HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem B: West 11th Transportation Corridor Study
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Work Session: West 11 Avenue Corridor Study
Meeting Date: July 12, 2010 Agenda Item Number: B
Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Chris Henry
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-8472
ISSUE STATEMENT
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The West 11 Avenue Corridor Study is an effort chosen by the Eugene City Council to explore short-
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term transportation improvements in the West 11 Avenue corridor following the removal of the West
Eugene Parkway from the Regional Transportation Plan. Study results will be presented.
BACKGROUND
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The West 11 Avenue Corridor Study is an endeavor by the City of Eugene to seek short-term remedies
for transportation problems in west Eugene. The development of the study follows removal of the West
Eugene Parkway from the Regional Transportation Plan and implements a council priority to address
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transportation problems in north and west Eugene. The West 11 Avenue Corridor Study was prepared
by DKS Associates under contract with the City of Eugene paid for with Surface Transportation
Program-Urban (STP-U) federal funds of roughly $100K, plus in-kind match from the City in the form
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of staff time. The study documents existing travel conditions in the West 11 Avenue corridor between
Greenhill Road and Chambers Street and identifies strategies to enhance travel through improvements to
bicycle and pedestrian facilities, corridor safety, management of accesses, changes to traffic signal
timing and intersection modification projects. If implemented, these strategies will yield improvements
to safety and mobility in the corridor.
In the course of the study, two open houses were held on December 9, 2008, and November 18, 2009, to
engage the community and agency partners.
So what did the study find? Generally, the corridor is performing well except for a few hot spots of
congestion at intersections (mostly on the state system and the west end of the corridor). The study
evaluated existing (2008) conditions and short-term, future (2013) conditions for the corridor. Current
delays are moderate for the 22,000 to 28,000 motorists using the corridor daily. Average travel times
through the corridor (between Greenhill Road and Chambers Street) range from 11 to 12 minutes with
average stopped delays of two to three minutes. Opportunities for improvements exist, but the effects are
marginal and in some cases relatively costly to make. Signal timing could be modified slightly and
signal systems adjusted with slight delay reductions. More extensive (and expensive) projects could add
turn-lane capacity at a few key locations to ease traffic flow. Overall, there are no single fixes that would
dramatically change the travel experience through the corridor. There are many smaller enhancements
that could be made that would have an incremental effect on improving corridor transportation.
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Implementation of the strategies in the corridor will depend on staff resources, funding availability and
coordination with the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The potential for extension of West
Eugene EmX transit service in the corridor may affect the timing of many improvements. It is unlikely
that corridor investments will be made until a decision is reached on the extension of West Eugene
EmX. Absent the EmX extension, improvements would be prioritized through the CIP. If the West
Eugene EmX Extension project moves forward, that project presents the best opportunity to implement
many of the corridor improvement strategies in a cost effective manner. Sidewalks necessary to reach
transit stops could be built. In some cases, driveway accesses could be modified as necessary for transit
station construction. Traffic signals that would need modification to accommodate EmX transit
operations could also be modified to optimize traffic operations. The West Eugene EmX extension
provides a win-win opportunity for corridor transportation improvements.
Bicycle and Pedestrian System
The Fern Ridge Path provides the main bicycle facility in the corridor. The study identified opportunities
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to improve connections between the Fern Ridge Path and West 11 Avenue as well as filling in missing
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sidewalk segments on West 11 Avenue itself. Sidewalks in the corridor are mostly adjacent to the road
and are set back with a planter strip in areas of newer road construction. The study documented transit
services in the corridor and gaps in sidewalk connections to transit stops on side streets.
The community showed consistent support for improving the bicycle and pedestrian system along the
corridor. Completion of missing sidewalks and pedestrian connections to transit stops may be most
effectively constructed in combination with potential extension of West Eugene EmX transit service.
Bicycle and pedestrian system improvements identified in the corridor study may also inform the
Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan currently under development.
Corridor Safety
The study examined recent crash history in the corridor and followed up with field observations at
locations with high crash rates. Many of the crashes and safety conflicts identified in the study are due to
motorist and pedestrian behavior associated with private driveways near intersections. Safety
recommendations suggest ways to reduce conflict points near intersections mostly by closing,
combining or modifying driveways. Such changes could occur over time through access management
techniques consistent with recently adopted access management policies.
Access Management
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The West 11 Avenue corridor has a very high frequency of driveway accesses along its length,
particularly on the east end. The study inventoried the access points and objectively suggested ways that
accesses could be modified, combined or eliminated to improve safety and reduce congestion.
It is possible that the frequency of driveway accesses contribute to the perceived congestion in the West
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11 Avenue corridor. These numerous driveways create points of conflict (or potential for collision) for
motorists, cyclist and pedestrians. When travelling through the corridor, driver attention is necessarily
given to vehicles turning to enter and exit driveways. These conflicts can create stress for drivers,
resulting in friction within the traffic flow and cause drivers to slow. The increased stress of driving
through a corridor like this may take more driver energy and seem to last longer than it otherwise would.
These driveway conflicts may help explain why many people anecdotally complain about traffic in the
corridor while the analysis reveals moderate levels of congestion.
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Reducing the number of driveway accesses in the corridor presents the best opportunity to improve
safety for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Management of the driveway accesses through closing,
combining or modifying driveways must be consistent with adopted access management policies and
code authority delegated to the City Traffic Engineer for safe operation of the transportation system. The
access management policies are focused on addressing access conflicts over time through redevelopment
of property. It may take considerable time to reduce the access conflicts in the corridor with this
approach, depending on the pace of redevelopment. Another option is for the City to initiate safety
improvement projects that could sensitively close, combine or modify accesses in a way that works for
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property owners and businesses along West 11 Avenue.
Signal Timing
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Most of the traffic signals in the corridor are operating very well. The West 11 Avenue corridor is
under Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) jurisdiction west of Randy Papé Beltline and City
jurisdiction to the east of Randy Papé Beltline. All of the traffic signals under City jurisdiction currently
meet the adopted mobility standard. Traffic signals under ODOT jurisdiction, however, did fail to meet
ODOT mobility standards (currently) and would be expected to worsen in the short-term (2013) without
improvements.
The City measures mobility as Level of Service (LOS) on a letter grade scale from A through F (similar
to a report card) based on delay criteria. The City-adopted mobility standard is Level of Service D
outside of the downtown core and university area (within the Central Area Transportation Study
boundary the mobility standard is Level of Service E, allowing for more congestion). Higher levels of
service (A through C) experience less congestion and relatively little delay. Level of Service D and
below (E-F) represents congested conditions, increasing delay and interrupted operations in the worst
cases. Level of Service E and F are the types of congestion that most people easily recognize through
their driving as it takes multiple cycles to make it through a traffic signal.
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For the West 11 Avenue Corridor Study, signalized and non-signalized intersections were evaluated for
both delay (to determine operational LOS) and demand-to-capacity ratios (required for ODOT
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facilities). At the east end, additional traffic signals were evaluated on 6 and 7 avenues at Garfield and
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Chambers streets (ODOT), and 11 and 13 avenues at Garfield and Chambers streets (City).
The study evaluated opportunities to improve traffic flow (reduced stopped delay) by looking at
different traffic signal cycle lengths and phase sequencing for both morning and evening peaks. The
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signal timing analysis for the West 11 Avenue corridor indentified opportunities for moderate time
savings, reduced congestion and delay. Based on retiming traffic signals and changing the way left-
turning phases are operated, it is expected that a reduction of 4-14% of the stopped delay could be
achieved. This represents a marginal improvement in operations that may be difficult for most motorists
to perceive for through-trips and would likely offer noticeable benefit to left-turning motorists at
signalized intersections.
Traffic signal retiming and changes to phasing for some left turns can result in real reductions in vehicle
emissions and fuel consumed when aggregated over the many motor vehicles using the corridor daily
and annually. Individual drivers may not perceive much change, but when added up over all those
vehicles traveling the corridor, the reductions become significant. Cost to retime the traffic signals could
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approximate $50,000 through use of consultant services to supplement limited staff resources. Cost to
modify left-turn signal phasing by replacing signal heads at seven intersections could approximate
$10,000 using staff resources and new equipment.
Intersection Modifications
Study analysis showed that five intersections in ODOT jurisdiction would fail to meet mobility
standards either now or in the 2013 future year (Greenhill Road, Terry Street, Danebo Avenue/Willow
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Creek Road, Randy Papé Beltline, 7 Avenue/Chambers Street). Improvements were identified for all of
these intersections, but only two (Terry Street and Randy Papé Beltline) are suggested as priority
capacity-enhancing improvements to be coordinated with ODOT. Improvements at Terry Street would
extend a westbound through-lane, reconfigure the southbound approach-lanes and modify the signal
phasing. Improvements at Randy Papé Beltline include constructing additional left-turn lanes (to form
dual left-turn lanes) at the southbound and eastbound approaches. Two City intersections (Bailey Hill
Road and Seneca Road) were identified for adding capacity through new turn-lanes. Bailey Hill Road
improvements include adding a northbound right-turn lane. Seneca Road improvements would add a
westbound right-turn lane.
