Category: Ped/Bike Master Plan

24th Avenue Appeal Dismissed

Posted on by RideCoordinator

The appeal to the administrative order that removed parking and bump-outs along 24th Avenue to allow installation of bike lanes from Chambers to Friendly has been thrown out!  The decision was made yesterday and announced today. The project will continue with: removal of the existing “bulb-outs”, adding bike lanes on both sides of 24th (4-5 ft on 1 side and 5-6 on the other), consolidating parking to one side, removing the painted center line, adding one new marked crosswalk (at Fillmore), and adding a school zone near ATA/Family School. You can read a bit of history of the project here.

The hearings official states that while the main issues from the appellants were related to the community outreach and citizen involvement, the Eugene City Code states that removing parking comes down to the City Traffic Engineer having to consider certain factors in that removal. Once the Traffic Engineer demonstrated that those factors were considered the Administrative Order is able to stand.

This is great news for people who use (or want to use) 24th as their East-West corridor. Many neighbors and community members came out to speak up for these needed changes. This project is underway now and we should be able to enjoy the finished product during this summer! To those who worked hard to help foster this project along, thank you very much. As we continue to work with city staff, neighborhood groups, and community leaders to make improvements for cycling in Eugene we continue to learn the best way to make projects happen that benefit everyone. We certainly learned a lot on this project and hopefully we can take that knowledge forward and create even more positive change.

 

Upcoming Events This Week

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Besides the usual weekly rides there are some other items of interest coming up over the next week. As usual all these, and more, can be found on the Community Bike Calendar.

Bike Willamette Campaign
Friday, February 24th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Agate Alley Laboratory Restaurant banquet room, 2645 Willamette Street

After three steering group meetings (join these meetings if you want to!) we have settled on six areas that merit our most immediate attention:
– Identifying and collecting contact information for supporters of the campaign
– Identifying and collecting contact information for business and property owners along south Willamette St.
– Identifying and collecting contact information for the existing organizations which will support our goal
– Developing our key messages for letting people know what we are about and gaining their support
– Establishing our resource library of information, documents, published articles that relate to this project
– Planning some fun events for our group and for Willamette Street

We will spend significant time in small groups working on the above tasks.
There will be a sign-up sheet for speaking to city council at one of 8 city council meeting in the next few months. We’ll re-cap a couple of meetings with Eugene Planning staff that occurred this week.
News: Both the Amazon and the Friendly Area Neighborhood Association Boards have sent letter to the city staff supporting the inclusion of bike lanes on any new design for Willamette St.
Join the Bike Willamette Campaign Google Groups email list for inter-group communications. Head to this web address and join the Bike Willamette Google Group – you’ll be able to send email to and receive email from the whole group. <http://groups.google.com/group/bikewillamette>

Paul Moore for Bike Willamette Campaign: 541-954-3843
P.S. We’re still meeting at 9:05 am on Saturdays in front of Arriving By Bike to cruise on Willamette St. and then converse over a hot drink or food along Willamette.

Bike Industry Job Fair hosted by Collins Cycle Shop
Sunday, February 26th, 12-5pm.

Collins Cycle Shop will host a job fair for those interested in a career in the ever growing cycling industry. Employment opportunities include working in a bicycle shop, manufacturing, shipping and receiving, warehousing, mechanic school, independent sales representative, fabrication, design and more.

The purpose of this event is to create a network for those interested in working in the cycling industry. Although there may not be immediate openings available, we will share resumes with employers seeking qualified help. The following employers have expressed interested in attending this event: Specialized Bicycles, Morgan Hill CA, Giant Bicycles, Newbury Park CA, Cyclone Bicycle Supply, Portland OR, Seattle Bicycle Supply, Seattle, WA, City of Eugene, Bicycle Transportation Program, Castelli Cycling Clothing, Portland, OR and Garmin, Olathe, Kansas. Those interested in job opportunities are encouraged to submit their resume to onsite HR staff.
Music provided, courtesy of Skip Jones.
Bicycles and other merchandise will be relocated temporarily in order to accommodate space for this event at Collins Cycle Shop, 60 E. 11th Avenue, Eugene. Sales will resume on February 27.

