HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin Order 58-21-04 -- Removing Parking Willamette St 18th-20thADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 58-21-04
ofthe
Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team
of the City of Eugene
REMOVING ON-STREET PARKING FROM THE WEST SIDE OF
WILLAMETTE STREET FROM 18TH A VENUE TO 19TH A VENUE AND
THE WEST SIDE AND EAST SIDE OF WILLAMETTE STREET FROM
19TH A VENUE TO 20TH A VENUE.
The Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team of the
City of Eugene finds that:
A. Under the provisions of Chapter IV, Section 16 of the Eugene Charter of 2002, the
City Manager is designated as the administrative head of the City and is specifically authorized to
enforce all ordinances of the City. In addition, EC 5.040 authorizes the City Manager or the
Manager's designee to "establish, maintain, remove, or alter ... parking areas and time limitations,
including the form of permissible parking" and to "impose conditions upon which the streets and
other public property may be used for parking." EC 5.055 sets fmih the criteria the City Manager
or the City Manager's designee should consider when taking administrative action authorized by
EC 5.040.
B. On August 5, 2020, the City Manager issued Administrative Order No. 58-20-17
granting the Executive Director of the Public Works Depaiiment the authority to exercise all of
the duties and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City Manager in Sections 5.040,
5.045 and 5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971. That Order also granted the Executive Director of the
Public Works Department the authority to fmiher delegate those duties and responsibilities to such
person or persons qualified to perform the delegated duties.
C. On August 6, 2020, the Executive Director of the Public Works Depaiiment issued
Administrative Order No. 58-20-18 granting the City Engineer the authority to perfo1m the duties
and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City Manager in Sections 5.040, 5.045 and
5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971. That Order also granted the City Engineer the authority to fmiher
delegate those duties and responsibilities to such person or persons qualified to perform the
delegated duties.
D. On August 11, 2020, the City Engineer issued Administrative Order No. 58-20-19
granting the Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team the
authority to perform the duties and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City
Manager in Sections 5.040, 5.045 and 5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971.
E. For the safety and welfare of the public, it is necessary to remove parking from the
west side of Willamette Street from 18 th A venue to 19 th A venue and the west side and east side of
Willamette Street from 19 th A venue to 20 th A venue.
Administrative Order --Page 1 of 6
F. In making the decision, I have considered all of the applicable criteria set fo1ih in
EC 5.055. The following findings supp01i my decision to remove parking:
1) The most recent public process for converting one-way streets to two-way streets near
the historic Civic Stadium site began in 2019 and included door-to-door outreach, one-
on-one meetings with stakeholders, a series of focus group meetings, and an open
house. Between May 2019 and January 2020 outreach also included postcard mailers,
targeted email updates, and interactive website, and two additional open house
meetings.
2) By Ordinance No. 20181, the City Council adopted the Street Classification Map that
designated Willamette Street from 18 th A venue to 20 th A venue as a Minor Alierial
Street. By Resolution 4608, the City Council adopted the Design Standards and
Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Access Ways which includes
travel lanes and bike lanes as standai·d features of Minor Alierial streets. Parking is an
optional feature on Minor Alierial streets.
3) Willamette Street from 18 th A venue to 20 th A venue is a Minor Alierial with a posted
speed of 25 mph. The curb to curb width of the street segment varies from
approximately 32 to 45-feet. Willamette Street is 45-feet wide from 18 th Avenue to
19 th A venue which allows for two travel lanes ( one northbound and one southbound),
one parking lane, and two bike lanes . Willainette Street is approximately 32-feet wide
from 19 th A venue to 20 th A venue which allows for two travel lanes ( one northbound
and one southbound) and two bike lanes .
4) From 2007 to 2018, there were 20 crashes on this section of Willainette Street. This
includes one minor pedestrian injmy at 19 th A venue (2012) and six injmy crashes to
people biking . Two of the bicycling-related crashes were major injury crashes,
including one at 20 th A venue (2007) and one at 18 th A venue (2007). There were also
four automobile injury crashes and nine prope1iy damage only crashes during this time.