Four intersections were prioritized for cost estimates for capital improvements to add turn-lanes. The
addition of turn-lanes would reduce congestion at these intersections to meet adopted mobility standards
and reduce travel delay for motorists. These rough cost estimates were prepared by the consultants and
have not been refined or verified by City staff (so they are subject to change). They do give a sense for
the order of magnitude of costs, however.
City of Eugene Facilities
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West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road - add northbound right-turn lane: ~$500,000
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West 11 Avenue/Seneca Road - add westbound right-turn lane: ~$1.1 million
ODOT Facilities
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West 11 Avenue/Terry Street - add westbound lane for one-quarter mile and restripe
southbound approach: ~$2 million
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West 11 Avenue/ Randy Papé Beltline - add southbound left-turn lane (for dual lefts)
and eastbound left-turn lane (for dual lefts): ~$1.5 - $3 million
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Both the Regional Transportation Plan and TransPlan also contain a project on West 11 Avenue
between Greenhill Road and Terry Street that would bring West 11th Avenue up to urban standards in
this section. Either project (that contained in the Regional Transportation Plan and TransPlan, or
proposed in this study) requires joint development with ODOT and the City of Eugene through the
regional transportation improvement process. The same coordination would be required for capacity
improvements at the intersection with Randy Papé Beltline.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
The Eugene City Council set the following transportation priorities for north and west Eugene at its
October 9, 2006, work session:
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Identifies the Beltline Corridor from River Road to Coburg Road as the City’s top priority for
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funding in the State Transportation Improvement Program and West 11 Avenue from Terry
Street to Greenhill Road as its second priority. Identifies a study of the Beltline Corridor from
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Roosevelt Boulevard to West 11 Avenue as a third priority for funding in the State
Transportation Improvement Program.
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Identifies West 11 Avenue as its priority for the next EmX corridor study.
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Supports a transportation corridor study of West 11 Avenue and the City’s application for
$150,000 of STP-U planning funds for the study.
Supports the initiation of regulatory changes to the Land Use Code and associated administrative
rule that would implement access management on the City’s arterial and collector street system.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
None; informational item only.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
None; informational item only.
SUGGESTED MOTION
None; informational item only.
ATTACHMENTS
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A. West 11 Avenue Corridor Study (appendices available for review in the City Manager’s Office)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Chris Henry, Transportation Planning Engineer
Telephone: (541) 682-8472
Staff E-Mail: chris.c.henry@ci.eugene.or.us
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................iii
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. iv
CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................1
Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities ............................................................................................................ 1
Safety ...................................................................................................................................................... 1
Access Management ............................................................................................................................... 2
Signal Timing ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Traffic Operations ................................................................................................................................... 3
Recommended Improvements ................................................................................................................. 3
Funding Considerations .......................................................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER 2: PROJECT BACKGROUND .............................................................4
Policies, Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................................ 4
Report Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Study Area .............................................................................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER 3: EXISTING CONDITIONS .................................................................8
Roadway Network .................................................................................................................................. 8
Vehicular Volume, Speed, and Classification Analysis ........................................................................ 10
Intersection Turn Movement Volumes ................................................................................................. 12
Mobility Standards ................................................................................................................................ 14
Existing Intersection Performance ........................................................................................................ 14
Travel Time .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Access Points ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Collision Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 19
Pedestrian Facilities and Activity .......................................................................................................... 21
Bicycle Activity and Facilities .............................................................................................................. 22
Transit Service ...................................................................................................................................... 23
CHAPTER 4: PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ......................................................26
Facility Needs ....................................................................................................................................... 26
Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 26
CHAPTER 5: SAFETY ANALYSIS ......................................................................32
Collision Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 32
Historical Collision Patterns ......................................................................................................... 32
Traffic Conflict Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 32
Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 33
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Analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 33
Safety Recommendations ...................................................................................................................... 39
CHAPTER 6: ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN ..................................................40
Benefits of Access Management ........................................................................................................... 40
Access Management Strategies and Techniques ................................................................................... 42
Roadway Characteristics ....................................................................................................................... 42
Local Standards .................................................................................................................................... 42
Existing Access Conditions .................................................................................................................. 43
Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 43
Short-Term Access Management Plan ........................................................................................... 43
Access Management Strategies ...................................................................................................... 44
CHAPTER 7: TRAFFIC SIGNAL TIMING EVALUATION ...................................51
Evaluation ............................................................................................................................................. 51
West 11th Avenue ........................................................................................................................... 51
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6 Avenue/7 Avenue Signal Timing ................................................................................................... 56
Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 57
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West 11 Avenue ............................................................................................................................ 57
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West 6 Avenue/7 Avenue ............................................................................................................ 57
CHAPTER 8: SHORT-TERM TRAFFIC OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS .....58
Future (2013) Conditions ...................................................................................................................... 58
Intersection Improvements .................................................................................................................... 61
Recommended Improvements ............................................................................................................... 62
Traffic Signal System Improvements .................................................................................................... 64
Recommended Improvement Cost Estimates ........................................................................................ 64
APPENDIX
A: Existing Conditions Data
B: Collision Diagrams
C: Access Driveway and Property Information
D: 2013 LOS Worksheets
E: Long-Term Considerations Project Narratives and Schematics
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2-1: Study Area .................................................................................................................................. 7
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Figure 3-1: 24-Hour Bi-Directional Volumes (W. 11 Ave west of Garfield St) ........................................ 11
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Figure 3-2: 24-Hour Bi-Directional Volumes (W. 11 Ave west of Chambers St) ..................................... 12
Figure 3-3: Existing Traffic Volumes, Lane Geometry, Traffic Control ..................................................... 13
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Figure 3-4a: Average Elapsed time per West 11 Ave Travel Time Run Figure 3-4b: Average Elapsed time
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per West 11 Ave Travel Time Run ........................................................................................ 18
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Figure 3-5: West 11 Avenue Bus Routes .................................................................................................. 25
Figure 4-1: Existing Pedestrian Facilities .................................................................................................... 27
Figure 4-2: Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements ...................................................................................... 28
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Figure 5-1: Conflict Analysis (West 11 Avenue/Bertelsen Road) ............................................................. 34
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Figure 5-2: Conflict Analysis (West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road)........................................................... 35
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Figure 5-3: Conflict Analysis (West 11 Avenue/Seneca Road) ................................................................. 36
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Figure 5-4: Conflict Analysis (West 11 Avenue/Oak Patch Road) ........................................................... 37
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Figure 5-5: Conflict Analysis (West 7 Avenue/Garfield Street) ................................................................ 38
Figure 6-1: Ratio of Crashes to Access Density .......................................................................................... 41
Figure 6-2: Access Driveway Locations (Sheet 1 of 4) ............................................................................... 45
Figure 6-3: Access Driveway Locations (Sheet 2 of 4) ............................................................................... 46
Figure 6-4: Access Driveway Locations (Sheet 3 of 4) ............................................................................... 47
Figure 6-5: Access Driveway Locations (Sheet 4 of 4) ............................................................................... 48
Figure 8-1: Future (2013) Traffic Volumes ................................................................................................. 59
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 3-1: Existing Study Area Roadway Characteristics ............................................................................. 9
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Table 3-2: West 11 Avenue Bi-Directional Volumes, Speeds, and Heavy Vehicle Usage....................... 10
Table 3-3: Applicable Study Intersection Mobility Standards ..................................................................... 14
Table 3-4: Study Intersection Performance ................................................................................................. 15
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Table 3-5: West 11 Avenue Travel Time Survey Summary (AM and PM Peaks) .................................... 17
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Table 3-6: West 11 Avenue Travel Time Survey Summary (Mid-Day Peak) ........................................... 17
Table 3-7: Study Area Collision Data (2003-2006)..................................................................................... 20
Table 3-8: Collision Breakdown for High Collision Intersections............................................................... 21
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Table 3-9: West 11 Avenue Pedestrian Crossing Volumes ....................................................................... 22
Table 3-10: West 11th Avenue Bicycle Crossing Volumes ........................................................................ 23
Table 3-11: Nearby Transit Routes ............................................................................................................. 24
Table 4-1: Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvement Alternatives ........................................................................... 29
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Table 6-1: West 11 Avenue Existing Access Summary ............................................................................ 43
Table 6-2: Short-Term Plan Driveway Recommendations .......................................................................... 49
TABLE 7-1: Existing Peak Hour Cycle Lengths ......................................................................................... 52
TABLE 7-2: PM Peak Performance Comparison with Existing Left Turn Phasing .................................... 54
TABLE 7-3: PM Peak Performance Comparison of Left Turn Phasing Types ........................................... 54
TABLE 7-4 AM Peak Performance Comparison with Existing Left Turn Phasing .................................... 55
TABLE 7-5: AM Peak Performance Comparison of Left Turn Phasing Types .......................................... 56
Table 8-1: Future (2013) Intersection Performance..................................................................................... 60
Table 8-2: Future (2013) Study Intersection Performance with Improvements ........................................... 63
Table 8-3: Recommended Improvement Cost Estimate Summary .............................................................. 64
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CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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West 11 Avenue in Eugene, Oregon, is the primary east/west arterial linking downtown Eugene with
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West Eugene and also servicing traffic heading to the coast. The portion of West 11 Avenue that is east of
Beltline Road is under City of Eugene jurisdiction and is designated as a major arterial. West of Beltline
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Road, West 11 Avenue is under Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) jurisdiction and is a
Statewide Highway (OR 126) and designated Freight Route. The corridor contains several major
employment centers, large commercial developments, industrial uses, a growing residential population, and
valuable natural resources.
