03/06/17 City Council Agenda Packet

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From:Hans U. Tschersich To:INERFELD Rob Cc:Vic Hariton Subject:Transportation Plan, Improvements for Biking in South Hills Date:Friday, February 24, 2017 3:15:46 PM Dear Mr. Inerfeld and Members of the Committee, In 1976 my family moved into a house at the upper reaches of Crest Drive. I worked downtown as a radiologist at the old Eugene Hospital and Clinic at 11th and Willamette. Every day, summer and winter, I rode my bike to work and I continue this today at age 76, though it gets harder making it up the steep grades. I welcomed the improvement of the road conditions on Crest Drive and Storey Bvd. and did not mind the lack of a bike path since the new type of road construction slowed the car traffic. While Crest Drive and Storey Blvd. have very steep sections, Lorane Highway has a much gentler grade for bicycling. When Lorane was recently upgraded, I was hoping that an uphill bike lane and/or sidewalk would be included. To my great disappointment, this did not happen and no speed bumps were installed on this curvy road, an invitation for recklessly driving motorists. In view of the stated goal of having no serious or fatal accidents for non-motorized users, how, in good conscience, can one build such a road? And then I read in the TSP 2035, table 5.5, that any further bike-friendly improvements on Lorane Hwy. have been pushed back till after the year 2035. How can one hope that within 20 years the personal car will not be the dominant mode of transportation when such ideal roads will not bemade available much sooner for non-motorized traffic? Lorane Highway should be the main corridor for bike and pedestrian traffic on the way up and over the south hills since all other streets (South Willamette, Crest, Storey, Chambers and City View) are too steep and will be shunned by all potential non-motorized users, except younger athletes and rare older bikers like I. I strongly recommend making Lorane Highway your top priority for non-motorized improvements as soon as possible. Since I am at it, I want to make a suggestion to designate and build a bike path from the top of Lorane Hwy via Honda and Mesa through the small and scenic park above Crest Drive School (Crest Hights Park) leading into Courtney Place and to Crest Drive. This route would run along more gentle grades and be ideal for bicycling. The whole area of the south hills has no public transportation and nearly everybody relies on personal cars. Creating bike paths and lanes with a gentler grade may invite more people to use their bicycles. Thank you for your consideration, Hans U Tschersich, MD 888 Crest Drive xrayhans@yahoo.com 541.686.0167 (home), 541.525.8098 (mobile)