Augusta Street

Augusta Street Traffic Calming Project


In 2012, the City of Eugene installed 10 traffic calming devices called speed cushions on Augusta Street between 16th and 26th Avenues. These were installed as part of the pavement preservation project on Augusta that also included shared lane markings identifying the street as a bike route. At the time, residents of Riverview Street expressed concern that people would drive on Riverview to avoid the traffic calming on Augusta. City staff agreed that a before-and-after study would be conducted and if the measured 85th percentile speeds went up by at least 3 mph and/or the traffic volumes went up by at least 10%, then traffic calming devices would be installed on Riverview Street. The city has completed the study and found that traffic volumes on Riverview increased by between 13 and 26 percent. City staff will initiate a process with residents in fall 2013 to determine the type and locations of the traffic calming devices that will be installed on Riverview. Please contact Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld at rob.inerfeld@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5343 with any questions or comments.

Before and After Speed and Volume Study Results on Augusta and Riverview Streets

  Before
Volume
 Before 
85th Percentile Speed
 After
Volume
 After 
85th Percentile Speed
 After 
% Change in Volume
 After
Volume
 After
85th Percentile Speed
 After % Change in Volume
Riverview 4/17/2012   5/15/2013     6/3/2013    
North 561 28 708 29 26% 637 28.9 14%
Mid 485 27 593 30.5 22% 549 29.6 13%
South           465 27.4  
Augusta 2/8/2012   5/8/2013     6/3/2013    
North 1443 32 1283 29.7 (NB)
28.5 (SB)
 -11% 1447 29.6 0%
South 1324 33 870 31.2 (NB)
33.6 (SB)
 -34% 925 28.2 -30%

Note: the after studies were conducted by Lane County staff who expressed concerns about the accuracy of the 5/8/13 speed and volume study on Augusta.


Project Reference Information

In 2012, speed studies were conducted on Augusta Street, Riverview Street, and the ramp that connects Franklin Boulevard/I-5 on ramp to Riverview. For a street to qualify for traffic calming in Eugene, there are two technical criteria that must be met through a speed study: more than half of the vehicles must be speeding and the 85th percentile speed needs to be at least 5 miles per hour over the speed limit. The speed studies indicate that Augusta Street qualifies for traffic calming but Riverview and the ramp do not. However, the speed studies on Riverview will be used as a baseline to determine whether there is any additional traffic on Riverview as a result of installing traffic calming devices on Augusta.


Speed Study results


  • Augusta Street
    • Augusta Street – north of Laurel Hill Drive (25 mph speed limit)
      Median Speed: 26 mph (half the vehicles are traveling above and half below this speed)
      85th Percentile Speed: 32 mph
      Volume: 1399 vehicles
      There were 348 drivers exceeding 31 mph. Of those, 114 were exceeding 36 mph. 
    • Augusta Street – south of Laurel Hill Drive (25 mph speed limit)
      Median Speed: 28 mph (half the vehicles are traveling above and half below this speed)
      85th Percentile Speed: 33 mph
      Volume: 1324 vehicles
      There were 476 drivers exceeding 31 mph. Of those, 114 were exceeding 36 mph.
  • Riverview Street
    Southern location: median speed was 20 mph and 85th percentile speed was 27mph.
    Northern location: median speed was 22 mph and 85th percentile speed was 28mph.
    Franklin off-ramp to Riverview: median speed was 24 mph and 85th percentile speed was 29mph.

Traffic Calming Devices

The traffic calming devices to be installed on Augusta are called speed cushions. The speed cushions will be 3-inches high and either 14 or 16 feet long in the direction of traffic. They have grooves in them that allow wide wheeled base vehicles such as fire engines and buses to avoid some of the vertical deflection. The attached map shows the locations where the speed cushions will be installed on Augusta Street.


The city will conduct a follow-up speed and volume study on Augusta and Riverview Streets approximately six months after the construction on Augusta Street is complete. If the study shows an increase in the 85th percentile speed on Riverview of at least 3 miles per hour or if the traffic volume increases by at least 10 percent, then the city will commit to installing traffic calming devices on Riverview Street.


For more information about the project, please contact Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld at 541-682-5343.


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