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The West 11 Avenue Corridor currently experiences varying levels of traffic congestion throughout the
day and significant safety issues that adversely affect general purpose traffic as well as transit service and
operations. Without transportation improvements to this corridor, travel times, reliability, efficiency, and
effectiveness will worsen in the future. The purpose of this report is to present analyses and short-term
strategies to improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities, corridor safety, access, signal timing, and traffic
operations.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
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Improvements to pedestrian and bicycle facilities within the West 11 Avenue Corridor were evaluated
and are recommended in this report. The improvements are based on the use of the Fern Ridge path as the
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parallel route to West 11 Avenue and provide increased safety and connectivity for bicyclists and
pedestrians. The recommended improvements are also consistent with the bicycle and pedestrian policies
established in the Central Lane MPO Regional Transportation Plan.
Safety
Based on historical collision data, five study intersections were determined to have high collision rates:
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West 11 Avenue and Bertelsen Road
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West 11 Avenue and Bailey Hill Road
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West 11 Avenue and Seneca Road
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West 11 Avenue and Oak Patch Road
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West 7 Avenue and Garfield Street
More detailed safety analysis was performed at these intersections and included AM, midday, and PM peak
hour observation of conflicts (i.e., near misses). The collision data and conflict observations indicate that
the many of the collisions/conflicts are due to driver and pedestrian behavior at private driveways,
especially when driveways are located adjacent to the intersections or when there are offset driveways and
intersections. Conflicts at these driveways involved vehicles turning into and out of the driveways and
vehicles traveling or queued along the through lanes. Safety recommendations related to the five high
collision intersections are discussed in detail in Chapter 5 of this report. These safety recommendations
focus on minimizing the number of conflict points in the vicinity of each of these intersections.
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Access Management
Access management is the term used to describe a broad set of techniques that balance the need to provide
safe, efficient, and timely travel with the ability to allow access to individual properties. The proper
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implementation of access management techniques along the West 11 Avenue Corridor is expected to
reduce collision rates, congestion, and air pollution while also conserving energy and increasing corridor
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capacity. Access management will help preserve the ability of West 11 Avenue to function as a major
arterial and provide a safer walking and cycling environment. In doing so, it will also help preserve long-
term property values and the economic viability of abutting development.
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To maintain and improve the function of the West 11 Avenue corridor as a major arterial, an access
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management strategy is needed because there are approximately 193 access driveways on West 11
Avenue between Green Hill Road and Chambers Street (approximately 4.5 miles of roadway). Most of
these driveways are located east of Commerce Street, where the average driveway spacing is 75 feet. This
is a significant number of driveways, especially for a roadway that has been designated a major arterial and
whose key function should be to provide mobility instead of access.
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A short-term access management plan was developed for West 11 Avenue from Green Hill Road to
Chambers Street and is provided in Figures 6-1 through 6-4 and in Table 6-1. Treatments include closures
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of access points, consolidation of accesses, and relocation of access driveways along West 11 Avenue to
improve safety, circulation, and traffic operations. The plan also includes the installation of traffic
separators and medians in selective locations to improve safety (by minimizing conflict points) and
enhance operations. In addition, the findings from the safety analysis (see Chapter 5) were incorporated in
the short-term access management plan.
Signal Timing
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Traffic signal timing was assessed for the section of West 11 Avenue between Green Hill Road and City
View Street to determine if new traffic signal timing would provide improved traffic operations and
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contribute to reduced travel times through the corridor. Currently, the traffic signals along West 11
Avenue between City View Street and the Fred Meyer driveway operate in a coordinated system at a cycle
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length of 80 seconds from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm on weekdays. The signals along West 11 Avenue from
Bailey Hill Road to Gree (uncoordinated).
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Vehicle travel times, delay and stops can be reduced along the West 11 Avenue corridor by implementing
new coordinated signal timings between City View Street and Terry Street. During the PM Peak, breaking
the corridor into two systems and operating with a cycle length of 100 seconds from City View Street to
Bailey Hill Road and a 110 second cycle length for the signals between Bertelsen Road and Terry Street
results in improved operation. During the AM Peak, a cycle length of 90 seconds is estimated to provide
the largest improvement. Field implementation may find that a break in the system between Bailey Hill
Road and Bertelsen Road (and two different cycle lengths) may serve the traffic more efficiently in the AM
Peak. In either case, the system performance measures show an improvement in the corridor operations if
new coordinated signal timings are installed from City View Street to Terry Street.
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Additional benefits can be realized if the left-turn phasing is modified along the corridor at selected
locations. Modifying the existing doghouse signal heads to four-section flashing yellow left turn heads will
allow lead/lag phasing operations without the left-turn trap (not possible with the existing doghouse head).
Traffic Operations
Existing and future short-term (2013) intersection operations were analyzed to determine where operating
standards are either currently not met or would likely not be met in the near future. Focus is on
intersections because they are the controlling bottlenecks of traffic flow and the ability of a roadway system
to carry traffic efficiently is nearly always diminished in their vicinity. Multiple intersections that will
exceed operating standards are identified in this report along with recommended improvements (see
Chapter 8: Short Term Operational Improvements).
Recommended Improvements
Intersection improvements can be a relatively low cost method for improving transportation system
capacity. More detailed consideration, including estimating costs, was given to the following four locations
(which are listed by agency jurisdiction):
City of Eugene
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West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road:
Add a northbound right-turn lane.
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West 11 Avenue/Seneca Road:
Add a westbound right-turn lane.
ODOT
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West 11 Avenue/Terry Street:
Widen West 11 Avenue for one-quarter mile west of Terry
Street to provide two westbound travel lanes, convert the westbound right-turn lane to a through-
right, and restripe the southbound through/right-turn lane to include a shared left-
turn/through/right-turn lane with a split-phased signal in the northbound and southbound
directions.
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road:
Construct an additional southbound approach lane to
accommodate dual left-turn lanes (14 feet and 12 feet wide) and one southbound right-turn lane
(12 feet wide). The signal should be timed to have a southbound right-turn overlap phase.
Construct an additional eastbound left-turn lane to provide dual eastbound left-turn lanes. Extend
the westbound right-turn lane to provide additional storage capacity.
Funding Considerations
The City of Eugene may consider implementing supplemental system development charges (SSDCs) to
start collecting funds proportionately from developments in the area to assist in funding the short-term
improvements. The city could utilize the short-term growth and improvement cost estimates to determine
cost per trip allocations for cost share calculations. This funding mechanism has been used successfully by
other jurisdictions in Oregon to help fund needed infrastructure improvements.
The improvements for the intersections under state jurisdiction should be coordinated with ODOT. A
similar funding mechanism could be considered for the state intersections, with funds being collected by
city staff.
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CHAPTER 2: PROJECT BACKGROUND
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The West 11 Avenue Corridor, located in the City of Eugene, is the primary east/west arterial linking
West Eugene and downtown Eugene. The corridor contains several major employment centers, large
commercial developments, industrial uses, a growing residential population, and valuable natural
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resources. General purpose and transit traffic that travels the West 11 Avenue Corridor experiences
inconsistent traffic times throughout the day and peak periods. Numerous travel times surveys showed a
large variation in travel speeds, stop delay and number of stops. Without transportation improvements to
this corridor, travel times, reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness will only worsen in the future.
Several major transportation corridors within the Central Lane Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
boundaries require additional corridor-level analyses to address existing and future capacity, safety, and
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operational issues over the next 20 years. The West 11 Avenue Corridor was identified in this list of
corridors that required further study and major investments to address access, safety, and operational
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problems. Furthermore, West 11 Avenue (Terry Street to Chambers Street) has been identified as a
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congestion management corridor for the Congestion Management System. In addition to the study of the
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West 11 Avenue Corridor, other improvement projects are planned adjacent to the corridor, including:
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West 11 Avenue (Green Hill Road to Terry Street) Upgrade to a five-lane urban facility
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Green Hill Road (Barger Drive to West 11 Avenue) Upgrade to two to three-lane urban facility
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Beltline Highway (Roosevelt Boulevard to West 11 Avenue) - Continue widening to four-lanes
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with new railroad crossing, grade separation at Roosevelt Boulevard, and turn lanes on West 11
Avenue
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Beltline Path (Roosevelt Boulevard to West 11 Avenue) Construct multi-Use Path
Commerce Connector (Fern Ridge Path to Commerce Street) Construct multi-Use Path and
Bridges
West Eugene BRT Express (EmX) Project
Policies, Goals and Objectives
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The West 11 Avenue Corridor Study addresses the roadway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian policies
established in the Central Lane MPO Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The policies are direction
statements that assist in decisions to achieve transportation goals. The corridor study will address each
policy listed below as well as provide strategies to be consistent with goals, objectives, and policies
established in the RTP.
