While discreet, slight design changes are helping to better direct those who drive, bike and walk on parts of south Willamette Street. On the night of July 5, crews made several alterations to the restriping portion of the South Willamette Improvement Project, with the focus on the center turn lane.
Following communication and follow up with business owners and drivers along the corridor, engineers directed contractors to remove the dedicated left turn lanes at non-signalized intersections. Those turn lanes were replaced with two-way left turn lanes. These changes should better accommodate access to businesses. Crews also painted the new curb at the Woodfield Station yellow. This is intended to keep people from driving over it.
This spring south Willamette Street was restriped, from 24th to 29th avenues. Work included one travel lane in each direction, a center turn lane and a bicycle lane in each direction. As part of the project, crews installed a new traffic signal at Woodfield Station and widened the street in several locations. Engineers have also adjusted the timing of multiple traffic signals as the project progressed.
Part of the South Willamette Improvement Project includes a year-long pilot study. Engineers are currently collecting traffic data to see how the changes impact those who use the street. All of the study information will be delivered to the City Council in the summer of 2017. Councilors could decide a permanent design for Willamette Street, ahead of a 2018 project to repave the street.