The Cities of Eugene and Springfield, and Lane Transit District, were jointly awarded $19 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program for the Franklin Boulevard: A Partnership to Rebuild and Revive a Corridor project.
“The funding… benefits a climate-smart project that supports our recovery and increases our resilience,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR). “The multimodal transformation of Franklin Boulevard has been a huge priority in our community for years. As Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I’ve worked to provide additional federal funding for projects like this and repeatedly urged the Department of Transportation to support this project. I’m glad our community will receive funding to transform this major, outdated state highway and finally remove barriers to investment, mobility, and access.”
The money will be used to continue transforming Franklin Boulevard in Eugene and Springfield into a modern urban corridor that improves access and safety for people traveling to, in, and between each city.
"Eugene is grateful to be part of the Eugene-Springfield-LTD team that received the $19M award from the US Department of Transportation for the redesign and construction of Franklin Blvd. The new design includes increased mobility and safety options for people walking, biking and riding the bus within one of Eugene's busiest corridors that links Eugene and Springfield downtown areas with the University of Oregon,” said Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis. “All of Eugene should be thankful for the support of our federal delegation, Senators Wyden and Merkley, and in particular Congressman DeFazio for his years of leadership on transportation policy, including the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Package, and his direct support for these federal investments in Franklin Boulevard as the gateway to Eugene and the U of O."
The project will connect nearby neighborhoods, improve the EmX bus rapid transit system, deliver significant environmental benefits, and add sidewalks and bike facilities. Several new roundabouts will be constructed to increase the number of people who can move through and along the corridor.
For more information about the RAISE grant, the Franklin Boulevard project, and to sign up on our project e-update list, visit eugene-or.gov/Franklin.