The Eugene Transportation System Plan 2035 (TSP) 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. Projects like protected bikeways, complete streets, and intelligent transportation systems will be priorities for transportation spending moving forward.
The geography for the study includes Lincoln Street on the west, 5th Avenue on the north, High Street on the east, and 20th Avenue on the south. Within this area there are two-way streets, one-way couplets, sidewalks, bikeways, and transit stops. As the demand for transportation continues to increase, the city is looking at ways to best achieve transportation balance while meeting the needs of system users and land use changes alike.
Based on projects and goals identified in the TSP, potential transportation changes that will be explored through the study include:
a. changing select one-way streets to bi-directional streets to reduce out-of-direction travel
b. improving bicycling infrastructure to encourage more people to ride bikes, potentially replacing automobile trips
c. making changes to lower traffic speeds to reduce injury severity
d. enhancing transportation corridors for improved safety and mobility (such as changes to traffic signal timing and installation of crosswalks)
Because the project types identified above have trade offs, the engineering study will be informed by a robust public involvement process.