Franklin Boulevard Transformation

Project Updates

2023 Community Engagement Summary

Staff Reviewed Feedback from the Open House and Online Survey

On February 2, 2023 over 160 members of the community attended the in-person Community Open House for the Franklin Blvd Transformation project. Staff shared the current concept iteration with attendees and engaged in discussion. Community members shared shared feedback that will be used to inform further refinement of the concept as it moves forward from planning to design. Residents were also able to review materials and take an online survey via the Engage Eugene project page.

The outcomes of the Open House and Online Survey are detailed in the 2023 Community Engagement Summary.

2023 Corridor Report

Comprehensive Review of the Current Conditions and Preferred Concept

The corridor report outlines the results of a multi-year study that resulted in design recommendations for the transformation of Franklin Boulevard. In order to conduct this study, a wide range of stakeholders were engaged, including staff, residents, businesses, and property owners along the corridor. The proposed investments in the report will recast a deteriorating former state highway into a complete urban street, converting Franklin Boulevard into a multimodal urban street, prioritizing safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus rapid transit (BRT) riders and promoting transit-oriented development.

View the 2023 Corridor Report.

Updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

City staff heard a lot of questions about the Franklin Blvd Transformation during the open house and survey analysis. If you have questions about the project, review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, updated in August 2023. You can also learn more about roundabouts and their benefits at the roundabouts page.

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Preferred Concept - 2023

*This image is a concept overview. You can also view the concept in more detail.

Simulation Video - 2023

*Check out the full 4-minute Simulation Video on YouTube

*Learn more about roundabouts and their benefits

Project Description

What is the project?

We're spearheading a planning process for Franklin Boulevard from Alder Street to Interstate 5, including Garden Avenue. The purpose is to transform Franklin from an auto-focused state highway to a pleasant, multi-modal urban street that is safe for people walking, biking, riding the bus and driving.

Why is it needed?

Franklin Boulevard, with its wide lanes, can be an unsafe and uncomfortable street. For people who walk, bike, or ride the bus, Franklin Boulevard can be a significant barrier to getting from place to place. Because of that, fewer people choose to walk or bike to make connections between the University of Oregon, surrounding neighborhoods and Willamette River trails to the north, hindering the our long-term efforts to reach climate reduction goals. The project will also encourage new ways for businesses and neighborhoods near Franklin Boulevard to redevelop the boulevard into a more comfortable connector of places, rather than a divider.

What has the processes been so far?

Planning for the project began in January 2019 with the goal to improve Franklin Boulevard from Alder Street to Interstate-5, including Garden Avenue. The project aims to transform Franklin Boulevard from an auto-focused state highway into a pleasant, multi-modal, urban corridor that is safe for all people, including those who walk, bike, roll, take the bus and drive.

Throughout the planning process, staff engaged with the community through multiple public involvement activities, including two workshops, online surveys and meetings with interested parties. Through public input and professional analysis, the three corridor alternatives that were shared in May 2019 have been evaluated and revised into one preferred alternative, which was shared at an open house in March 2020. Input from the March 2020 open house was incorporated into the current concept, which was shared with the community at an open house in February 2023.

Project Timeline

The project planning phase began in January 2019. The concept produced during the planning phase is being revised and will soon progress to the next phase of engineering. After engineering, it will go to construction.

Finalize Project Plans for Construction: 2024-2026	The project will move to the design and engineering phase after making final edits to the concept based on community input.
Coordination with Adjacent Property Owners and Businesses: 2023-2024	The planning team is working with Franklin Blvd property owners and businesses on design details.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Analysis and Documentation: 2023	Together, we and our partners will assess the environmental and related social and economic effects of the selected design alternative.
Corridor Analysis and Recommendation Report: February 2023	A report presenting the final analysis of the opportunities and constraints involved with transforming Franklin Boulevard, as well as final recommendations for how to design and implement an updated Franklin Boulevard.
Community Open House: February 2, 2023	An open house where a refined concept was shared with the community for review and feedback.
Federal Grant Funding: 2020 & 2021	Applications for federal grant funding were submitted in both 2020 and 2021.
Open House: March 10, 2020	We presented the preferred final design concept to the community at a public open house for final feedback.
Project Alternatives Design and Refinement: June 2019 - February 2020	Following the second design workshop, project alternatives were refined and evaluated for a final design concept.
Design Open House: May 29, 2019	An open house where we presented draft design concepts and project alternatives to the community so that they could benefit from community input and be revised.
Project Alternatives Evaluation and Screening: February - May 2019	Following the first design workshop, project alternatives were developed.
Design Discovery Workshop: January 28 - 31, 2019	A four-day workshop where we gathered community feedback and incorporated it into initial design concepts for a transformed Franklin Boulevard.