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Central Lane MPO Regional Transportation Plan (RTP): Chapter 3, Plan Implementation.
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Central Lane MPO Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
Transportation System Improvement Policies
Roadway Policies
Mobility and Safety for all Modes Motor Vehicle Level of Service
Access Management Coordinated Roadway Network
Bicycle Policies
Bikeways on Arterials and Collectors Bikeway System and Support Facilities
Pedestrian Policies
Continuous and Direct Routes Pedestrian Environment Sidewalks
Transit Policies
Transit Improvements Bus-Rapid Transit
The proposed goal of this corridor study is to identify short-term strategies to improve travel time (both
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vehicular and transit), reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness in the West 11 Avenue Corridor. The
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proposed objectives of the West 11 Avenue Corridor Study are to:
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness for travel times in the corridor;
Improve the traffic operations along the corridor;
Seek opportunities to enhance the safety and operations for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorist
traveling the corridor;
Enhance the access management along the corridor to reduce conflicts and collisions;
Help accommodate short-term future growth in travel demand in the corridor;
Report Summary
The purpose of this report is to present all the findings related to the objectives above. Each section in this
report provides analyses, and short-term strategies to improve traffic operations, collision/conflict areas,
access management, and bicycle/pedestrian facilities. The information in these sections documents the
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existing and future deficiencies that are forecast to occur along the West 11 Avenue Corridor and support
the recommended improvements and strategies. Existing and future short-term (2013) levels of service
(LOS) were analyzed to determine which intersections are forecast to operate below City or Oregon
Department of Transportation (ODOT) mobility standards. Improvements to the deficient intersections
were recommended to reduce the volume-to-capacity (V/C) or LOS to meet applicable mobility standards.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
5
A safety analysis was prepared to review historical collision data in order to identify locations along West
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11 Avenue that have potentially high collision rates for vehicles and pedestrians. In addition, a safety
collision/conflict analysis was conducted at five intersections where the highest collision rates occurred.
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Access driveway locations along West 11 Avenue, including the businesses associated with each access
point, were identified and analyzed as part of the access management plan. Driveways that are closely
spaced to adjacent driveways and intersections were considered for modification or consolidation. In
addition, raised medians and signage were also considered as improvements for access management. The
access management plan incorporates the results from the safety analysis when considering the
modification or consolidation of driveways.
Additionally, an inventory of the existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities was reviewed to identify where
pedestrian facilities are not provided, gaps in the pedestrian sidewalk network occur, and the location of
bicycle lanes and connections to pedestrian facilities. Lastly, long-term improvements have been identified
by the City that addresses access management, additional capacity, and safety enhancements along the
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West 11 Avenue corridor. These long-term improvements were addressed with conceptual schematics,
and could be considered as development or redevelopment occurs.
Study Area
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The segment of West 11 Avenue being analyzed is a four and a half mile long corridor (shown in Figure
2-1) that extends from Green Hill Road on the west to Chambers Street on the east. There are sixteen
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signalized intersections along the West 11 Avenue corridor, and all of these were analyzed in conjunction
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with this study. In addition, two intersections along West 13 Avenue were analyzed at Garfield Street and
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Chambers Street (West 11 Avenue splits into a couplet at Garfield Street with eastbound traffic using
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West 13 Avenue and westbound traffic using West 11 Avenue). Furthermore, three signalized
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intersections along the West 6 Avenue-West 7 Avenue couplet to the north were analyzed. In total,
analysis was performed for twenty-two study intersections (which are listed below from west to east):
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West 11 Avenue/Green Hill Road West 11 Avenue/Tyinn Street
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West 11 Avenue/Ed Cone Blvd West 11 Avenue/Oak Patch Road
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West 11 Avenue/Terry Street West 11 Avenue/Conger Street
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West 11 Avenue/Danebo Avenue-Willow West 11 Avenue/McKinley Street
Creek Road
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West 11 Avenue/City View Street
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road (ORE 569)
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West 11 Avenue/Garfield Street
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West 11 Avenue/Commerce Street
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West 11 Avenue/Chambers Street
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West 11 Avenue/Bertelsen Road
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West 13 Avenue/Garfield Street
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West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road
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West 13 Avenue/Chambers Street
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West 11 Avenue/Fred Meyer shopping
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West 6 Avenue/Garfield Street
center access
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West 7 Avenue/Garfield Street
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West 11 Avenue/Seneca Road
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West 7 Avenue/Chambers Street
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
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CHAPTER 3: EXISTING CONDITIONS
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This chapter summarizes existing transportation conditions for the West 11 Avenue corridor. Information
includes current roadway network characteristics, traffic volume, speed, and classification data,
intersection operation performance levels, intersection collision data, corridor travel time data, pedestrian
and bicycle activity, and transit service.
Roadway Network
The transportation characteristics of key study area roadways are shown in Table 3-1 and include
functional classification, approximate street width, number and direction of travel lanes, posted speeds, and
the presence of sidewalks and/or bike lanes. The functional classification is a key characteristic because it
2
specifies the purpose of the roadway and is a determining factor of applicable cross-section, access
spacing, and intersection performance standards.
ththththth
The main east-west roadways in the study area network are West 6, 7, 11, and 13 Avenues. West 6
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Avenue is one-way westbound (OR-99), and West 7 Avenue is one-way eastbound (OR-99). Both of
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these roadways are a few blocks north of the West 11 Avenue corridor and are major arterials that each
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carry approximately 25,000 to 30,000 vehicles per day.
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West 11 Avenue is a two-way street for all but the three easternmost blocks of the corridor (i.e. between
Garfield Street and Chambers Street), along which it is a one-way street in the westbound direction and
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4
forms a couplet with West 13 Avenue. Traffic volumes are heavier on West 11 Avenue closer to the
downtown area (ADT of approximately 28,000 west of Garfield Street) and dissipate toward the west end
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5
of the study area (ADT of approximately 22,000 west of Beltline Road). West 11 Avenue is designated a
Statewide Highway (OR 126) starting at Beltline Road and heading west. This highway is also designated
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an ODOT freight route. The speed limit on West 11 Avenue is 55 mph west of Terry Street, 45 mph
between Terry Street and Beltline Road, and 35 mph east of Beltline Road.
2
The primary purpose of an arterial is to provide mobility, whereas at the opposite end of the spectrum, a local road is primarily
concerned with site access. Collector roadways provide a transition between arterials and local roads.
3
City of Eugene 2007 Traffic Flow Map, downloaded from City website (www.eugene-or.gov)
4
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As eastbound vehicles on West 11 Avenue approach Garfield Street, to use the couplet they must turn right on Garfield street
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and then left on West 13 Avenue. To accommodate the left-turn couplet movement, the West 13 Avenue and Garfield Street
intersection is unsignalized and the couplet left-turn vehicles do not have to stop. Vehicles on other legs must yield the right-of-
way.
5
All Traffic Data 24-Hour Tube counts taken on Wednesday, December 12, 2007. Processed by DKS Associates.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
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Table 3-1: Existing Study Area Roadway Characteristics
Functional Street Travel Posted Bike
c
Roadway Sidewalk
a
Classification Width Lanes Speed Lanes
thb
W 6 Ave Major Arterial 46 4 (WB) 30-40 Yes No
thb
W 7 Ave Major Arterial 46 to 4 (EB) 30 Yes No
thb
W 11 Ave (west of Terry St) Major Arterial 2 55 No No
thb
W 11 Ave (between Terry St Major Arterial 74 (with 4/5 45 Yes Yes
and Danebo Ave) median)
thb
W 11 Ave (between Danebo Major Arterial 5 45 Yes No
Ave and Beltline Rd)
thb
W 11 Ave (between Beltline Major Arterial 5 35 Yes No
Rd and Garfield St)
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W 11 Av (east of Garfield St) Minor Arterial 3 (WB) 30 Yes No
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W 13 Av (east of Garfield St) Minor Arterial 3 (EB) 30 Yes No
Green Hill Rd Minor Arterial 2/3 55 No No
Terry St Major 2/3 25 Yes No
Collector
Ed Cone Blvd Major 3 Not Yes West end
Collector Posted only
Danebo Ave Minor Arterial 3 45 Partial Yes
Willow Creek Rd Minor Arterial 46- 2/3 45 Yes Yes
Beltline Rd (south of 5th Ave) Major Arterial 350 2 55 No Paved
Shoulders
Commerce St Local 2/4 25 Yes No
Bertelsen Rd Minor Arterial 3 40 Yes Yes
Bailey Hill Rd Minor Arterial 3 35 Yes Yes
Seneca Rd Minor Arterial 3 35 Yes No
Tyinn St Local 2/3 30 Yes No
Oak Patch Rd Major 2 30 Yes No
Collector
Conger St Local 2/3 25 Some No
McKinley St Major 2/3 30 Yes No
Collector
City View St Major 2/3 25 Yes No
Collector
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Garfield St (between W 6 Major Arterial 4 30 Yes No
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Ave and W 11 Ave)
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Chambers St (between W 6 Major Arterial 5 30 Yes Yes
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Ave and W 7 Ave)
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Chambers (south of W 7 Ave) Minor Arterial 3 30 Yes Yes
a
Obtained from City of Eugene Street Classification Map. November 1999, Figure 60; This map is in Appendix A of the
Eugene Arterial and Collector Street Plan (ACSP).
b ththth
West 11 Avenue west of Beltline Road and West 6 and 7 Avenues are classified by ODOT as Statewide Highways
and are designated freight routes.
c
Characteristics are only provided for sections of roadways within the project study area.
