HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6: Minimum Sidewalk Width Design Standard for Crest Drive Area
ECC
UGENE ITY OUNCIL
AIS
GENDA TEM UMMARY
Action: Minimum Sidewalk Width Design Standard for the Crest Drive Area
Meeting Date: April 14, 2008 Agenda Item Number: 6
Department: Public Works Engineering Staff Contact: Mark Schoening
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5243
ISSUE STATEMENT
The City Council is requested to either confirm that the sidewalk design standards in the Design
Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Accessways are appropriate for
the Crest Drive Area or adopt Resolution 4927 (Attachment A) amending the City’s Design Standards
and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Accessways, the Eugene Arterial and
Collector Street and the Eugene Local Street Plan to allow a minimum sidewalk width of four feet on
streets in the area identified as the Crest Drive Area on the Eugene Street Classification Map.
BACKGROUND
City Council Action History
The City Council adopted the November 1999 Eugene Street Classification Map with the adoption of
Ordinance Number 20181 on November 22, 1999. The streets in the Crest Drive Neighborhood were
left unclassified pending a study to determine the appropriate classifications and design standards for the
neighborhood.
The City Council adopted Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways
and Accessways (Arterial and Collector Street Plan and Local Street Plan) with the adoption of
Resolution Number 4608 on November 22, 1999. The minimum sidewalk width allowed under the
design standards for local streets and neighborhood collector streets is five feet.
The City Council directed the City Manager to implement the Crest Drive Neighborhood context
sensitive solutions (CSS) process on May 8, 2006. A General Fund appropriation of $240,000 was
approved as part of the FY07 budget to fund the CSS process. The definition of CSS follows:
Context Sensitive Solutions is a collaborative, interdisciplinary project development approach
that involves all stakeholders to develop a transportation facility that fits its physical setting
while maintaining safety and mobility for all users, and reflecting community needs. The goal of
CSS is to create early, open, honest, and continuous communication and sharing of information
and knowledge throughout the design process.
The City Council appropriated an additional $58,000 as part of Supplemental Budget #1 of FY07 to
expand the scope of the CSS process to include Middle Crest.
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The City Council amended the Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks,
Bikeways and Accessways on October 22, 2007, to allow for a minimum street width of 18 feet (two 9-
foot travel lanes) in the Crest Drive area.
At the City Council work session held on January 23, 2008, the City Council was presented with the
Crest Drive Community Team’s (CDCT’s) recommended design for Crest Drive, Storey Boulevard, and
Friendly Street. In addition, information was provided on the City’s Design Standards and Guidelines
for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Accessways to aid the council in deciding whether the
design standard pertaining to minimum sidewalk width should be reduced from five feet to four feet in
the Crest Drive area.
On February 19, 2008, the City Council held a public hearing on the minimum sidewalk width in the
Crest Drive area. Eight people testified at the public hearing. Two people testified in favor of reducing
the minimum sidewalk width to four feet. In addition, the chair of the Crest Drive Citizens Association
(CDCA) read a motion (Attachment B) passed at a general meeting of the CDCA supporting a minimum
sidewalk width of four feet. Four people testified in opposition of reducing the minimum sidewalk
width to four feet. One individual requested mountable sidewalks along her property frontage on Crest
Drive.
Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Accessways
The City’s Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Accessways
establishes a minimum sidewalk width design standard of five feet. In addition, there are a set of
exception criteria including topographic or slope constraints, significant trees, natural resources
constraints, historic resources, insufficient right-of-way, or adopted council policies that allow for a
sidewalk width of less than five feet. The design standard of five feet was established as a width that
would allow two people to comfortably walk side by side.
Crest Drive Community Team Recommendation
At its last meeting, the Crest Drive Community Team reached consensus on the following with regard to
minimum sidewalk width:
The CDCT requests that City Council revise the minimum sidewalk width standard in the Crest
Drive neighborhood from 5 feet to 4 feet.
The CDCT believes that a sidewalk width of four feet better meets the themes and values identified as
part of the context sensitive solutions process.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
Transportation System Characteristics
Transplan Goal #2:
Enhance the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area’s quality of life and economic opportunity by
providing a transportation system that is:
a.Balanced
b.Accessible
c.Efficient
d.Safe
e.Interconnected
f.Environmentally responsible
g.Supportive of responsible and sustainable development
h.Responsive to community needs and neighborhood impacts
i.Economically viable and financially stable
Transportation System Improvements Pedestrian Policy 1: Pedestrian Environment
TransPlan
Provide for a pedestrian environment that is well integrated with the adjacent land use and is designed to
enhance the safety, comfort, and convenience of walking.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
The council may:
1.Adopt Resolution 4919, A Resolution Concerning Sidewalk Widths in the Crest Drive Area, and
Amending the City’s Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and
Accessways, the Eugene Arterial and Collector Street Plan, and the Eugene Local Street Plan.