City Council Meeting- Public Input on Ped/Bike Master Plan
Monday, Feb. 27th, 7:30 p.m. City Council Chambers
This is the last meeting before the Ped/Bike Master Plan goes in front of the Council for approval on March 12th so this is the last chance to comment in support of the Plan. This is also a good time to make comments about the Street Repair Review Panel and recommend that the next “pothole bond measure”  match mode share and provide better funding to active transportation projects (expand funding for path repair and in the right-of-way bike/pedestrian improvements)
Bicycle Appreciation Day (BAD)
Thursday, March 1, 11am-3pm, 13th & Kincaid, Lillis Business School, UO Campus
Time to get your bike ready for spring riding! Bring your bike, as volunteers and Bike Program mechanics will be doing minor repairs and adjustments for free. Co-sponsored by the UO Bike Program and UO LiveMove. FREE!

 

Foot and Pedal: The Relationship Between Oregon’s Land Use Laws and Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Planning
Friday, March 2, 2:30-3:45, Walnut Room of the Erb Memorial Union (EMU), University of Oregon
The panelists will discuss the importance of creating robust systems of bicycle and pedestrian networks in our cities, and how Oregon’s land use laws help local governments create those systems. They will also identify changes that could be made to current laws in order to make bicycle and pedestrian transportation planning easier. Finally, they will explore the difficulties that economic realities can cause, even despite perfect planning.
Panelists:  Shane MacRhodes, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School – Eugene School District 4J; Emily Jerome, Deputy City Attorney, City of Eugene; Reed Dunbar, Associate Transportation Planner, City of Eugene Public Works; Mia Nelson, Willamette Valley Advocate, 1000 Friends of Oregon.

Write a Letter to Support 24th Improvements

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Update/Reminder: The general meeting of the Friendly Area Neighbors is tonight 7-9 at the Washington Park Cottage (2025 Washington). I heard from the City that they are presenting at 7:30 pm and there should be time after their presentation for questions/answers.

Now would be a great time to write a letter to City Staff & Elected Officials to support their proposed design for 24th Ave. (Friendly to Chambers) which will include consolidating parking to one side of the street, removing the small bulb outs, adding bike lanes, removing the painted center line (for greater traffic calming), and adding a marked crosswalk and school zone near ATA/Family School.

There have been two community meetings where city staff collected input and gave information to over 30 people at each meeting. No opposition was voiced at the meeting that the city showed their recommended design, however a letter from the Friendly Area Neighbors Executive Board (most of whom were at both meetings) has been written to the City opposing the design and asking the city to keep parking and the bulb outs and instead of installing bike lanes to add sharrows and signs to the street. Those measures will do nothing to make the street comfortable for anyone but the most confident and secure cyclists. Both TransPlan and the PedBike Master Plan call for bike lanes on the street for a reason! Write city staff and the City Council now and encourage them to move ahead with their recommended changes.

Here is a great letter from GEARs Advocacy Committee Chair, Sue Wolling, that should give you some ideas for your own letter (to mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us):

Dear City Officials,

I strongly urge you to accept the planned improvements to 24th Avenue that would include bike lanes and a pedestrian crosswalk, removal of on-street parking and bulb-outs as necessary, and  unstriped travel lanes intended to help slow traffic speeds.  This design will encourage transportation choices both for the people who live in the neighborhood and those who travel through, including families attending the nearby schools and using the playing fields at Westmoreland Park.

The planned street would make it safer to walk and bicycle on 24th Avenue.  This was a high priority among those who attended public meetings concerning the design of the road, and matches the City’s goals of supporting active transportation.  The current street design, even if sharrows and signage were added, is adequate for confident adult cyclists, but does not provide the safe environment needed to encourage inexperienced cyclists and children to walk or bike

When we build “complete streets” that accomodate all modes of travel, compromises are necessary.  In this case, staff has chosen to reduce the amount of space dedicated to automobile storage in order to provide bike lanes.  Since all houses along the street have garages and driveways, and since parking remains available on one side of the street and on cross streets, giving up the underutilized parking on the south side of the street is a reasonable compromise.  While adjacent homeowners might suffer some inconvenience from the loss of on-street parking, they, like others, will benefit from better opportunities for active transportation.  When choices must be made, we have to favor using streets for transportation over using them to store vehicles.

