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store identification, nothing to generate activity outside the store, and almost no interaction between the store and pedestrian area. He contrasted e this with a slide of a coffee shop outside Nordstrom's in Seattle. He said the shop activates the street and draws people into the store. Mr. Miles also mentioned that the pedestrian furnishings zone should contain historic design components--these not only make a downtown interesting, but they also link it with the history of the urban area and the history of the street. Mr. Miles said the Public Spaces Study recommends that the central activity zone on Willamette Street be used for limited two-way vehicular traffic. He mentioned that the recent introduction of traffic on Willamette from 10th to 11th avenues has been followed by significant re-investment in the block. He also said Willamette could be closed to auto traffic during major events on the ma 11 . He said operations such as the Mainstage Theater could continue very successfully under the option recommended by the Public Spaces Study. He added that although the study does not recommend it, another option would be to make improvements on Willamette similar to those that occurred on West Broadway. Mr. Miles said Willamette from 8th to 10th should be a special street with a strong pedestrian orientation. The entry points at 8th and 10th should ramp vehicles up to sidewalk level in order to signal to motorists that the two blocks are in an area where pedestrian activity is emphasized (an example of this ramping is at the intersection of Broadway and Oak). Mr. Miles said that events programming is an important part of creating an active downtown. He mentioned the Out-to-Lunch Program which programs 14 public spaces in downtown Seattle during lunch hours. He said this programming draws employees out of their offices during the lunch hour. e Mr. Miles said the improvements to Willamtte can be done in a way similar to how the West Broadway redesign construction was handled. He said the edges of the street can remain open to pedestrian use during construction and the impact on businesses can be minimized. Mr. Miles said there seems to be.a lot of support in the community for improvements to the Willamette Street merchant zones similar to those that occurred on West Broadway. He said the issue of what to do with the central activity zone is generating a lot of discussion. He said the Public Spaces Study recommends using this area for limited two-way vehicular traffic. He said this would leave 22 feet on each side of the street for sidewalks and pedestrian activity (15 feet in areas where short-term parking or drop-off bays were located). He said the other option would be to redesign the central activity zone along the 1 i nes of the recent West Broadway project. He emphasized the importance of moving forward with a downtown improvements program. In response to a question from Mr. Rutan, Mr. Miles said the Public Spaces Study recommends that Willamette Street have some short-term parking and drop- off bays; however, these should be staggered (that is, never directly across the street from each other). He said that although the bulk of downtown parking needs will still be met by the surface lots and parking garages, short-term parking on Willamette will be important because it will make people feel as though the area is more accessible. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 8, 1987 Page 10