2.Confirm that the sidewalk design standards in the Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene
Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Accessways are appropriate for sidewalks in the area identified as
the Crest Drive Area on the Eugene Street Classification Map.
3.Take no action.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends that the City Council confirm that the sidewalk design standards
in the Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and
Accessways are appropriate for sidewalks in the area identified as the Crest Drive Area on the
Eugene Street Classification Map.
SUGGESTED MOTION
Move to confirm that the sidewalk design standards in the Design Standards and Guidelines for
Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Accessways are appropriate for sidewalks in the area
identified as the Crest Drive Area on the Eugene Street Classification Map.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Resolution 4927
B. CDCA Motion Supporting a Minimum Sidewalk Width of Four Feet
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Mark Schoening
Telephone: 682-5243
Staff E-Mail: mark.a.schoening@ci.eugene.or.us
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ATTACHMENT A
RESOLUTION NO. 4927
A RESOLUTION CONCERNING SIDEWALK WIDTHS IN THE CREST
DRIVE AREA, AND AMENDING THE CITY’S DESIGN STANDARDS
AND GUIDELINES FOR EUGENE STREETS SIDEWALKS, BIKEWAYS
AND ACCESSWAYS, THE EUGENE ARTERIAL & COLLECTOR
STREET PLAN, AND THE EUGENE LOCAL STREET PLAN.
The City Council of the City of Eugene finds that:
A.
The City Council adopted the November 1999 Eugene Street Classification Map
by Ordinance No. 20181 on November 22, 1999, with the streets in the Crest Drive Area left
unclassified pending a study to determine the appropriate classifications and design standards for
the neighborhood.
B.
Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and
Accessways (Design Standards and Guidelines) were also adopted by the City Council on
November 22, 1999 by Resolution No. 4608. These Design Standards and Guidelines are also
set forth in the Eugene Arterial and Collector Street Plan adopted as findings in support of
Ordinance No. 20181, and street width recommendations are reflected in the Eugene Local Street
Plan adopted as findings in support of Ordinance No. 20056. The minimum sidewalk width
allowed under the design standards for local streets and neighborhood streets is five feet.
C.
The City Council directed the City Manager to implement the Crest Drive
Neighborhood context sensitive solutions (CSS) process on May 8, 2006, with CSS defined as:
Context sensitive solutions is a collaborative, interdisciplinary project
development approach that involves all stakeholders to develop a transportation
facility that fits its physical setting while maintaining safety and mobility for all
users, and reflecting community needs. The goal of CSS is to create early, open,
honest, and continuous communication and sharing of information and knowledge
throughout the design process.
D.
The Crest Drive Community Team believes that a sidewalk width of four feet
better meets the themes and values identified as part of the context sensitive solutions process.
E.
The City Council held work sessions on the requested amendment to the sidewalk
width in the Crest Drive Neighborhood on January 23, 2008, and a public hearing on February
19, 2008, and based on the above findings and the testimony presented at the public hearing, is
now ready to take action.
Resolution - 1
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EUGENE, a
Municipal Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows:
Section 1.
The Design Standards and Guidelines for Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and
Accessways adopted by Resolution No. 4608 of the City Council is amended by adding the
following paragraph as subsection (5) to the Sidewalks Design Standards provision set forth on
page 10, and as subsection (6) to paragraph F, the Sidewalks provision of the Local Street Design
Standards set forth on pages 37 and 38:
The minimum sidewalk width in the area identified as the Crest Drive Area on the
Eugene Street Classification Map is four feet.
Section 2.
The City Recorder is requested to append a copy of this Resolution to
Resolution No. 4608, Ordinance No. 20181 and Ordinance No. 20056. To the extent any of the
provisions contained in Resolution No. 4608 conflict with the amendment set forth in Section 1
of this Resolution, the amendment contained herein shall prevail.
Section 3.
This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
The foregoing Resolution adopted the ____ day of April, 2008.
____________________________________
City Recorder
Resolution - 2