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Vehicular Volume, Speed, and Classification Analysis
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6
Using data collected from 24-hour tube counts at three select locations along the West 11 Avenue
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7
corridor, information was analyzed regarding vehicular bi-directional volumes, 85 percentile speed and
heavy vehicle traffic; which is summarized in Table 3-2. As shown in the table, the vehicle directionality is
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fairly evenly split on West 11 Avenue west of Garfield Street.
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Table 3-2: West 11 Avenue Bi-Directional Volumes, Speeds, and Heavy Vehicle Usage
Average Daily Traffic
Location
Eastbound Westbound Total
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W 11 Ave
West of Beltline Rd 11,360 (51%) 11,050 (49%) 22,410
West of Garfield St 13,880 (50%) 13,990 (50%) 27,870
W 13th Ave (EB)-W 11th Ave (WB)
West of Chambers St 7,110 (36%) 12,370 (64%) 19,480
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b
85 Percentile Speed Truck Traffic
Location
Eastbound Westbound Eastbound Westbound
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W 11 Ave
West of Beltline Rd 42 mph 43 mph 5% 6%
West of Garfield St 35 mph 36 mph 4% 5%
W 13th Ave (EB)-W 11th Ave (WB)
West of Chambers St 35 mph 35 mph 2% 4%
a
SOURCE: All Traffic Data 24-hour classification and speed counts were taken on Wednesday, December 12, 2007.
b
Specified as vehicles with three or more axles.
To further understand the use of this roadway over the course of a 24-hour period, Figure 3-1 shows
vehicle movements throughout the day at the location just west of Garfield Street. This graph shows that
the highest traffic volume for both eastbound and westbound vehicles is during the PM peak hours. The
eastbound direction is used more heavily during the AM hours and the westbound direction tends to have a
slightly heavier movement during the PM hours. This directionality split is a typical commuting scenario
with the AM flow towards the downtown Eugene central business district and the PM traffic moving away
from the downtown core.
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All Traffic Data 24-hour classification and speed counts were taken on Wednesday, December 12, 2007.
7
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The 85 percentile speed is defined as the speed below which 85 percent of the vehicles are traveling.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
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8
Figure 3-1: 24-Hour Bi-Directional Volumes (W. 11 Ave west of Garfield St)
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East of Garfield Street, West 11 Avenue spits into a couplet as it services westbound traffic and West 13
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Avenue services eastbound traffic. Figure 3-2 shows the 24-hour distribution of traffic on the West 11
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Avenue-West 13 Avenue couplet just west of Chambers Street. A comparison of Figures 3-1 and 3-2
shows that eastbound volumes are substantially lower east of Garfield Street. This is because of the
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significant number of eastbound vehicles that divert to West 7 Avenue using Garfield Street. These
vehicles are likely destined for the Washington Street and Jefferson Street accesses to Interstate-105.
Figure 3-2 also shows that the highest total volume of vehicles occurred during the PM peak hours and the
directional split favors the westbound direction at 64%. In addition, with the exception of the AM peak
hours, traffic maintains a relatively steady one-third eastbound to two-thirds westbound split. During the
AM peak hours, eastbound traffic is closer to 50% of the total traffic.
8
SOURCE: All Traffic Data, Wednesday December 12, 2007. Processed by DKS Associates.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
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Figure 3-2: 24-Hour Bi-Directional Volumes (W. 11 Ave west of Chambers St)
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The 85 percentile speed was within 5 mph of the posted speed limit at each of the selected locations, and
heavy vehicle usage (vehicles with three or more axles) ranged from 2 to 6 percent along the corridor.
Intersection Turn Movement Volumes
Intersection vehicle turn movement volumes were collected at the twenty-two study intersections listed
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previously during the AM (7:00 AM to 9:00 AM) and PM (4:00 AM to 6:00 PM) peak periods. No
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seasonal adjustment factor (SAF) was applied to the traffic counts because the West 11 Avenue corridor
is an urban arterial that typically peaks during the weekday PM peak period and the purpose of this
analysis is to determine short-term low cost improvements for the corridor. It is intended that additional
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30 highest hour analysis (i.e., with applicable SAFs) can be performed at a future date in preparation for
the actual design of any improvements. The AM and PM peak hour traffic volumes for the twenty-two
study intersections are shown in Figure 3-3. Also included in the figure are the lane configurations and
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traffic control at the study intersections on West 11 Avenue. Appendix A provides the raw intersection
turn movement counts.
9
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Includes couplet traffic on West 13 Avenue between Garfield Street and Chamber Street.
10
All Traffic Data, Wednesday December 12, 2007. Processed by DKS Associates.
11
All Traffic Data turn movement counts taken on Wednesday or Thursday, December 12-13, 2007 and Wednesday or Thursday,
February 13-14, 2008.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
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Mobility Standards
Agency mobility standards often require intersections to meet level of service (LOS) or volume-to-capacity
(V/C) intersection operation thresholds. All twenty-two study intersections are located within the Eugene-
Springfield Metropolitan Area. Eight are on Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) facilities
classified as Statewide Highways (OR 99 and OR 126), and the other fourteen are under City jurisdiction.
According to the 1999 Oregon Highway Plan (OHP), ODOT mobility standards are given as V/C ratios
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and are based on the highway category. For the City of Eugene, all intersections outside the Central Area
Transportation System (CATS) area must meet a Level of service D standard. Brief definitions of the two
types of mobility standards are provided below, followed by Table 3-3, which shows the applicable
mobility standards of the study intersections.
The intersection level of s
of service A, B, and C indicate conditions where traffic moves without significant delays over periods of
peak hour travel demand. Level of service D and E are progressively worse operating conditions. Level of
service F represents conditions where average vehicle delay has become excessive and demand has
exceeded capacity. This condition is typically evident in long queues and delays.
The volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratio represents the level of saturation of the intersection or turning
movement and is given as a decimal. It is determined by dividing the peak hour traffic volume by the
maximum hourly capacity of an intersection or turn movement. When the V/C ratio approaches 1.0,
operations become unstable and small disruptions can cause the traffic flow to break down, as seen by the
formation of excessive queues.
Table 3-3: Applicable Study Intersection Mobility Standards
Major Roadway Jurisdiction (Category) Mobility Standard
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W 6 and W 7 Avenues ODOT (Statewide HWY)
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W 11 Ave (west of Beltline Rd) ODOT (Statewide HWY Freight Route)
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W 11 Ave (east of Beltline Rd) City of Eugene LOS D or better
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W 13 Ave City of Eugene LOS D or better
Existing Intersection Performance
The existing operation performance of the study intersections was performed using Synchro software.
13
employs methodology from the 2000 Highway Capacity Manual. The traffic volumes and
transportation system configurations described previously were used to determine intersection levels of
service and volume-to-capacity ratios. Intersection signal timing was obtained from the City of Eugene and
also used in the analysis. The resulting operations analysis is presented in Table 3-4.
12
1999 Oregon Highway Plan, Oregon Department of Transportation, 1999; Table 6 in Policy 1F displays the maximum
allowable V/C ratios for areas outside of the Portland Metropolitan Area.
