Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Mr. Schoening stated that the concept that was on the table included 15 speed tables, three traffic circles, eight medians, and a choker on a section of Crest Drive that was west of Morse Ranch. Mr. Clark asked if staff had consulted with the Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department. Mr. Schoening affirmed that staff had done so. He related that the difference between 18 feet and 20 feet would be in the traffic circle for a school bus or emergency vehicle. He stated that staff ran the turning templates for the large vehicles in the design software. In response to a follow-up question from Mr. Clark, Mr. Schoening said pedestrians would not have a clear idea of what bicyclists would do. Mr. Lorish averred that this was assuming that the sidewalks were attached to the streets, but most of them were not attached. He said “optical width” was an important element. He asserted that research showed that narrow streets slowed down traffic and this would provide more safety. Mr. Clark asked if the choke points would have to be taken out of the design if the street was narrower. Mr. Schoening responded that with the council’s funding staff had contracted with professional land surveyors to review over 15,000 data points. He said staff knew what the road width was, where the trees were, and where the streams were. All of the trees greater than 12 inches in diameter had been inventoried for health, species, height, and width by an arborist. He stressed that transportation staff had worked with the engineering staff and design teams to design the concepts presented to the council. He reiterated that impacts between 18 feet and 20 feet were essentially the same with regard to trees, properties, and the public right-of-way. Mr. Pryor asked if the infrastructure would be basically the same with an 18 foot road as with a 20 foot road. Mr. Schoening affirmed that it would. Mr. Pryor surmised that the issues were whether a narrower street would serve to slow traffic and that the residents wished to preserve the “country feel” of the road. Regarding the latter, he felt that part of the debate was whether Crest Drive was a country road or a city street. He asked what would happen if a school bus and a garbage truck met on an 18-foot street. Mr. Schoening replied that one of the two would have to go off the road for the other to get by. Mr. Pryor asked if one of the large vehicles having to go off the road onto a bioswale would create a hazard. Mr. Schoening replied that it would as the bioswales would be on a 3:1 slope. In response to a follow-up question from Mr. Pryor, Mr. Schoening affirmed that a 20-foot street would make a difference in this situation. Mr. Zelenka observed that with the current plan the bicyclists would either ride on the street or they would ride on the sidewalk and he felt that both of these options would create problems. He said whether the street was 18 feet wide or 20 feet wide would not affect bicyclists. Mr. Schoening confirmed this. Mr. Zelenka averred that all streets should accommodate bicyclists as this would be the mode of transportation citizens would be pushed into as the City grew and traffic issues increased. Mr. Zelenka asked what difference a sloped curb would make as opposed to a regular curb. Mr. Schoening replied that a regular curb would keep the bicycles in the street and a driver and pedestrians would know the bicycle would stay in the street; everyone would have the same expectation. Mr. Lorish said the design was already agreed upon. He averred that the neighborhood was already taking into account the needs of bicyclists because they were working to slow the traffic. He believed that the MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 8, 2007 Page 7 Work Session