I congratulate staff on moving forward with Council’s directive to provide transportation choices and promote sustainability, and urge you to accept this well-designed plan that already has considerable buy-in from the neighborhood.

Sincerely,

Sue Wolling

W 24th Avenue Street Rehabilitation Project Open House II

Posted on by RideCoordinator

A final neighborhood open house has been scheduled for Thursday, January 5th to discuss the street rehabilitation project for 24th Avenue (from Chambers St to Jefferson St).

There will be a presentation and discussion on design alternatives for this street.  Alternatives discussed will include removing on-street parking on one side of the street, installing bicycle facilities, and changing the nature of existing traffic calming devices.

The Ped/Bike Master Plan calls for bike lanes on this section of 24th and it is the best East-West corridor for cyclists in the area. Come give your input on the importance of completing our active transportation network with safe and comfortable facilities for cyclists.

Agenda:

  • Presentation of alternative street configurations
  • Questions and answers
  • Discuss project timeline

Location:      Adams Elementary School (Cafeteria/Multipurpose Room), 950 West 22nd Avenue, Eugene, OR 97405

Date:                 Thursday, January 5th

Time:                7:00 to 8:30 pm

Questions? Please contact Reed Dunbar at reed.c.dunbar@ci.eugene.or.us or (541) 682-5727

Sustainability Commission to Discuss Ped/Bike Master Plan

Posted on by RideCoordinator
As the official liaison between the Sustainability Commission and GEARs, I wanted to let you know that the Sustainability Commission will be discussing the draft Ped/Bike Master Plan at its meeting this Wednesday, Dec. 21.  The meeting is:

 

Wednesday, Dec. 21, 5:30 p.m.
McNutt Room, Eugene City Hall, 777 Pearl

 

There’s an opportunity for public comment at the beginning of the meeting.  The Ped/Bike Plan is on the agenda for 7 p.m.
While the Commission is generally supportive of bicycling and walking, it wouldn’t hurt to have supporters of bicycling tell them that we’re counting on the Sustainability Commission to push the City Council for a strong commitment to bicycling. We’d also welcome any specific comments or recommendations you have about the Ped/Bike Plan.  You’ll find the Plan athttp://www.centrallanertsp.org/EugeneTSP/PedBikePlan/Home

 

In addition, any time you have any issues, concerns or questions you’d like to bring to the Sustainability Commission, please don’t hesitate to tell me, and I’ll try to make it happen.  That’s the whole point of our having liaison relationships with various groups involved in Eugene’s efforts toward sustainability.
Thanks–and I’d love to see you at Wednesday’s meeting!
Sue Wolling

October General Meeting- Ped/Bike Master Plan Presentation

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Join us as Rob Inerfeld presents the Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. Rob is the city’s transportation planning manager and has a presentation that lists bike and pedestrian-related upgrades the city could undertake over the next 20 years. The plans range from creating bike lane along Willamette Street from 17th to 32nd avenues, connecting popular path systems with separated facilities (cycletracks), to building a bike and pedestrian overpass over Randy Pape Beltline.

The plan will show improvements that will help pedestrians and bicyclists travel safely and efficiently through the city. It will include shared-use paths to standard bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, bicycle boulevards, and tunnels and overpasses that will help getpedestrians and cyclists safely across busy streets. As quoted in theRegister Guard, Rob mentions “We’re looking to hear from people: Did we choose the right projects? Are we looking at the right kind offacilities?  What do people think about the policies we arerecommending?”

Join us for this very informative meeting. Tuesday, October 25, 6pm-8pm, Countryside Pizza, 645 River Road