Central Eugene in Motion Projects

Project Description

Started in early 2019, the Central Eugene in Motion study explored planned and potential transportation changes with a focus on three key areas: Downtown on 8th Avenue, Midtown Willamette Street, and the Amazon to Riverfront connection.  The Central Eugene In Motion process was created to work directly with the community to identify existing transportation issues, explore ideas, and identify preferred design concepts for projects listed in the Eugene Transportation System Plan.  Download a project information sheet here.

The geography for the Central Eugene In Motion study included:

• Lincoln Street on the west,
• 5th Avenue on the north,
• High Street on the east,
• 20th Avenue on the south
• Within these areas there are two-way streets, one-way couplets, sidewalks, bikeways, and transit stops.

Why did we conduct this study?

As our greater downtown develops, it is important for Eugene’s transportation network to have safe and comfortable connections regardless if travel is by car, on foot, bike, bus, or personal mobility device. Downtown Eugene is the heart of our community, people need to access downtown for many different reasons and at different times of the day and week. 

The Eugene Transportation System Plan identifies projects and goals that help meet citywide objectives. These objectives include decreasing the burning of fossil fuels, increasing residential density and affordable housing opportunities, growing economic vitality, and decreasing traffic-related injuries and deaths. The TSP has identified the tripling of active transportation mode share (walking, biking, transit) as instrumental for achieving mobility and transportation equity over the next 20 years. 

What projects were selected?

Central Eugene in Motion explored solutions for three key corridors: Downtown on 8th Avenue, Midtown Willamette Street, and the Amazon to Riverfront connection. Based on projects and goals identified in the Eugene Transportation System Plan, options explored through the Central Eugene In Motion study included:

• Changing one-way streets to bi-directional streets to reduce out-of-direction travel
• Improving bicycling infrastructure to encourage more people to ride bikes
• Making changes to lower traffic speeds to reduce injury severity
• Enhancing transportation corridors for improved safety and mobility (such as changes to traffic signal timing and installation of crosswalks)
• Removal of on-street parking
• Reducing the number of travel lanes

Decisions on selected design alternatives for Downtown on 8th Avenue and Midtown Willamette Street were first announced in January 2020, and the Amazon to Riverfront connection design was announced in September 2021. Read more on Engage Eugene. The final projects selected were:

• Midtown Willamette Street: Two-Way Conversion & Paving of Willamette, 20th and Oak Completed 2021
• Downtown on 8th Avenue: 8th Avenue Streetscape & Protected Bike Lanes Planned for 2023-2024
• Amazon to Riverfront Connection: High Street Two-Way Protected Bikeway Planned for 2023