Item A: Ordinance on Chambers Special Area Zone

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ISM PRQJl:CT ~RQPOSAL 05-04 ..., Pedestrian Refuge Island on Chambers Street north of 12th Avenue BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM STATEMENT As a part of the Chambers Revisited Mixed Use development evaluation, one of the issues that have been consistently expressed is the divisiveness of Chambers Street between the areas east and west of this heavily tTaveled Minor Arterial. Chambers Street COilllects to River Road (former Pacific Highway) and essentially forms a long distance (over 20 mile) north/south arterial between Junction City to the north and the Lorane Highway/B1anton HeightsJPeaceful Valley/Gillespie Comers! Crow/Applegate areas of Lane County south and southwest of Eugene. Chambers Street between 8th Avenue and 13th Avenue was constTucted to city standards bv installation of curbs and gutters in 1951 and currently has 42 feet of paving curb to curb within a 60 foot right-of-way. Chambers Street has a posted speed of 30 mph south of 11th Avenue and carries 17,100 ADT between 11th and 13th, and 19,300 south of 13th Avenue. Peak hour counts and observations confmn that heavy traffic between 11th and 13th avenues create a formidable barrier to east/west pedestrian and bicycle travel. 1ih Avenue from the connection with the Fem Ridge Path west of Arthur Street to Hilyard Street is designated on the Eugene-Springfield Bicycle Map as a popular bicycle street. However, the nearest signalized crossings on Chambers are at 11th and 13th, Crossing this 42 foot wide expanse of pavement striped with bicycle lanes on each side, a travel lane in each direction and a continuous two-way left turn lane is daunting for both bicycles and pedestrians. Finding a simultaneous gap in traffic in both directions and no conflicts in the open median are difficult at 1110st times and nearly impossible during peak periods. PROPOSED SOLUTION This project, as described herein and shown on the attached sketch, proposes to place a landscaped raised concrete island in the median of Chambers Street with at~grade cut-through for pedestrian and bicycle travel on the north side of 1 ill Avenue to line up with the unmarked crosswalk 011 the nOlth side of the intersection. Southbound traffic on Chambers would be prohibited from executing a left turn onto I ih A venue.