn't
seem like the best way to bring out the issue, since there isn't really
time to engage in dialog. The whole issue went on the back burner for me
over the winter...., until I went on a ride the other day, and remembered
that there is a whole new repaving schedule, about to unfold for this
summer, that will chip many more roads. So... I know you are a very busy
person, but please allow me to lobby you for a moment.
Chip sealing, in theory, saves money. Full re-paving is very costly,
however, it's usually done on a much more infrequent basis (possibly up to
20 years or more). Chip sealing involves spraying the road with a thin
layer of tar, spreading out a layer of sharp gravel, letting the cars pack
it down for a week, and finally sweeping off the excess gravel to the side
of the road. You have to do this before the original road bed degrades
(can't have potholes in it), and, it has to be done fairly frequently.
Like every 5 to 7 years. Both the tar thickness and gravel size and type
(sharp vs. more round) can be adjusted in the mix. The resulting road
surface is considerably rougher than the original road bed.
Last year, the mix was altered to use less oil, and use larger (I believe
one quarter inch) sharper aggregate. Many, many road were done this way.
And many of those were in beautiful condition prior to the chip sealing,
having been traditionally paved only a few years ago. Knight road,
Shefler, Fleck, Central.... all of these roads were perfiectly baby bottom
smooth with virtually brand new pavement. They have all been chip sealed
now, and many others. Chip sealing ruins the roadway for cyclists. It
turns it into a horribly rough, constantly jarring ride. Since we are
riding on the "points" of gravel, this surface is also more dangerous,
since there is much less tire contact. Since we ride on the side of the
road, we don't even get the benefit of car traffic partially smoothin out
the gravel points over the years. It's as sharp and jarring five years
later as the day it was layed down.
Riding through the pastoral scenes on Perkins road, and thinking about
what is about to happen to this beautifully smooth and well paved road
this summer, is very sad. In my humble opinion, the current chip seal
formula is ruining our county roads. I'm asking that the commissioners
consider going back to standard paving, on a longer schedule, or, at least
to please consider altering the chip seal formula. Considerably more tar,
and go back to the old formula that used eighth inch rounded gravel.
Please sir, ... once these roads have been chip sealed with the current
methods, they are ruined. The only way to repair them is a full repaving.
Central road, for example, done just last year, is absolutely awful. I
know this probably wouldn't be possible, but if there was some way I could
invite you, and any other commissioners, out to see this road. It looks
like it was sand blasted, leaving nothing but pits and rocks (I'm really
not embelishing this account). I'd be willing to take detailed photos and
bring them in for you to see.
I have spoken to the district paving folks. They say the formula can
easily be altered, but that they won't do this without these orders coming
from the county commissioners. What are your feelings on this subject
commissioner? Maybe we could discuss this further?
Thank you very much for your time. Have a great week. :-)
<< EMAIL SENT TO MY COMMISSIONER, PLUS THE COUNTY ROAD MAINTENANCE
SUPERVISOR, PLUS THE
LANE COUNTY VISITORS ASSOCIATION CEO >>
Yesterday (06/05/00) I spoke with Commissioner Sorenson on the phone,
about Lane County's current road chip sealing strategies. Complaints from
area cyclists, and rural residents, about the new chip seal methods (being
much more coarse and rough) is an issue, which I understand, you are all
aware of. I have included a copy of an email (see below) I sent to
Commissioner Sorenson last week, for background reference. He mentioned
that he has heard from a number of cyclists on this issue.
I wanted to add a few points, that I hope, will help build some inertia on
this issue:
I subscribe to Sunset magazine. Every issue, for as far back as I can
remember, has had an ad in it, advertising Lane County. I clipped out two
of these ads. One shows two cyclists riding on Lane County roads, and the
other is a picture of four tandem teams, racing a stage of the Duet
Cycling Classic, on what looks like Wolf Creek Rd. This ad also mentions,
"Miles of backroads cycling". The special irony here for me is, my wife
and I have raced the Duet on our tandem many times.
I also looked at the Lane County Convention and Visitors Association web
site. I did a search on the word "Cycling", and came up with 8
references. Some of these are statements, advertising the quality cycling
in Lane County. For example; "Eugene was named one of the top 10 cycling
communities in the United States by "Bicycling Magazine". Lane County has
a network of hundreds of miles of low-traffic paved forest roads and
single-track mountain bike trails. Tour de Lane, operated by Pathfinders,
is a low-traffic bicycling tour of Lane County. "
Clearly, Lane County is making an effort to advertise it's roadway system
as a reason for people who cycle to visit or move here. However, from a
cyclists point of view, the current chip sealing methods are working in
opposition to achieving this goal. Every road chip sealed with the more
coarse formula, is one less road visiting cyclists will have interest in.
Secondly, I would like to bring up safety. Bicycle tires have a very
small patch of rubber in contact with the road, and, road tires are pumped
up to a hard 115 psi. The smoother the pavement, the more contact there
is with the tires. The balance, of course, is that if the pavement is too
smooth, providing little drainage, on wet days the water can form a
dangerous hydroplaning layer. There is a middle ground. Traditional full
paving provides safety from both directions. With the new method of chip
sealing, minimal tar oil and large rocks, the road is less safe. There is
considerably less rubber contact because a bicycle's tires are riding
across the "tops" of the gravel.
Cornering through a good stretch of pavement, bicycle tires will make a
"chalky / sanding" kind of sound. When cornering on a coarsly chip sealed
road, bycle tires make continual series of "squeaking / skidding" sounds,
several times a second. Every experienced cyclist knows this sound well.
It's the sound of the front tire making "micro" skids from the top of one
piece of gravel to the next. Each time, the tire leaving the contact with
the road for a split second, providing a greater opportunity for washing
out (sliding out) the front wheel.
This is analigous to the dangers of exposed aggregate. The method of
making concrete walkways and bicycle paths, where the final step after
pouring is to spray off the fine sand, leaving the exposed tops of the
aggregate underneath. Especially in a place like Oregon (rain and black
moss), this is very dangerous. I have witnessed many people wash out
their front wheel, and crash in the city parks that use these sidewalks.
My father in law was one of them. But.... that's a whole different
letter. The main point is, that like chip sealing with heavy aggregate,
these methods greatly reduce the tire contact patch, which decreases
safety.
I would like to close by saying again; There are many more roads within
the Lane County system that may be recieving a chip seal coat this summer,
or in future years. Each road chip sealed with the coarse chip seal
formula, is another road that, to a large degree, is ruined for cycling.
Please consider returning to traditional full re-paving on a less frequent
basis, or at least, changing the chip seal formula to use more tar oil and
smaller, less sharp aggregate. Thank you very much for you time.