13
2000 Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2000.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
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Table 3-4: Study Intersection Performance
AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Operating
a
Intersection
Standard
Delay LOS V/C Delay LOS V/C
Signalized
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(1) W 11 Ave/Green Hill Rd 0.80 V/C 17.0 B 0.76 20.6 C 0.84
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(3) W 11 Ave/Terry St 0.80 V/C 4.8 A 0.45 36.8 D 0.97
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(4) W 11 Ave/Danebo Ave-0.80 V/C 40.4 D 0.91 22.3 C 0.71
Willow Creek Rd
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(5) W 11 Ave/Beltline Rd 0.80 V/C 19.9 C 0.71 41.5 D 0.98
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(6) W 11 Ave/Commerce St LOS D 12.6 B 0.47 31.6 C 0.73
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(7) W 11 Ave/Bertelsen Rd LOS D 30.4 C 0.70 30.1 C 0.80
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(8) W 11 Ave/Bailey Hill Rd LOS D 29.8 C 0.80 31.0 C 0.76
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(9) W 11 Ave/Shopping Center LOS D 9.0 A 0.43 7.9 A 0.64
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(10) W 11 Ave/Seneca Rd LOS D 7.1 A 0.41 17.4 B 0.81
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(11) W 11 Ave/Tyinn St LOS D 2.2 A 0.44 9.1 A 0.67
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(12) W 11 Ave/Oak Patch Rd LOS D 10.7 B 0.51 8.2 A 0.59
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(13) W 11 Ave/Conger St LOS D 4.3 A 0.42 4.7 A 0.59
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(14) W 11 Ave/ McKinley St LOS D 5.1 A 0.48 9.0 A 0.59
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(15) W 11 Ave/City View St LOS D 8.8 A 0.58 7.4 A 0.63
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(16) W 11 Ave/Garfield St LOS D 15.2 B 0.61 21.6 C 0.75
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(17) W 11 Ave/Chambers St LOS D 15.5 B 0.70 23.0 C 0.86
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(19) W 13 Ave/Chambers St LOS D 16.7 B 0.63 18.8 B 0.70
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(20) W 6 Ave/Garfield St 0.85 V/C 10.4 B 0.74 9.2 A 0.74
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(21) W 7 Ave/Garfield St 0.85 V/C 17.1 B 0.56 19.9 B 0.67
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(22) W 7 Ave/Chambers St 0.85 V/C 26.9 C 0.77 27.6 C 0.81
Unsignalized
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(2) W 11 Ave/Ed Cone Blvd 0.80 V/C < 5.0 A/A 0.22 26.0 A/D 0.71
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(18) W 13 Ave/Garfield St LOS D 13.1 A/B - 15.2 A/C -
Signalized intersection: Unsignalized intersection:
Delay = Average Intersection Delay (sec.) Delay = Critical Movement Approach Delay (sec.)
LOS = Level of Service LOS = Major Street LOS/Minor Street LOS
V/C = Volume-to-Capacity Ratio V/C = Critical Movement Volume-to-Capacity Ratio
Bold UnderlinedBold Underlined
values do not meet standards. values do not meet standards.
a
Numbers correspond to Figure 3-3.
During the AM peak hour, mobility standards are not met at one intersection, and during the PM peak
hour, mobility standards are not met at three intersections. The intersections are listed below:
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West 11 Avenue/Green Hill Road (PM peak hour)
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West 11 Avenue/Terry Street (PM peak hour)
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
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West 11 Avenue/Danebo Avenue-Willow Creek Road (AM peak hour)
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road (PM peak hour)
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Field observations on the West 11 Avenue corridor were conducted during the PM peak period and
correlated with the calculated performance levels. It is apparent that coordinated signal timing within the
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urbanized section of the corridor helps to minimize delays and stops for thru-traffic on West 11 Avenue.
Along this segment, there were no observed vehicles queues that impacted upstream intersections.
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The most congested intersection is the West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road intersection, where vehicles on
both the eastbound left turn movement and southbound left turn movement do not clear every cycle during
the PM peak hour. Field observations indicate that between ten and 15 vehicles do not clear the signal each
cycle during the PM peak hour. It should be noted that the City conditioned a prior development to widen
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the north leg of the West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road intersection to allow for future dual southbound left
turn lanes.
It was also observed that the corridor experiences variations (short surges in peak traffic) in traffic that lead
to inconsistent travel times and driver expectations. Therefore, greater congestion and delay are
experienced by those drivers that travel the corridor during the higher traffic times. The inconsistencies in
corridor travel times and speeds likely contribute to the perception of greater corridor congestion than was
determined from the traffic analysis.
Travel Time
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Vehicle travel time data was collected along West 11 Avenue between Green Hill Road and Chambers
Street during the AM (7 AM to 9 AM), Mid-day (11 AM to 1 PM) and PM (4 PM to 6 PM) peak periods.
The travel time data was collected in both the eastbound and westbound directions using GPS units. The
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westbound travel time runs began at West 11 Avenue/Chambers Street and ended at West 11
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Avenue/Green Hill Road (4.5 miles). The eastbound runs began at West 11 Avenue/Green Hill Road and
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ended at West 13 Avenue/Chambers Street (4.7 miles). This route is longer than the westbound route
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because vehicles must turn off of West 11 Avenue and drive a few blocks south to continue east on West
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13 Avenue.
During the AM peak period, eleven travel time runs were completed in each direction, and during the PM
peak period, eleven travel time runs were completed in each direction. For each of the travel time surveys,
the intent of the survey was to match the average vehicle speed of the traffic platoon. Tables 3-5 and 3-6
summarize the average travel time runs in each direction during the AM, Mid-day and PM peak periods.
As shown, travel times in both directions are longer during the PM peak hour than during the AM peak
hour (volumes are also higher during the PM peak hour). In addition, AM peak hour eastbound travel
times are longer than westbound times, and PM peak hour westbound travel times are longer than
eastbound times. This is consistent with the relative directional volumes and the fact that the eastbound
route is slightly longer.
For comparison purposes, travel time runs were also performed during the mid-day peak period. The mid-
day westbound travel times were consistent with the AM and PM peak surveys. However, the eastbound
travel times were higher than the AM and PM peak periods.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
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Table 3-5: West 11 Avenue Travel Time Survey Summary (AM and PM Peaks)
AM Peak Period PM Peak Period
Average Measurement
Eastbound Westbound Eastbound Westbound
a
Average Travel Time 9 min 35 sec 9 min 14 sec 11 min 3 sec 12 min 0 sec
Minimum Travel Time 7 min 47 sec 7 min 47 sec 9 min 57 sec 9 min 39 sec
Maximum Travel TIme 10 min 49 sec 10 min 33 sec 11 min 54 sec 15 min 12 sec
Average Travel Speed 28.7 mph 29.9 mph 24.8 mph 23.3 mph
b
Average Stopped Delay 1 min 19 sec 1 min 19 sec 2 min 6 sec 2 min 58 sec
Average Number of Stops 4.7 4.0 6.6 7.3
a
Travel Time measured between Green Hill Road and Chambers Street, specifically:
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Eastbound start point: center of Green Hill Road/West 11 Avenue intersection
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Eastbound end point: center of Chambers Street/West 13 Avenue intersection
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Westbound start point: center of Chambers Street/West 11 Avenue intersection
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Westbound end point: center of Green Hill Road/West 11 Avenue intersection
b
Stopped delay consists of amount of time spent stopped or traveling under five miles per hour (5 mph).
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Table 3-6: West 11 Avenue Travel Time Survey Summary (Mid-Day Peak)
Mid-Day Peak Period
Average Measurement
Eastbound Westbound
a
Average Travel Time 11 min 30 sec 11 min 22 sec
Minimum Travel Time 9 min 9 sec 10 min 14 sec
Maximum Travel TIme 12 min 49 sec 12 min 17 sec
Average Travel Speed 24.2 mph 24.2 mph
b
Average Stopped Delay 2 min 30 sec 2 min 2 sec
Average Number of Stops 8.7 5.0
a
Travel Time measured between Green Hill Road and Chambers Street, specifically:
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Eastbound start point: center of Green Hill Road/West 11 Avenue intersection
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Eastbound end point: center of Chambers Street/West 13 Avenue intersection
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Westbound start point: center of Chambers Street/West 11 Avenue intersection
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Westbound end point: center of Green Hill Road/West 11 Avenue intersection
b
Stopped delay consists of amount of time spent stopped or traveling under five miles per hour (5 mph).
As shown in the Tables above, there was a large variation in travel times that would be experienced by
typical drivers of the corridor. In order to show this variation graphically, Figures 3-4a and 3-4b were
provided to show how the travel times varied in duration by time of day.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
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Figure 3-4a: Average Elapsed time per West 11 Ave Travel Time Run
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Figure 3-4b: Average Elapsed time per West 11 Ave Travel Time Run
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
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Stopped delay (time spent stopped or traveling below five miles-per-hour) was also determined using the
GPS data, and the average stopped delay for each peak period and direction of travel was reported in Table
3-5. As shown, stopped delay is higher during the PM peak hour, especially for westbound traffic. Stopped
delay by intersection was also determined, and a table showing the average stopped delays by peak period
and direction is provided in the Appendix A. Analysis of this data indicates that the four intersections from
Beltline Road to Bailey Hill Road consistently contribute to corridor delay. In addition, six intersections
have average stopped delays measured at or above 20 seconds during the PM peak period in either the
eastbound or westbound direction. The intersections are listed below by period and direction:
PM Peak Hour Eastbound
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West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road (25 seconds)
PM Peak Hour Westbound
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road (20 seconds)
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West 11 Avenue/Commerce Street (21 seconds)
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West 11 Avenue/Bertelsen Road (26 seconds)
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West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road (21 seconds)
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West 11 Avenue/Seneca Road (21 seconds)
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West 11 Avenue/Garfield Street (25 seconds)
Access Points
The West 11th Avenue corridor has a significant number of unsignalized access points that are within the
influence area of an adjacent traffic signal (within 50 feet to a 100 feet or less in some cases). These
unsignalized access points create additional conflict points and add congestion for adjacent signalized
movements and may contribute to vehicle collisions.