5) To facilitate two-way travel and bike lanes, this Order will result in the removal of
approximately 21 on-street pai·king spaces on Willamette Street. Approximately four
pai·king spaces will be removed from the west side of Willan1ette Street between 18 th
A venue and 19 th A venue. Pai·king will remain on the east side of Willamette Street
between 18 th A venue and 19 th A venue to accommodate loading zones and customer
pai·king for this block of Willamette Street. Approximately 17 pai·king spaces will be
removed between 19 th A venue and 20 th A venue, where the roadway narrows and the
adjacent uses ai·e primarily residential. Approximately 10 pai·king spaces will be
added one block away, on Oak Street from 19 th A venue to 20 th A venue, during the
Willamette Street project.
Administrative Order --Page 2 of 6
6) Parking utilization was calculated August through October 2019. On Willamette
Street from 18 th to 19 th A venue, parking utilization was 64 percent. From 19 th to 20th
A venue, parking utilization was 83 percent. While parking utilization was quite high
on Willamette Street from 19 th A venue to 20th A venue, the greatest utilization
occuned during business hours and is anecdotally attributed to staff parking for the
Depaiiment of Human Services (DHS) building located at Willamette Street and 19 th
A venue. This building has an onsite parking lot that is used to store agency fleet cars.
City staff is in discussions with DHS about remote parking their fleet cars to allow
room for employee and customer parking onsite.
7) Removal of parking from the west side of Willamette Street from 18 th A venue to 19 th
A venue and the west and east sides of Willamette Street from 19 th A venue to 20th
A venue to facilitate two-way travel and bike lanes is consistent with the following
Goals, Policies, and Potential Actions in the Eugene 2035 Transportation System Plan,
adopted by City Council on June 26, 2017.
Goals
Goal 1: Create an integrated transpo1iation system that is safe and efficient;
supports the Metro Plan's land use diagram, Envision Eugene, A Community
Vision for 2032 (2012), the City of Eugene's tai·get for a 50 percent reduction in
fossil fuel consumption, and other City land use and economic development goals;
reduces reliance on single' -occupancy automobiles; and enhances community
livability.
Goal 2: Advance regional sustainability by providing a transp01iation system that
improves economic vitality, environmental health, social equity, and overall well-
being.
Goal 3: Strengthen community resilience to changes in climate, increases in fossil
fuel prices, and economic fluctuations by making the transp01iation networks
diverse, adaptable, and not reliant on any single mode.
Goal 4: Address the transportation needs and safety of all travelers, including
people of all ages, abilities, races, ethnicities, and incomes. Through transp01iation
investments, respond to the needs of system users, be context sensitive, and
distribute the benefits and impacts of transp01iation decisions fairly throughout the
City.
Administrative Order --Page 3 of 6
Goal 5: By the year 203 5 triple the percentage of trips made on foot, by bicycle,
and by transit from 2014 levels.
System-Wide Policies
1. Foster neighborhoods where Eugene residents could meet most of their basic
daily needs without an automobile by providing streets, sidewalks, bikeways, and
access to transit in an inviting environment where all travelers feel safe and secure.
2. Consider safety first when making transp01iation decisions. Strive for zero
transp01iation-related fatalities and severe injuries by reducing the number and
severity of crashes through design, operations, maintenance , education, and
enforcement. In fmiherance of the City Council's adopted Vision Zero Action Plan
(Administrative Order 58-19-04), prioritize safety improvements for people who
walk, bike and use mobility devices because no loss of life or serious injury on our
streets is acceptable.
3. Improve community health by designing streets and paths to encourage increased
physical activity by the public.
4. Promote connections between modes oftranspo1iation to make each mode more
efficient, such as by connecting bicycle routes and bus, train, and airpo1i services
to each other; and connections to transp01iation facilities extending outside the
City's planning area.
