Item B: Willamette Street Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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th i.Friendly Area Neighbors in the areas south of 18 and west of Willamette are concerned increased cut-through traffic about the potential for by northbound drivers attempting th to proceed west on 18, envisioning left turns by commuters throughout this th neighborhood area in order to avoid the problematic 18 and Willamette intersection. Jefferson Westside Neighbors Discussions with some adjacent to the earlier two-way thth conversion of Willamette between 13 and 18 confirm that they believe the neighborhood is being negatively impacted by the amount of cut-through traffic due to thth drivers avoiding congestion and traffic patterns between 13 and 18 on Willamette. overall context 3. We attempted to identify and understand any into which this small piece of Willamette Street fits. Here are the larger frameworks we considered. a.We asked about an overall transportation plan that would address north-south transportation issues for cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, and mass transit. b.We heard results of the Central Area Transportation Study (CATS) and other DKS Associates studies on this topic. th c.We discussed the existing nature and projected future of Willamette Street from 13 to th 29avenues. d.We asked about the overall plans for the parallel streets of Oak and Pearl. e.We asked about future plans for bus routes and bus stops. f.We saw the future development of the Ems stadium site as a factor but as yet an unknown. The absence of overall plans in regard to Willamette Street and the broader issue of north-south transportation for the south Eugene area was a constant problem for the work of the committee. thth 4. We discussed the effects of changing Willamette from 13 to 18 avenues from one-way south to two-way in October, 2004, and sought any information city staff had gathered about the effects of that change on transportation access and safety for car commuters, pedestrians, bicyclists, and persons with disabilities. We also asked if there was information about the impact thth of the changes on merchants and businesses from 13 to 18 and on businesses in the downtown center. The absence of formal information and analysis was a problem for the work of the committee. We sought information from city staff about the effects of that change on transportation access and safety for car commuters, pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities. Some stakeholder group members recognize that the change provides a useful option to motorists heading north into downtown. It was also reported to the group that the change has caused access problems for Newman's Fish Market, Dot Dotson's, Euphoria Chocolate and Higgins Texaco businesses. role ofWillamette Street as a historic and defining street for Eugene 5. We discussed the and we discussed the significance our stewardship will have on its future. We heard concerns that Willamette Street is being asked to provide too many functions. Merchants and businesses want access for parking and ease of clients to enter and leave parking lots. Residents want to retain parking and quality of life. Pedestrians, bicyclists, car commuters and people with disabilities want safe and convenient transportation routes. The committee is concerned about Willamette ATTACHMENT A Willamette Street Study Stakeholder Summary and Recommendation 5