A Letter to Our River Road Community
From the Co-chairs of the River Road Community Organization
Dear River Road Neighbors,
As we reflect on the past year, we’re grateful once again for the spirit, generosity, and involvement that make River Road such a special place to live. In this letter we’ll share what our River Road Community Organization (RRCO) does and what we accomplished together this year.
What RRCO Does
RRCO is your neighborhood organization—open to everyone who lives, works, or owns property in River Road. Our mission is to help make our neighborhood a better place by creating spaces for connection, learning, and action. We hold community meetings on the first Monday of most months where neighbors can meet one another, discuss issues affecting River Road, hear from local officials, and participate in joint decision-making. We also support volunteer work parties, social gatherings, and collaborative projects with partner organizations.
Our work focuses on transportation and safety, land use and housing, economic development, parks and open spaces, emergency preparedness, community building and supporting neighbors in need.
Some of Our Accomplishments This Year
River Celebration 2025
The River Celebration brought out 400–500 participants—walkers, runners, cyclists, families, and neighbors of all ages. With 45 booths, two food carts, live music, and activities across several locations, the event showcased the creativity and community spirit of River Road.
Local Access Roads (LARs)
We convened a major community meeting with 100+ affected residents and local officials. After gathering petition signatures and studying the policy landscape, RRCO submitted formal testimony urging Lane County to accept LARs into the county road system.
Advancing the Neighborhood Action Plan
Together with the Santa Clara Community Organization, we advanced our shared neighborhood action plan and began a new round of structured meetings with the city and county. Our first meeting on February 10 focused on our highest-priority transportation items and laid the groundwork for continued collaboration.
Supporting Families in Need
In partnership with River Road / Camino del Río Elementary, we collected food and cash donations that provided direct support to more than 40 families over the Thanksgiving and Winter breaks.
Additional Community Engagement
We hosted Mayor Karin Knudsen, held community conversations on transportation, affordable housing, and improving River Road, and sponsored site tours highlighting food gardens and permaculture practices.
Navigation Center Partnership
We strengthened our working relationship with the Navigation Center, a program that transitions homeless people into long-term housing. We advocated for ongoing county funding and provided a space for community members to voice concerns and receive updates.
Emergency Preparedness
Given community interest in this important topic, our emergency preparedness task force is back to work. We’ll host a meeting on earthquake preparedness on March 2 to learn how we can prepare our homes and families in case of an earthquake. We’ll host emergency prep topics at our annual fall River Celebration, and we’re exploring building a local network of radio operators. If you’d like to get involved, email us at emergencyprep@riverroadco.org.
Looking Ahead
Thank you to every neighbor who participated this year. Your involvement makes RRCO strong. We look forward to continuing this work together in the year ahead.
With gratitude,
Beth Gerot and Clare Strawn
RRCO Co-chairs