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WEST E~NE PARKWAY ~F~ED PROJECT--C~NSIS~NCY 1~TH THE 8TATEV~D~ PtANN;NG GOALS AND ~NSPORTATION ~ANN~NG RULE <br /> <br />Jefferson S~et Bridge ~nd over the Willamette River to the couplet at 6th and 7th Avenues. This <br />couplet extends westward to Garfield Street, which Highway 126 follows about six blocks to its <br />intersection with West 1 lth Avenue, a designated principal arterial. Highway 126 then follows West <br />1 lth Avenue through West Eugene and outside the urban growth boundary, continuing to Veneta and <br />Florence, where k connects wkh US 1 <br /> <br />As explained in the SDE1S, Supplemental Needs Analysis, and Alternatives Memoranduml through <br />West Eugene, this existing east-west roadway system does not support the efficient and safe local~ <br />ci~ide, reg{onal and statewide movement of people, goods and services. West <br />characterized by numerous signals and intersections and by extensive strip commercial development <br />on both its north and south sides, all wkh direct access m the roadway. Right-of-way width is limited, <br />and constant intersections and ingress and egress movements hinder smooth traffic flow. Even with <br />significant roadway improvements to West 1 lth Avenue, including road widenings, center turn lanes <br />at major intersections ~d signal synchronimtion improvements,4~ the roadway does not provide the <br />carrying capacity ora limited access arterial with speeds of 35 to 60 miles per hour. In the developed <br />portions of West 1 lth Avenue~ speeds greater than 35 miles per hour are not safe because of the <br />movements in and out of the driveways serving the numerous businesses. Espec{ally during peak <br />hours, West 1 lth Avenue is highly congested, with many ~ntersections already at or near capacky <br />(Level of Service (LOS) <br /> <br />The Supplemental Needs Analysis states that from 1982 to 1992, traffic counts on West 11th Avenue <br />increased from 17 percent to 58 percent on segments between City' View and Green H~tl Road. At the <br />same time; traffic on the north~south connectors to West 11 th Avenue ~ncreased from 15 percent to <br />527 percenL Without the WEP, traffic congestion along West 1 Ith Avenue will deteriorate to <br />unacceptable congestion levels (LOS F) as population in the Metropolitan area continues to grow.43 <br />With the WEP, those ~rformance levels are improved to LOS C and D. Current planning policy <br />recognizes LOS "D' as the minimum acceptable standard for congestion <br /> <br />lJpdated information gathered ~n the summer of 1999 confirms the conclusions reached ~n the <br />Supplemental Needs Analysis. This information shows the West 1 lth Avenue intersections w4th <br />Green Hill Road, D~ebo Avenue and Beltline Highway all at LOS "F' by the year 2015. Volume to <br />capaciW ratios for these intersections range from a low of 1 ~05 at Green Hill Road to a high of 1.50 at <br />Beltline Highway~ Levels of service east of Beltline Highway along West 1 lth Avenue and G~eld <br />Street are no better. For this section, which is also the highest accident rate area [n the City of <br />Eugene?4 volume to capacity ratios at a major intersections range from 1.21 to 1.36 (Alternatives <br />Memorandum, Appendix B).45 <br /> <br />Wi~ cons~ction of the Modified Project, Highway 126 will be moved entirely off of West 1 lth <br />Avenue. ~e direct connection to West 1 lth Avenue is severed. For West 1 Ith Avenue, the effect is <br /> <br />42 Over the past 30 yearn West lim Avenue has ~n mntinualiy improved and upgraded. Most recent proje~ (in the I990s) <br />include additions of a ~nter ~ane and sidewalks ~nthe se~ion fr~ Sene~ Road to Ga~e~ Street; ~nstaBa~on of ~raffic <br />s~g~a!S a~ ~oss stree~ ~ ~e se~o~ ~n Bailey HiI~ R~d and Ga~e~d Street; mad widening (from ~o to five ~anes) and <br />s~dewa!~ ~n the s~ion be~n ~line H~ghway and Danebo Avenue~llow Creek Road; and mad widening (~om ~o to <br />four ~a~es)pius ~nler ~[a~um po~ets, bike lanes, sidewal~ and a traffic signal (at Temg Street) in the seg~nt from <br />Danebo Avenue ~o Te~ Street. <br />43 Popula~o~ proje~ions ~ntained in the re~nfly adopted Metro ~a Residential ~ Uso a~ Housing Stay show that the <br />Eugene~pdn~m!d metropo~n area population {s expe~ Io inmase from approximately 2~,359 ~n 19901o 301 400 by the <br />year 20~ 5~ FUrute devei~p~nt plans near West 11m Avenue {ndude n~al develOPment areas ~ncluding ~mmerdal, <br />empioymnt or ne~ghbo~o~ ~ntem. See A/tomatives Memomndum at <br />~ Supplementa~ Needs Am~ at 28; ~temat~es Momomndum <br />6~ and 7~h Avenue w~h Ga~e!d Str~ (m~post 12~,71o I22~4) was 9~41 crashes ~r million vehicle mi~s traveled, <br />mmpa~1o as~tew~eavemge of 3.7t for u~an adeda~ over ~he sa~ <br />45 The TmnsP~a~ also pmje~s ~raffic overloads for 6th and 7th Avenues, ~e 6t~71h ~ens~on West of Gained, West 18th <br />Avenue, po~{oms of Roo~ve~ Boulevard, a~ the ~oqane se~ion of ~line H~hway ~ West 1 lth Aenue to H~hway 99. <br />Supp~ementa~ Needs AmaZes at 23. <br /> <br />E~B~T C4 - F~NDJNGS 24 <br /> <br /> <br />