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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin Order 58-22-01 -- On-Street Parking on East 4th AveAdministrative Order -- Page 1 of 7 ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 58-22-01 of the Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team of the City of Eugene CONCERNING ON-STREET PARKING ON EAST 4th AVENUE 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 forth 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 Department 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 further 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 Department issued Administrative Order No. 58-20-18 granting the City Engineer 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. That Order also granted the City Engineer the authority to further 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 south side of East 4th Avenue from Pearl Street to High Street. F. In making the decision, I have considered all of the applicable criteria set forth in EC 5.055. The following findings support my decision to remove parking: Administrative Order -- Page 2 of 7 (a) Traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations. i. The portion of East 4th Avenue between Pearl Street and High Street is classified as a Major Collector street with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour. The street segment is approximately 44 feet wide with parking on both sides of the street, 5 foot wide bike lanes in each direction, and 10 foot wide travel lanes in each direction in a commercial area. ii. Parking utilization is generally high on both sides of East 4th Avenue between Pearl Street and High Street. The north side of East 4th Avenue is adjacent to an office building with multiple tenants while the south side of East 4th Avenue is adjacent to a permit parking lot. Staff interviewed tenants of the office building and determined that the parking adjacent to these businesses, on the north side of East 4th Avenue between Pearl Street and High Street, is a higher priority than on-street parking on the south side based on land use context. iii. From 2007 to 2018, there were eight crashes on this section of East 4th Avenue. This includes two moderate injury bicycle crashes (2012, 2018) and one moderate injury pedestrian crash (2012). Automobile crashes included two moderate injury crashes (2007, 2012), one with major injuries (2015), one with minor injuries (2010), and one property damage only crash (2007). (b) Standards, limitations, and rules promulgated by the Oregon Transportation Commission or the Oregon Public Utility Commission or their successors. There are no such standards, limitations or rules that apply. (c) Other recognized traffic control standards. i. The City will apply the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for size, type and location for sign installation and striping. ii. The NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide identifies buffered bike lanes as encouraging bicyclists to ride outside of the door zone. (d) The city’s adopted transportation-related plans and policies. Removal of parking from the south side of East 4th Avenue from Pearl Street to High Street to facilitate standard width travel lanes, bike lanes, and one parking lane is consistent with the Eugene 2035 Transportation System Plan, adopted by City Council on June 26, 2017. 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. Administrative Order -- Page 3 of 7 2. Consider safety first when making transportation decisions. Strive for zero transportation-related fatalities and severe injuries by reducing the number and severity of crashes through design, operations, maintenance, education, and enforcement. In furtherance 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 of transportation to make each mode more efficient, such as by connecting bicycle routes and bus, train, and airport services to each other; and connections to transportation 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 support 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 transportation system through transportation system management (TSM) improvements, connectivity improvements, multimodal improvements, parking management and supply, and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, in combination with the projects identified in this TSP. 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 comfortable bikeway network. Ensure that there are safe, comfortable, and direct bikeway connections between residential areas, Administrative Order -- Page 4 of 7 major destinations, and transit stops and provide secure bicycle parking facilities at these destinations. 3. Continually improve the comfort and safety of bicycling through design, operations, retrofits, and maintenance. Identify and develop “low stress” bikeways to attract new cyclists. (e) Existing state and local laws regulating use of public ways. The use of the City’s public ways for parking is regulated at the local level. EC 5.040(1)(h)(5) and EC 5.040(1)(p) establish authority to manage parking. (f) The efficient use of the public way by the public. Removal of parking from the south side of East 4th Avenue from Pearl Street to High Street allows for wider and buffered bike lanes, enables the public to use East 4th Avenue in a safer, more comfortable and efficient multi-modal manner, is consistent with Eugene 2035 Transportation 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. (g) The use of abutting property. i. Existing Land Uses: zoning of adjacent properties include C-2, S-W, and S-DR. Uses include office buildings and surface parking lots. ii. Future Land Uses: development of the Downtown Riverfront (S-DR zoning) will include a mix of