Collision Analysis
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Collision analysis of the West 11 Avenue corridor included an evaluation of collision rates at the study
intersections and an examination of collision data for trends and potentially hazardous locations in need of
mitigation. Four years (2003-2006) of collision data were obtained from the City of Eugene and ODOT.
Table 3-7 below summarizes the collisions at each study intersection by quantity, equivalent crash rate per
million entering vehicles, severity (property damage only, non-fatal injury, fatal) and whether any
pedestrians or bicyclists were involved in any crashes. Typically, a collision rate greater than 1.0 per
million entering vehicles indicates the need to further investigate safety related issues at the intersection.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
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19
Table 3-7: Study Area Collision Data (2003-2006)
Number of Collisions Severity
Ped/
a
Location Rate
Bike
b
2003 2004 2005 2006 Total PDO Injury Fatal
Intersection
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W 11 Ave/Green Hill Rd 2 2 4 5 13 0.49 9 4 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Ed Cone Rd -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
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W 11 Ave/Terry St 4 2 2 1 9 0.35 7 2 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Danebo Ave-6 10 8 12 36 0.93 20 16 0 0
Willow Creek Rd
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W 11 Ave/Beltline Rd 7 8 15 6 36 0.79 25 11 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Commerce St 2 9 5 8 24 0.57 15 9 0 1
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W 11 Ave/Bertelsen Rd 9 12 11 14 46 1.02 33 13 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Bailey Hill Rd 33 25 35 22 115 2.37 82 33 0 4
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W 11 Ave/Seneca Rd 13 12 13 12 50 1.13 35 15 0 1
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W 11 Ave/Tyinn St 12 8 4 8 32 0.77 27 5 0 1
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W 11 Ave/Oak Patch Rd 14 10 12 9 45 1.16 30 15 0 4
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W 11 Ave/Conger St 2 2 6 2 12 0.31 9 3 0 1
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W 11 Ave/McKinley St 3 0 5 2 10 0.24 8 2 0 0
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W 11 Ave/City View St 7 2 9 7 25 0.58 17 8 0 1
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W 11 Ave/Garfield St 10 8 9 4 31 0.75 23 8 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Chambers St 10 7 8 8 33 0.88 34 9 0 1
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W 13 Ave/Garfield St 0 1 1 1 3 0.18 3 0 0 1
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W 13 Ave/Chambers St 8 5 5 9 27 0.86 21 6 0 0
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W 6 Ave/Garfield St 8 5 9 0 22 0.59 18 3 1 1
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W 7 Ave/Garfield St 12 11 12 10 45 1.16 36 9 0 0
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W 7 Ave/Chambers St 15 8 8 9 40 0.82 28 12 0 0
Roadway
W 11th Ave from Beltline 76 60 94 61 291 2.99 203 87 1 3
Rd to Chambers St
a
Rate for intersections = Collisions per year / (PM Peak Hour Entering Volume x 10 x 340 days / 1 million veh)
Rate for roadways = Collisions per year / (340 days x Average ADT along corridor x length of corridor / 1 million veh)
b
PDO = Property Damage Only
c
Newly constructed roadway, no collision data available.
d th
The W. 11 Ave/Danebo was listed on the ODOT 2008 top 10% SPIS List for ODOT Region 2.
Bold Underlined
values exceed 1.0 collision per million entering vehicles.
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Table 3-7 also provides data for the urban portion of the West 11 Avenue Corridor (i.e., from Beltline
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Road to Chambers Street). Only collisions along West 11 Avenue were considered (i.e., this differs from
intersection analysis, which includes collisions along the side streets adjacent to the intersection). The
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collision rate along this section of West 11 Avenue was estimated at 2.99 yearly collisions per million
vehicle-miles traveled. This is approximately 25 percent higher than the 2.36 average rate throughout
Oregon for similar facilities (i.e., principal urban arterials).
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The collision data shows that there was one fatal collision at the West 6 Avenue/Garfield Street
intersection which involved a pedestrian. In addition, five intersections have a collision rate greater than
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
20
1.0, and a breakdown of the types of collisions at each of these intersections is given in Table 3-8. As
shown in the table, the most prevalent collisions types were rear-end and turning movement collisions.
Together they accounted for 77 percent of the total collisions at the five high collision intersections
analyzed. This trend is expected at signalized intersections. Safety related improvements will be discussed
in a subsequent chapter of this report.
Table 3-8: Collision Breakdown for High Collision Intersections
Collision Breakdown
Total
Intersection Rate
Rear- Turning Side-Bike/ Fixed
Angle
End Movement swipe Ped Object
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W 11 Ave/Bailey Hill Rd 2.37 63 29 14 5 4 - 115
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W 11 Ave/Oak Patch Rd 1.16 26 10 2 1 4 2 45
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W 7 Ave/Garfield St 1.16 12 18 6 8 1 - 45
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W 11 Ave/Seneca Rd 1.13 24 20 3 2 1 - 50
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W 11 Ave/Bertelsen Rd 1.02 16 15 7 7 - 1 46
Percent of Total 47% 30% 11% 8% 3% 1%
Pedestrian Facilities and Activity
In general, sidewalk facilities are better in the downtown core. Sidewalk connectivity is relatively thorough
near the downtown area, but sidewalk gaps occur toward the western end of the study area as the land use
is more rural than the urban/city center.
Pedestrian crossing volumes at the study intersections were counted during the weekday vehicular AM and
PM peak hours and have been provided in Table 3-9. This table represents pedestrian volumes collected
during the vehicular peak hours (AM and PM) that cross either the major street (the east-west street in each
case), minor street, or all legs of the intersection.
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As shown in Table 3-9, the two intersections with the highest pedestrian activity were West 11
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Avenue/Tyinn Street (74 during the PM peak hour) and West 11 Avenue/Oak Patch Road (46 during the
PM peak hour). At both intersections the majority of the pedestrian crossings during the PM peak hour (54
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and 33, respectively) were north-south movements across West 11 Avenue. The nearby shopping stores,
including a Fred Meyers, and several large multi-family apartment complexes on or near Oak Patch Road
contribute to the higher pedestrian volumes at these intersections. It is also likely that many of these
pedestrians are acc
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The intersections of West 11 Avenue/Shopping Center, West 11 Avenue/Conger Street, West 11
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Avenue/McKinley Street, and West 7 Avenue/Garfield Street also had moderate pedestrian volumes
ranging from ten to 30 pedestrians during the AM and PM peak hours. The remaining intersections had ten
or fewer pedestrians during the AM and PM peak hours. If counts had been taken during the warmer
months of the year, it is likely that greater volumes would have been observed.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
21
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Table 3-9: West 11 Avenue Pedestrian Crossing Volumes
AM Peak Hour Ped Crossings PM Peak Hour Ped Crossings
Study Intersection
Major Minor Major Minor
Total Total
Street Street Street Street
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W 11 Ave/Green Hill Rd 0 0 0 0 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Ed Cone Rd 1 0 1 0 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Terry St 0 0 0 0 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Danebo Ave-1 3 4 0 6 6
Willow Creek Rd
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W 11 Ave/Beltline Rd 0 0 0 0 1 1
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W 11 Ave/Commerce St 1 2 3 0 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Bertelsen Rd 0 0 0 0 1 1
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W 11 Ave/Bailey Hill Rd 0 1 1 0 7 7
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W 11 Ave/Shopping Center 2 12 14 16 12 28
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W 11 Ave/Seneca Rd 1 1 2 0 3 3
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W 11 Ave/Tyinn St 14 2 16 54 20 74
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W 11 Ave/Oak Patch Rd 10 3 13 33 13 46
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W 11 Ave/Conger St 23 5 28 14 5 19
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W 11 Ave/McKinley St 0 10 10 0 15 15
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W 11 Ave/City View St 0 3 3 1 4 5
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W 11 Ave/Garfield St 4 0 4 0 2 2
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W 11 Ave/Chambers St 9 1 10 5 3 8
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W 13 Ave/Garfield St 1 3 4 2 1 3
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W 13 Ave/Chambers St 4 0 4 3 1 4
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W 6 Ave/Garfield St 0 2 2 0 2 2
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W 7 Ave/Garfield St 8 21 29 11 5 16
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W 7 Ave/Chambers St 0 3 3 0 0 0
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Notes: Data collected during 1 hour peak period on either December 12 or 13, 2007, or February 13 or 14, 2008.
Bicycle Activity and Facilities
14
Bicycle facilities are documented on the Eugene-Springfield Bicycle Map. According to the map, the
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majority of West 11
is that there are striped bike lanes on one stretch between Terry Street and Danebo Avenue-Willow Creek
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Road. In addition, the Amazon Channel bike facility parallels West 11 Avenue and provides an alternate
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route that is more accommodating (contributing to lower bike volumes on West 11 Avenue). For the
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north-south study area roadways that intersect West 11 Avenue, five have bike lanes, including: Danebo
Avenue-Willow Creek Road, Bertelsen Road, Bailey Hill Road, Seneca Road, and Chambers Street. None
of the other study roadways have bike facilities.
