Laserfiche WebLink
B. WORK SESSION: <br />Update on the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan and Transportation System Plan <br />The council was joined by Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld and Senior Transportation <br />Planner Kurt Yeiter of the Public Works Department, who provided a PowerPoint presentation updating <br />the council on the status of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) and the Transportation <br />System Plan (TSP). <br />Mr. Inerfeld described the public involvement done for the BPMP, which included the formation of <br />advisory and technical committees, open houses, and a Web site. He overviewed the plan contents, <br />highlighting the proposed capital projects. He noted that many of the capital projects were facility types <br />not previously built in Eugene but were designed in a manner to facilitate bicycle use using physical <br />separation or lesser traveled streets. <br />Mr. Inerfeld shared examples of some of the facilities contemplated in the plan, which included access <br />ways, bicycle boulevards, buffered bicycle lanes, cycle tracks, shared lane markings or "sharrows," and <br />grade separated crossings. He reported that the plan also recommended nine feasibility studies of <br />potential bicycle infrastructure improvements as well as some development code revisions. <br />Mr. Inerfeld concluded the update on the BPMP by reviewing next steps in the process, which included <br />additional outreach and council initiation of an amendment to the TSP to reflect the new capital project <br />list. He invited questions. <br />Mr. Poling asked about the origins of the projects on the project list. Mr. Inerfeld said the BPMP project <br />list was a product of public input and a "cycle zone" analysis that considered density, topography, and <br />zoning to determine where investments in bicycle infrastructure would most encourage bicycling. Mr. <br />Poling asked if the City would do bicycle traffic counts to evaluate route use. Mr. Inerfeld said yes, <br />adding that the City counted bicycles each spring using volunteers, and he hoped to do such counts in the <br />fall as well. Staff was also looking into ways to automate the counts using counters integrated into the <br />infrastructure. <br />Mr. Poling asked if there would be community education on the proper use of sharrows. Mr. Inerfeld said <br />yes. He noted that lanes were designed to show cyclists where to best position themselves on the road. <br />He did not anticipate sharrows would be installed on streets with a high volume of traffic. <br />Mayor Piercy encouraged staff to provide information about sharrows to the media. <br />Mr. Brown asked where sharrows would be installed. Mr. Inerfeld said projects included Broadway and <br />Willamette Street through downtown and High Street north of 5"' Avenue. Mr. Brown suggested that <br />education about sharrows should be directed at motorists as he believed bicyclists would quickly grasp <br />how the facilities worked. <br />Ms. Ortiz observed that none of the examples of bicycle infrastructure improvements shared by staff were <br />in the Whiteaker or Trainsong neighborhoods where bicycle use was extensive. She asked staff to <br />consider a connection from the Bethel area via Barger Drive to the bicycle path on Bethel Drive. Ms. <br />Ortiz hoped the bicycle improvements for Blair Boulevard were built soon. <br />Ms. Ortiz said Maxwell Road included a bicycle facility but it was frequently blocked by parked vehicles. <br />Additionally, the bicycle lane was very narrow as it traveled over the Maxwell Road overcrossing at the <br />railroad tracks. She encouraged staff to consider improvements in such areas, where bicycles were less <br />MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 11, 2011 Page 2 <br />Work Session <br />