housing, lodging, restaurant, and public spaces. Required parking is being added on-site for that development. (h) The intensity of use of the street by vehicles and pedestrians. i. By Ordinance No. 20181, the City Council adopted the Street Classification Map that designated East 4th Avenue from Pearl Street to High Street as a Major Collector 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 standard features of Major Collector streets. Parking is an optional feature on Major Collector streets. ii. Pedestrian facilities on East 4th Avenue include sidewalks on both sides of 4th Avenue, and crosswalks at Pearl Street and High Street. Administrative Order -- Page 5 of 7 (i) The physical condition and characteristics of the street and abutting property. i. The portion of East 4th Avenue between Pearl Street and High Street is classified as a Major Collector street with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour. The street segment is approximately 44 feet wide with parking on both sides of the street, 5 foot wide bike lanes in each direction, and 10 foot wide travel lanes in each direction in a commercial area. ii. Abutting properties include 1.5 story office buildings and asphalt surface parking lots. (j) Emergencies. i. Emergency service vehicles are accommodated through bi-directional travel on East 4th Avenue. Removal of parking will provide additional room for travel and deployment of emergency vehicles. ii. East 4th Avenue between Pearl Street and High Street is not designated as an ice or snow route. (k) The public health, safety and welfare. Provision of bike lanes, including door zone buffers, enables people to use bicycles for transportation safely and efficiently, supports a multi-modal transportation network, and supports the health, safety, and welfare of the traveling public. (l) Special events of community interest including parades and public gatherings. East 4th Avenue is not generally used as a parade route or to stage public gatherings. Events do occur on 5th Avenue, one block to the south. (m) Construction within or adjacent to the street. i. A street reconstruction project will pave East 4th Avenue from Pearl Street to Coburg Road. The pavement project provides an opportunity to implement complete street features consistent with city standards. ii. Construction adjacent to East 4th Avenue includes development of the Downtown Riverfront. That project is adding parking on-site and to the south side of East 4th Avenue adjacent to the development site. (n) When establishing conditions upon the use of parking in the public way and city-owned parking facilities: (1) Applicable and appropriate time limits; i. EC 5.040 authorizes the City Manager or the Manager's designee to take administrative action establishing parking area time limitations, including the form of permissible parking, and imposing conditions upon which the streets and other public property may be used for parking. ii. Parking on the north side of East 4th Avenue is exiting for 2-hour parking (Monday- Friday) which is sufficient for adjacent land uses where customer turnover is Administrative Order -- Page 6 of 7 anticipated. There are no additional time limits proposed for this area where parking is to be allowed. (2) The vehicle type and purpose; Vehicles may park up to 2 hours on East 4th Avenue from Pearl Street to High Street. The time limits will encourage vehicle turnover to support nearby commercial use. (3) The relative, seasonal and special event demands for parking spaces within the areas of the requested parking; Adjacent uses include professional offices and surface parking lots. On-street parking is not substantially impacted by seasonal needs or special events. (4) The other public uses for the property; The area is commercially zoned and the public parking areas are intended to serve that use. (5) The location and physical characteristics of the parking area or facility; i. Existing parking includes three (3) surface lots belonging to adjacent businesses, on- street parking on both sides of the street, and no driveways belonging to adjacent businesses. ii. 2-hour parking will remain available on the north side of East 4th Avenue from Pearl Street to High Street. (6) The demand for operating revenues, the costs of operations and enforcement; Modification and removal of 10 on-street parking spaces from the south side of East 4th Avenue between Pearl Street and High Street is not anticipated to significantly impact operating revenues. (7) The use of parking regulations to promote city adopted goals and policies; Modification of parking is consistent with City-adopted goals and policies. (8) Abuse by applicants of any parking-related permits; Not applicable. (9) The impact on nearby commercial uses; Modification of parking supports adjacent commercial uses by ensuring the parking, adjacent travel lanes, and bike lanes are available, as needed, to support the commercial uses. (10) The ease of enforcing the provisions of this chapter; and i. This segment of East 4th Avenue is currently within a parking enforcement zone. ii. Removal of on-street parking on portions of the street is an efficient use of enforcement resources. (11) The availability of other parking spaces. i. Parking is available on adjacent private property. ii.Onthebasisofthesefindings,Iorderthat:Datedandeffectivethis7AdministrativeOrder-Page7of71.On-streetparkingshallberemovedfromthesouthsideofEast4thAvenuefromPearlStreettoHighStreet.Additionalon-streetparkingwillbeprovidedonEast4thAvenueeastofHighStreetwherenoparkingcurrentlyexists.Thiswillreplacesomeoftheon-streetparkingsupplyremovedbythisadministrativeorder.Christopherfc.Henry,TrafficEngineerofPublicWorksMaintenance'sTrafficOperationsTeam(2S>dayofDecember,2022.