Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-10-25
A City Essential

North Salem property owners the neghborhood grocer,
blacksmith and garage man. the vicinity OF the viaduct
proposed eliminate the dangerous Pacific highway ana
Syerton railroad grade crossings at the Fairgrounds have
gone opposed to either overhead crossing or
subway to eliminate danger ana traffic bockades the
ground that it viii depreciate the value of their property
This was to be expected There viaduct con-
sruced that did bring protests from adjacent property
owners AS matter of fact, there never was public I'M
provement of any kind proposed that not fought By
some Of those effected benefited in the long run At
the same time the desires Of few should not be allowed TO
interfere with the welfare of the community as whole
An overhead crossing public safety is nowhere needed
more than at the Fairgrounds AS the state and community
grows its need will become apparent for traffic over
the highways and on the railroad is constantly increasing
In few years there win be from 5000 to 10000 motor
vehicles daily the highways and double the NUMBER Oh
trains to block traffic and endanger life
Il will soon be impossible to handle with public safety the
fair week crowds without vaduct With daily attendance
reaching high $4,000 at present. and IN few years
exceeding 500O0 aduc becomes imperative for extended
bocades are daily feature with the present dangerous and
obsolete grade crossings And if Salem does not soVe th
problem, it will eventually lose the fair.
1t is only question Of time until vaduc VIII have to De
constructed and the longer it is delayed the more the cost
for temporary improvements will be made with the sole
idea az securing damages Property in the vicinity is not
desirable residence property and chiefly valuable for term
na warehouses factory es and yiaduct WIN not alec
its value for these purposes Besides the aduct estate
include reimbursement Of property owners for damages
actually sustained.
For some six or seven years the Pacific highway has been
paved north of the railroad track Since then the properly
owners along the road south of the railroad have shown tne
public spirit and enterprise by refusing to pave claiming
that the cost paving amounted to more than the vaue OF
the adjacent property Only couple Of months ago. pet
ton was circulated among business men for contributions TO
paw for the paving benefit the property Yet this properly
has suddenly become valuable permit the erection OF
badly needed vadut that will insure safety to the travelling
public and handle fair week crowds 1t is the attitude OF
these property owners that has kept the main gateway to
Salem public disgrace.
The proposed alternative, grade crossings, gates ana
wachmen not insure safety but assures traffic
aides Moreover it expensive to maintain 1t VIII cause
Inconvenience and dissatisfaction that sooner or later Will
force the building Of vaduct
The viaduc including property damages and rightsot-|
way is estimated cost 100000 of which the railroad w
nav 100000 the balance being divided between the state
county and city paving the present road alone Wi cost
the CITY as much and be only makeshift 1t TO De
that be public service commission in the interest OF puphc
safety and for the future welfare of the community ORDERS
the erection of the viaduct public necessity.
An alternative is to keep the highway east OF the railroad
track running it through the fairgrounds to
street or some street the east side The state owns e
rightofway and its paving will cost less than TO Oulia
the vaduct