Item B: Willamette Street Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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thth 5. Evaluating the change from one-way to two-way on the section of Willamette from 13 to 18 Avenues. Did the change adversely or positively affect the existing businesses? Did the change have any effect on the downtown center? How did the change impact pedestrians, people with disabilities, bicyclists, motorists and mass transit? Additional Commentary thth While the scope of our group was Willamette Street from 18 to 20, we felt like these two th blocks are playing a critical role in allowing the intersection of Willamette and 18 to keep functioning and preventing deterioration in the traffic system. Because of this, we believe it is important to share the following concepts that might be outside our scope, but arose on numerous occasions. c.As stated above we believe a broader view of planning should be applied to the issues of moving commuter traffic, access and safety for all of our citizens and minimizing the negative impacts to existing businesses and neighborhoods. This view should look at the ability of Amazon Parkway to take on a more significant role for the community in moving commuter car traffic more efficiently as our population continues to grow. Recognition of Amazon Parkway as a viable north-south transportation option could be greatly enhanced by a reversal of the one-way directions of Oak and Pearl, thereby allowing northbound traffic on Amazon to continue directly into the downtown area. d.Ultimately we ask the council to formulate the wisest long-range plan for the whole southeast Eugene corridor and not revisit this two-way conversion concept until that plan and its implementation are successfully factored into the regional traffic system. Final Statement: Our stakeholder group believes that Willamette Street cannot be everything for everyone. Our thth committee believes that the highest and best use of the street from 13 to 29avenues to be a mixed use of retail, service businesses and residential uses. Large volumes of car commuter and cut-through traffic overfills the street and requires a section of Willamette to be one-way to stop additional traffic volume from causing a degrading in operation of the intersection that the group found unacceptable. The question is of traffic volumes and easy, safe use rather than of one-way or two-way streets. The one-way street allows easy and safe use until traffic volumes can be moved to other streets through a comprehensive plan for south Eugene transportation needs. ATTACHMENT A Willamette Street Study Stakeholder Summary and Recommendation 8