Item A: Climate & Energy Action Plan Update

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Section 2: Connect existing residential neighborhoods to existing services Objective: Increase intersection density: Note: For the purposes of walkability, increasing intersection density does not necessarily mean increasing street intersections. Increasing intersections solely for pedestrians and cyclists may be less expensive, more feasible (reduced width of right-of way, lower weight capacities, less pavement, fewer signals, less stormwater management, lower cost), and may further incentivize walking or biking by increasing the convenience of those modes alone. Link existing homes with existing services: Create safe and comfortable bicycle and pedestrian connections or paths that link existing residential areas and commercial areas. Example: Look at existing grocery stores and increase the number and quality of pedestrian and bicycle connections to nearby residential areas. Create connections in disconnected areas: In existing residential neighborhoods with cul-de-sacs and other disconnected road types, create bike and pedestrian connections between blocks in order to shorten trips to nearby commercial areas. Create connectivity development standards: Build new residential and commercial developments on a conventional grid pattern or another pattern with high intersection density, in order to maximize walkability. Enforce the City’s connectivity policy: The City currently has a land use policy limiting block length to 600 feet or less. Exceptions can be granted for areas with steep slopes and difficult topography but these exceptions can lead to significantly less walkable neighborhoods. Research suggests that block lengths of 800 ft. or less encourage 1 pedestrian travel and the 400 ft. block lengths that exist in downtown Eugene are even better for promoting non-motorized travel. Require additional pedestrian and bicycle connections during development: Eugene Land Use Code currently requires pedestrian access to be created during land use changes only if there is a commercial use or cul-de-sac immediately adjacent to the parcel. The City could amend the land use code to require pedestrian and/or bicycle access when conducting partitions or other land use changes – even if the nearest 1 Grid networks and short block lengths (less than 800 feet) help make cities more walkable by creating multiple direct routes that can decrease walking distance compared to longer blocks or curvilinear street systems (Dill, 2004). Page | 13