South Willamette Street Improvement Plan
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Community Forum #3 Presentation
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If you were unable to attend the June 11, 2013 Community Forum, a copy of the presentation is available here:
Community Forum #3 Presentation - June 11, 2013
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Survey to Rank and Refine the Alternatives
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Please help rank and refine the alternatives by completing this survey (available between June 12th and 18th):
South Willamette Street Improvement Plan Survey
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Community Forum #3: Rank & Refine the Alternatives
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Nearly 300 people attended the third Community Forum on June 11, 2013. A summary of comments from the public meeting will be shared here a few weeks after the meeting. The presentation materials are also provided above as well as a survey for those that were unable to attend the Community Forum.
At the meeting, study results were presented for three alternatives including:
- Conceptual layouts
- Cost estimates
- Projected travel times
- Function for cars, pedestrians, bicyclists, and buses
Please join the project email list to receive updates by sending an email to Chris Henry or call 541-682-8472. |
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Community Forum #2 Summary and Outcomes
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Thank you to the more than 300 people who attended the second Community Forum on February 27th. The presentation, meeting summary, appendix of comments, meeting materials, and graphics are available under Project Documents or at the links below.
The City is moving forward with an in-depth analysis of 3 of the 6 alternatives presented at Community Forum #2:
Alternative #1 (4-Lane)
Alternative #3 (3-Lane with Bike Lanes)
Alternative #5 (3-Lane with Wide Sidewalks)
All of the street design alternatives have the potential to expand the sidewalk width within the existing public right-of-way. For alternatives #1 and #3, that means sidewalks could be widened to their maximum width of 9 feet (as many are currently). For alternative #5, the curb moves and creates the potential to expand sidewalks to a maximum of 13 feet within the existing public right-of-way.
The three alternatives provide the community and decision makers a range of options for the South Willamette Street Improvement Plan. This decision is based on both technical review and public input (conversations with the public, forum results, and public comments via phone and email).
Alternative #1 is proposed because it responds to community support to maintain the existing number of travel lanes. Alternative #3 is proposed because it incorporates the elements of a balanced, complete street design. Alternative #5 is included because it responds to community input to improve the street for pedestrians. Each of the alternatives includes bicycle routes on parallel streets to be developed as separate projects identified in the Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan.
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The South Willamette Street Improvement Plan will explore options for people to easily and safely walk, bike, take the bus, or drive in an eight-block study area from 24th Avenue to 32nd Avenue. The goal of this study is to help South Willamette Street become a vibrant urban corridor accessible by bicycle, foot, car, and bus. Today Willamette Street is heavily used to reach many popular destinations, yet it is uninviting to pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and motorists alike. For years, many residents and business owners have shared complaints about the poor conditions on Willamette Street for walking and biking and the need to do something about it.
The street has two travel lanes in each direction, with no left-turn lanes on the majority of the corridor. The narrow sidewalks are filled with many obstacles, such as mailboxes, utility poles, and trees or landscaping. Nearly 70 driveways cross the sidewalk in this area and create potential hazards for pedestrians and bicyclists. Vehicles stop in the outside travel lanes, blocking traffic.
Over the next 13 months, the South Willamette Street Improvement Plan will develop a complete street design plan for an active transportation corridor (providing for walking, biking, transit access, motoring and business access) that can be adopted and advanced as a capital improvement project for construction.
The Plan aims to:
1) Support existing businesses and the commercial district’s vitality,
2) Create a balanced multi-modal transportation system,
3) Further City planning efforts to identify compact growth and redevelopment opportunities,
4) Foster a well-informed and involved community supportive of the plan.
Previous transportation studies of South Willamette Street suggested adding bicycle facilities, pedestrian crossings, improved transit stops, and reducing the number of motor vehicle travel lanes. This project will study how these changes to street elements could be implemented, and investigate the level of public support for these ideas. Critical to the success of the project is involvement by a variety of people informed by the sharing of information, interests and ideas to establish priorities and consider the tradeoffs between different street design options.
Read more about public involvement for this project here
How does the Willamette Street Improvement Plan relate to the South Willamette Concept Plan?
The results of this project will refine the street design portion of the South Willamette Concept Plan. The Concept Plan creates a long-term vision and identifies tools realizing that vision in the South Willamette area. One important goal of the Concept Plan is to create a neighborhood where services for residents are available in a “20-Minute” walk, and the street functions for a variety of users (Complete Streets policy).
The timing of the South Willamette Street Improvement Plan is good because it melds with the South Willamette Concept Plan, and could be completed in conjunction with needed pavement preservation work.
The City of Eugene Project Management Team reviews final reports and guides the planning process:
The Consultant Team conducts the technical studies and manages the public outreach:
Project Lead:
Scott Mansur and Peter Coffey |
Public Involvement Team:
Ellen Teninty, Christian Watchie,
Julie Fischer |
Land Use and Urban Design:
Tom Litster |
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