Ordinance No. 20258 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WEST EUGENE PARKWAY MODIF{ED PROJECT--CONSISTENCY WITH THE STATEWI~ PLANNING GOALS AND TP~NSPORTAT~ON PLANNING RULE Jefferson Street Bridge and over the Willamette River to the couplet at 6th and 7th Avenues. This couplet extends westward to Garfield Street, which Highway 126 follows about six blocks to its intersection with West 11 th Avenue, a designated principal arterial. Highway 126 then follows West 1 lth Avenue through West Eugene and outside the urban growth boundary, continuing to Veneta and Florence, where it connects with US As explained in the SDEIS, Supplemental Needs Analysis, and Alternatives Memorandum, through West Eugene, this existing east-west roadway system does not support the efficient and safe local, citywide, regional and statewide movement of people, goods and services. West 1 characterized by numerous signals and intersections and by extensive strip commercial development on both its north and south sides, all with direct access to the roadway. Right-of-way width is limited, and constant intersections and ingress and egress movements hinder smooth traffic flow. Even with significmat roadway improvements to West 1 lth Avenue, including road widenings, center turn lanes at major intersections and signal synchronization improvements?2 the roadway does not provide the carrying capacity ora limited access arterial with speeds of 35 to 60 miles per hour. In the developed portions of West 11 th Avenue, speeds greater than 35 miles per hour are not safe because of the movements in and out of the driveways serving the numerous businesses. Especially during peak hours, West 1 lth Avenue is highly congested, with many intersections already at or near capacity (Level of Service ( ) ). LOS "F' The Supplemental Needs Analysis states that from 1982 to 1992, traffic counts on West 11 th Avenue increased from 17 pement to 58 percent on segments between City View and Green Hill Road. At the same time, traffic on the north-south connectors to West 11 th Avenue increased from 527 percent. Without the WEP, traffic congestion along West 1 lth Avenue will deteriorate to unacceptable congestion levels (LOS F) as population in the Metropolitan area continues to grow.43 With the WEP, those performance levels are improved to LOS C and D. Current planning policy recognizes LOS "D" as the minimum acceptable standard fbr congestion. Updated in~brmation gathered in the summer of 1999 confirms the conclusions reached in the S~pplemental Needs Analysis. This information shows the West 1 l th Avenue intersections with Green Hilt Road, Danebo Avenue and Beldine Highway alt at LOS "F' by the year 2015. Volume to capacity ratios for these intersections range from a low of 1.05 at Green Hill Road to a high of 1.50 at Beltline Highway. Levels of service east of Beltline Highway along West 1 Ith Avenue rand G~eld Street are no better. For this section, which is also the highest accident rate area in the City of Eugene,44 volume to capacity ratios at a major intersections range from 1.21 to 1.36 (Alternatives Memorandum, Appendix B).4s With construction of the Modified Project, Highway 126 will be moved entirely off of West 11 th Avenue. The direct connection to West 1 lth Avenue is severed. For West 1 lth Avenue~ the effect is 42 Over the past 30 years West 11~ Avenue has been continually improved and upgraded. Most recent projec~ (in the 1990s) include additions of a center ~ane and sidewalks in the section from Seneca Road to Garfield Street; installation of traffic signals at cross streets in the section be[ween Bailey Hill Road and Garfield Street; road widening (from two to five ~anes) and Sidewalks in the section between BoltJine Highway and Danebo AvenueNVillow Creek Road; and road widening (from two to four ~anas/plus center median/turn pockets, bike ~anes, sidewalks and a traffic signa~ (at Terry Street) in the segment from Danebo Avenue to Temg Street. 43 Population projections contained in the recently adopted Metro Area Reaidentia! Land Use and Houaing Study show that the Eugene-Spdpgfie{d metropolitan area population is expected to increase from approximately 204,359 m year 2015 FUtUre develo m t~ . _ ' 90 to 30t 400 by the . p eot plans near West 1'1 Avenue include nodal development areas including commercial, employment or neighborhood centers. See Alternatives Memorandum at 8. 44 Supplemental Needs Analysis at 28; Alternatives Memorandum at 2. For 1996-1998, the acc{dent rate at {he intersections of 6th and 7th Avenue with Garfield Street (roilepost 121.7 to 122.4) was 9.41 crashes per roil{ion vehicle miles trsve]ed, compared to a statewkJe average of 3~71 for urban arterials over the same peded. 45 The Tmr~sPz'an also projects traffic overloads for 6th and 7th Avenues, the 6th-7th Extension West of Gar~d, West '~Sth Avenue~ portions of Roosevelt Boulevard, and the [woqane section of Beitl]ne Highway from West ~ 't th Aenue to Highway 99. Supplementa! Needs Analysis at 23. EXHIBPr ~1 - FINDINGS 24