Roadway and Parking Policies
1. ["Complete Streets Policy"] Design, construct, maintain, and operate all streets
to provide comprehensive and integrated transportation networks that serve people
of all ages and abilities, promote commerce, and supp01i the comprehensive land
use plan's vision for growth and development in a responsible and efficient manner.
A "complete street" allows safe travel for automobiles and emergency responders ,
bicycles, walking , transit, and freight. In addition to fulfilling a street's basic
transportation functions and providing access to properties, streets and sidewalks
should be designed to be attractive, safe, accessible , sustainable, and healthy
components of the City's environment.
6. Continually optimize the efficiency of the transp01iation system through
transp01iation system management (TSM) improvements, connectivity
improvements, multimodal improvements, parking management and supply, and
Administrative Order --Page 4 of 6
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, in combination with the
projects identified in this TSP.
9. Prior to moving forward with a capital project including Complete Street
Upgrades of Existing Streets and in addition to conducting public engagement
activities , staff will also consider a neighborhood's character (the built and natural
environment) and other elements of community context when designing the project.
Potential Actions for Roadway and Parking Policies
M. Change the configuration of some streets to encourage slower vehicle speeds.
Bicycle Policies
1. Create conditions that make bicycling more attractive than driving for most trips
of two miles or less.
2. Develop a well-connected and comfo1iable bikeway network. Ensure that there
are safe, comfmiable, and direct bikeway connections between residential areas,
major destinations , and transit stops and provide secure bicycle parking facilities at . \
these destinations.
3 . Continually improve the comfoli and safety of bicycling through design,
operations, retrofits, and maintenance. Identify and develop "low stress" bikeways
to attract new cyclists.
8) In July 2020, the City Council approved the Eugene Climate Action Plan 2.0 to move
the City toward carbon neutrality, reduced fossil fuel -use, and adapting to climate
change. Removal of on-street parking to create bike lanes suppo1is transpmiation
Actions Tl and Tl3 of CAP 2.0.
Action Tl: build and complete 261 transpmiation projects that enhance bicycle,
pedestrian and rail facilities in Eugene included in the TSP.
Action Tl 3: plan for growth so that an increasing propmiion of residents live in 20-
Minute Neighborhoods where residents can meet most of their daily needs near
their homes without the use of an automobile.
9) Removal of parking from the west side of Willamette Street from 18 th A venue to 19 th
A venue and the west side and east side of Willamette Street from 19 th A venue to 20th
Administrative Order --Page 5 of 6
Avenue is consistent with goals (3) and (4) of the Climate Recovery Ordinance No.
20540 adopted by City Council on July 28, 2014 and subsequently updated by Council
under Ordinance No. 20567.
(3) By the year 2030, all businesses, individuals and others living or working
in the city collectively shall reduce the total (not per capita) use of fossil
fuels by 50% compared to 2010 usage.
(4) By the year 2100, total community greenhouse gas emissions shall be
average share of a global atmospheric greenhouse gas level of 350ppm,
which is estimated in 2016 to require an annual average emission reduction
level of 7.6%
10) Removal of parking from the west side of Willamette Street from 18 th A venue to 19 th
A venue and the west side and east side of Willamette Street from 19 th A venue to 20 th
A venue enables the public to use Willamette Street in a safer, more comfortable and
efficient multi-modal manner, is consistent with Eugene 2035 Transp01iation System
Plan Goals and Policies, Eugene Climate Action Plan 2.0 actions, and Climate
Recovery Ordinance goals and, therefore, is in the best interest of the public.
On the basis of these findings, I order that:
1. On-street parking shall be removed from the west side of Willamette Street between 18 th
A venue and 19 th A venue.
2. On-street parking shall be removed from the west side and east side of Willamette Street
between 19 th A venue and 20 th A venue .
.
Dated and effective this __ ay of February, 2021.
Administrative Order --Page 6 of 6
Christop C. Hen ,..,PE
Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's
Traffic Operations Team