Amazon Active Transportation Corridor

BEST Transportation Innovations Award

We are excited to announce that Public Works Engineering won the 2020 BEST Transportation Innovations Award for their work on the Amazon Active Transportation Corridor! The BEST Awards, hosted by Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation, recognize excellence in improving the quality of transportation in the Eugene-Springfield area and beyond.

Transportation Planner Reed Dunbar and Civil Engineer Bryan Root, along with other Public Works staff, worked on the Amazon Active Transportation Corridor design and construction.

Project Description

The Amazon Active Transportation Corridor project has been in development since 2012. The project implements the southernmost segment of the "Ridgeline to River" path concept, which will eventually connect the Ridgeline Trail and Spencer Butte in South Eugene to the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path and Willamette River.

A portion of the corridor was already constructed - the Amazon Path is a 12-foot concrete path from 34th Avenue to 19th Avenue. The Amazon Active Transportation Corridor project built the southern end of the "Ridgeline to River" corridor.

The project was identified in the Transportation System Plan and aligns with City goals related to climate recovery and transportation safety including the Climate Recovery Ordinance.

Amazon Active Transportation Corridor Project Highlights:

Construction of a two-way protected bike lane on the west side of East Amazon Drive
Installation of a diagonal bike signal to assist people bicycling across Hilyard Street at 33rd Avenue
Construction of a shared use path along the west side of Hilyard Street from 34th Avenue to Tugman Park
Construction of three pedestrian and bike bridges across the Amazon Creek connecting East and West Amazon Drives
Enhanced pedestrian crosswalks on East and West Amazon Drives
Reconstruction of the Rexius running trail on both sides of Amazon Creek from Hilyard Street to Frank Kinney Park.

Project Timeline

Completed Fall 2018 - Spring 2019

Constructed a two-way protected bike lane on the west side of East Amazon Drive from Dillard Road to Hilyard Street as part of the “Ridgeline to River Corridor” that will connect the Ridgeline trail system to the Ruth Bascom Riverfront Path system.
Removed parking from the East side of East Amazon Drive. Installed a parking bay between 37th and 39th Avenue.
Removal of parking and the addition of the two way bikeway maintains the operational widths of the existing travel lanes (12-foot northbound and 11’-foot southbound)
Installed a bicycle signal to help bike riders get to and from the southeast to northwest corner of Hilyard and East Amazon Drive/33rd Avenue. Installed new marked crosswalk and pedestrian signal on the south side of Hilyard Street.
Improved the pedestrian crossing of East Amazon at Fox Hollow with new curb ramps and improved markings.
Extended the buffered bike lane on West Amazon from Fox Hollow to Snell.
Extended the Amazon Path on the west side of Hilyard Street from 34th Alley south to 36th Place.
Reduced speed limit in this corridor to 30 mph to increase safety.

Completed Summer/Fall 2019

Reconstructed the soft-surface running trail along both sides of Amazon Creek.
Installed three new walking and biking bridges across Amazon Creek connecting East and West Amazon Drives. The bridges and connecting paths were installed near 37th, 39th, and Dillard Road. The old bridge at 39th Avenue was also removed.

To be constructed by 2020

Potentially install a fourth walking and biking bridge across Amazon Creek connecting the commercial areas on East and West Amazon Drives near 34th Avenue. Constraints around creek bed width, approach distances, and cost may restrict installation of this bridge.
Extend the path along Hilyard Street to the south end of Tugman Park.