People have wanted a safe bicycle path between Corvallis and Albany for a long time. Right now, though, the best bike path from downtown Corvallis dead-ends near Cheldelin Middle School. Ten years ago, things looked promising for a path paid for in part by state funds, but by 2015, plans for a path alongside Highway 20 broke down, and Benton County had to return the money.
They started over from scratch, and ten different routes were suggested, which have now been narrowed down to two. One runs close by Highway 20 – similar to the bike path that Linn County created alongside Highway 34, while the other goes through less busy countryside while still running parallel to Highway 20.
Currently, bike path construction is being done alongside Highway 20 between Conifer and Merloy, intended to complement the Oregon Department of Transportation Highway 20 Safety Projects. It could become part of a more comprehensive Hwy 20-hugging route, or remain as it is while a more rustic path is extended along Pettibone Dr. and Old Independence Highway.
The creation of separate bikeways is an interesting phenomenon, since the first paved roads between cities were not built for cars, but for bicycles. In 1899, Literary Digest declared confidently that the automobile would never become as commonplace as the bicycle. Car owners took advantage of bike roads in the 1900s and 1910s, allowing car ownership to blossom from a hobby of the wealthy to a part of life for the average person.
By: John M. Burt
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