By Nan Noteboom
For Columbia Gorge News
BINGEN — The Bingen City Council kicked off its regular meeting on June 2 with exciting news: an e-bike lending library is coming to town.
Avery Morris of Forth Mobility led a presentation on the Washington Department of Transportation grant-funded opportunity. Bingen, White Salmon, and the Skyline Hospital neighborhood will all host a hub of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes that can be used for free. The bikes can be checked out for two to 30 days at a time, including gear such as helmets, locks, and panniers. Residents reserve a bike online, noting date and time of pickup and drop off, the reservation is confirmed, and users show up at the shipping container to check out the bikes.
The e-bike support team will meet folks at the time they requested for pick-up. On-site support is provided by E-bike Multnomah Falls, but that program’s coordinator lives in White Salmon and is readily available for meet-up times. Users must be 18 and over. The city signed a Memo of Understanding with White Salmon to operate the program. Local shop Dr. Roscoe’s Holistic Bicycle Repair is the chosen vendor for maintenance and repairs.
Forth Mobility will hold a community meeting on June 18 at the White Salmon library to introduce the program, and the official launch is set for the Fourth of July, during which the bikes will be featured in the local parade, and the group will be on hand for information. The Bingen bikes will be kept in a locked storage container parked near Daubenspeck Park. Again, borrowing the bikes and the gear is completely free to Bingen residents.
Transportation plan
The council then discussed a Transportation Improvement Plan. One of the tenets of the plan is to prioritize infrastructure improvements. Leading the robust list were the Alder and Cedar sidewalks, improvements to the east end of Franklin Street, and coming in third, North Cedar Street. The list included other streets and sidewalks needing improvement with focus on safe pedestrian routes.
Traffic issues lingered with a discussion on adding stop signs to calm traffic in Bingen. Mayor Kelsey Ramsey proposed four added stops signs, though one location offered some complications, and council members suggested other locations as well. In the end, residents can expect to see several new stop signs in heavily-trafficked areas of Bingen.
New platform
The City of Bingen has approved the use of textmygov. While not an app, the service is web-based and integrates with the city’s current communication platforms. City staff can send out texts regarding events or emergencies, and city residents can submit questions and comments such as “stray dog on Alder” or “pothole on Humboldt.” The service will cost the city $2,000 per year after set-up. Council members agreed to adopt the service for three years.
The Bingen City Council’s next meeting is Tuesday, June 19. Public comment is always welcome.
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