Item B - Street Plan Amendment - Laserfiche WebLink

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walk where bark chips, crushed rock, asphalt, or other suitable materials could provide for pedestrian travel. These drainage and walkway options are examples of Context Sensitive Design (CSD) Standards. CSD is an approach that considers the total context within which a transportation improvement project will exist. CSD requires an early and continuous commitment to public involvement, flexibility in exploring new solutions, and an openness to new ideas. Community members and residents play an important role in identifying local and regional concerns and solutions that may better meet and balance the needs of all stakeholders. Context Sensitive Design promotes six key principles, including: Balance safety, mobility, community and environmental goals in the project. Involve the public and affected parties early and continuously. Use an interdisciplinary team tailored to each projects needs. Address all modes of travel/transportation. Apply flexibility inherent in design standards. Incorporate aesthetics as an integral part of good design. Conventional roadway design standards define features such as minimum lane widths, minimum degrees of horizontal and vertical curvature, design speed, and design vehicle. They often reflect the assumption that wider, straighter and flatter roadways are better, resulting in sleeker roadways and higher design speeds than what may be optimal in a given situation. When applied rigidly, conventional standards can actually hinder efforts to achieve various community objectives. Context Sensitive Design has been termed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration as "thinking beyond the pavement". Residents who live in areas where streets are being reconstructed need assurances that their concerns will be addressed and that their comments about the future street design will be heard and considered. Accordingly, Staff intends to prepare and administrative order that amends the Design guidelines and Standards for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways, and Accessways to include the items discussed below. Public Involvement in Context Sensitive Design Governmental actions that involve change to existing residential neighborhoods tend to be controversial. The following strategies are aimed at facilitating open communication with affected parties and to ensure continuous public involvement, up to and including the decision-making process, which will help minimize conflicts and foster public trust: 1. The process will be fair, reasonable and open Citizens need to know that the decision-making process is fair and reasonable, that they are being heard, and their concerns are being considered. Roadway projects or actions will not be developed for the Crest Drive area, nor will physical changes to existing roadways be imposed upon residents without early and continuous public involvement. To initiate a project, city staff will conduct an open house or charette to solicit comments and ideas from the public. A citizen involvement committee or citizen jury will be formed with citizens, potentially affected property owners, businesses, or other interested parties to assist with design and development of the project. The committee or citizen jury will be advisory and shall assist staff in deliberating key issues, collaborating on the resolution of complex or controversial issues and formulating appropriate courses of action. Page 5 of 5