04/14/1986 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e reconstructing the 18th Avenue and Willamette Street intersection. He said it will also cost about $1 million to extend Willamette Street through the down- town mall. He suggested the money be spent to keep transients and released prisoners out of the downtown area. Mr. Behney said the Downtown Commission's proposal to spend $30,000 as far south as 18th Avenue may create a dead area where his business is. He asked the councilors to consider that area when they discuss extending the two-way traffic to 20th Avenue. He said the staff did an excellent job of presenting the proposal. There being no additional requests to testify, Mayor Obie closed the public hearing. Responding to the testimony, Mr. Duke said no loss of parking on Willamette Street near 13th Avenue is proposed. He said converting Willamette Street to two-way from 11th to 13th avenues will cost about $10,000. Answering a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Duke said Willamette Street became one-way in the 1950s. Ms. Bascom said the bicycle crossing at 12th Avenue is a major one. She said traffic counts before and after the change to two-way traffic will be impor- tant in assessing the impact of the conversion. Traffic Engineer Mike Weishar said a traffic count at 12th Avenue the week of April 7th resulted in an average of 900 bikes a day. A one-day traffic count at 15th Avenue indicated 600 bicycles crossed there. He said there have been higher counts in previous years at those points, but it rained the week of April 7th. The counts were both manual ones and machine ones and were done from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from noon to 6 p.m. Rich Weinman of the Development Department said the department received some designs for a bicycle crossing at 12th Avenue, but the costs were not estimated. Answering questions from Mr. Miller, Mr. Duke said the conversion from 11th to 13th will not remove any parking and may result in the addition of spaces on 11th Avenue. Responding to a question from Mr. Holmer, Mr. Weishar said there have been 47 vehicle, 11 bicycle, and 3 pedestrian accidents on Willamette Street from 11th to 20th in the last five years. On Tuesday, April 8, 133 pedestrians crossed Willamette Street at 12th Avenue in an eight hour period. Replying to questions from Mr. Hansen, Mr. Weishar said there is enough capacity at the 10th and Willamette and the 10th and Oak intersections even if the additional 1200 cars expected daily on Wil1amette Street from 13th to 10th avenues turn onto 10th Avenue. Answering questions from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Weinman said tax allocation funds have been allotted for landscaping near the Eugene Clinic and the funds could be used for pedestrian crossings. He said Eugene Clinic officials submitted MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 14, 1986 Page 5