14
Eugene Springfield Bicycle Map, Bikeways updated April 2005. website: http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/bike
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
22
Bicycle counts were taken at the study intersections during the AM and PM peak vehicular periods. These
volumes are shown in Table 3-10 by north-south or east-west approaches for both the AM and PM peak
hours. As shown, bike activity in the study area is relatively low. During peak hour vehicular activity the
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two intersections with the most bike activity (4 each) were W 11 Avenue/Shopping Center and W 11
Avenue/McKinley Street. It is to be noted that the count was conducted during a winter month when cooler
weather may discourage bicycle riding. It is expected that bike activity would be higher in the summer
months.
Table 3-10: West 11th Avenue Bicycle Crossing Volumes
AM Peak HourPM Peak Hour
Study Intersection
North-SouthEast-WestNorth-SouthEast-West
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W 11 Ave/Green Hill Rd 0 0 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Ed Cone Rd 0 0 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Terry St 0 1 0 1
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W 11 Ave/Danebo Ave-Willow Creek Rd 0 0 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Beltline Rd 0 0 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Commerce St 0 1 1 1
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W 11 Ave/Bertelsen Rd 0 1 0 0
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W 11 Ave/Bailey Hill Rd 1 0 0 1
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W 11 Ave/Shopping Center 0 4 0 4
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W 11 Ave/Seneca Rd 0 0 0 2
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W 11 Ave/Tyinn St 0 1 0 3
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W 11 Ave/Oak Patch Rd 1 0 0 2
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W 11 Ave/Conger St 0 1 0 3
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W 11 Ave/McKinley St 1 3 1 4
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W 11 Ave/City View St 0 2 1 2
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W 11 Ave/Garfield St 0 0 0 2
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W 11 Ave/Chambers St 0 0 0 1
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W 13 Ave/Garfield St 0 0 2 0
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W 13 Ave/Chambers St 0 0 1 2
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W 6 Ave/Garfield St 0 2 0 1
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W 7 Ave/Garfield St 1 0 0 3
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W 7 Ave/Chambers St 2 0 1 0
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Notes: Data collected during 1 hour peak period on either December 12 or 13, 2007, or February 13 or 14, 2008.
Transit Service
Lane Transit District (LTD) provides public transit to the Eugene-Springfield area. In the study area there
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are multiple LTD bus lines that run along West 11 Avenue and the surrounding roadways. These routes
are summarized in Table 3-11 and shown on Figure 3-5. There is also a park and ride station (Seneca
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Station) on the north side of West 11 Avenue just west of Seneca Road.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
23
thth
Boarding data was collected by LTD in 2008 for the week of May 5 through 9 and a map of the data is
included in Appendix A. This map shows a high concentration of boarding/deboarding activity at Seneca
Station and at Commerce Street (i.e., near the Wal-Mart and Target stores). The majority of the stop
locations shown are curbside bus stops, where there are no pullouts and buses must stop in the travel lane.
In 2007 a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system began operations between downtown Eugene and Springfield.
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The western most stop for the new BRT line, termed EmX Green Line, is near West 10 Avenue and Olive
Street, and does not connect to this study area.
Table 3-11: Nearby Transit Routes
Weekday Weekday
Bus Line -
Roadways Served Headway Hours of Service Area
Name
(min) Operation
Between Downtown
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11Ave, 13 Ave, 18 Ave,
30 Bertelsen 30 6AM to 11PM Eugene (Eugene Station)
Bertelsen Rd, Oak Patch Rd
and Bertelsen Rd
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11 Ave, 13 Ave, Seneca Rd,
st
32 West 1 60 AM AM 6:30 to 8 Between Eugene Station
st
1 Ave, Bertelsen Rd,
Ave* 30 PM PM 3 to 4 and Commercial Street
Commercial St
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36a West 18 Ave, north on Bailey Hill 6:30 AM to 11 Between Eugene Station
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18 Ave Rd, 11 Ave, Seneca Rd PM and Seneca Station
60
(30 between
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36a and 36b)
36b West 18 Ave, south on Bailey Hill Eugene Station to Eugene
7 AM to 11 PM
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18 Ave Rd Bible College
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41 Barger/ 8 Ave, Garfield St, Hwy 99, Eugene Station to Barger
6:30 AM to 10
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West 11 Barger Ave, Terry St, Danebo 30 Ave and Terry St
PM
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Ave Ave, 11 Ave (counter clockwise)
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8 Ave, Garfield St, Hwy 99, Eugene Station to Barger
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43 West 11 6 AM to 10:30
30
Barger Ave, Terry St, Danebo Ave and Terry St
Ave/ Barger PM
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Ave, 11 Ave (clockwise)
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Kincaid St, 18 Ave, Bailey Hill
78 UO/ Oak University of Oregon
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Rd, 11 Ave, Oak Patch Rd, 60 7 AM to 7 PM
Patch Station and Seneca Station
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Hilyard St, 13 Ave
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11 Ave, Green Hill Rd, Royal
AM: 7 to 11 Eugene Station to Clear
a
93 Veneta Ave, Clear Lake Rd, Territorial 120 AM
PM: 1:30 to 7 Lake Rd
Rd, Perkins Rd, Hwy 126
a
Limited service hours.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
24
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CHAPTER 4: PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE
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This section provides an inventory of the existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities within the West 11
Avenue Corridor, including the Fern Ridge bike and pedestrian path, and recommends improvements.
Improvements were recommended to address current deficiencies and improved connectivity between the
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West 11 Avenue corridor and the Fern Ridge path.
Facility Needs
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Sidewalks are provided along the north and south side of West 11 Avenue between Bailey Hill Road and
Chambers Street. West of Bailey Hill Road, the sidewalks are not continuous at some locations (i.e.
undeveloped parcels, rural areas). Sidewalks are also provided on most of the north/south roadway
segments (i.e. Seneca Road, Bailey Hill Road, etc.) within the study area. However, there are a few
locations where there are gaps along the sidewalks. Figure 4-1 illustrates the existing pedestrian sidewalk
locations, the areas where sidewalks are deficient, and the LTD Transit Stops.
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Dedicated bicycle lanes are generally not provided along West 11 Avenue between Green Hill Road and
Chambers Street. The only exception is that there are striped bike lanes on one stretch between Terry Street
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and Danebo Avenue-Willow Creek Road. Most bikes are accommodated on the West 11 Avenue corridor
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via the Fern Ridge path that parallels West 11 Avenue. For the north-south roadways within the study
area, five roadways provide bike lanes, including: Danebo Avenue-Willow Creek Road, Bertelsen Road,
Bailey Hill Road, Seneca Road, and Chambers Street. No other study roadways have bike facilities.
Bicycle facilities are documented on the Eugene-Springfield Bicycle Map. According to the map, the
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majority of West 11 Avenue has been
Recommendations
Table 4-1 provides a list of recommended pedestrian and bicycle improvements within the study area. The
list of bicycle and pedestrian improvements is based on the use of the Fern Ridge path as the parallel route
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to West 11 Avenue consistent with the Eugene-Springfield Bicycle Map, which is provided in Appendix
15
A. The recommended improvements will provide convenient and accessible connections for
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bicyclists/pedestrians from the Fern Ridge path to West 11 Avenue. Figure 4-2 provides the location of
the improvements, and descriptions of the improvements are summarized in Table 4-1.
The recommendations in Table 4-1 are consistent with the bicycle and pedestrian policies established in
the Central Lane MPO Regional Transportation Plan. The recommended improvements provide bikeway
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and pedestrian system connectivity between the Fern Ridge path and West 11 Avenue, thus reducing
additional vehicle conflicts, enhancing operations, and increasing safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. In
addition, the improvements include continuous and direct routes for both pedestrians and bicyclists and
identify the need for sidewalks and gap closures for pedestrians.
15
Get in Motion: Eugene Springfield Bicycle Map, City of Eugene, Updated April 2005; see Appendix A.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
26
Table 4-1: Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvement Alternatives
Call-Out Project Purpose
A Provide bike connection between Ed Cone Blvd Improve connection between Crow Rd (a major
and Crow Rd (this is the location of the future recreational cycling route) and Fern Ridge Path via
or Crow Rd realignment, which will likely be bike lanes on Ed Cone Blvd and Terry St crossing
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constructed when W. 11 Ave is widened) of Amazon Channel
B Install a 12-foot wide multi-use path along the Improve connection between Crow Rd (a major
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south side of W. 11 Ave between Terry St and recreational cycling route) and Fern Ridge Path via
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Crow Rd proposed path, signalized crossing of W. 11 Ave
at Terry St, sidewalks on Terry St, and the Terry St
crossing of Amazon Channel
C Install eastbound and westbound bike lanes on Provide on-street bike facilities along the section of
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W. 11 Ave between Green Hill Rd and Terry St W. 11 Ave that is currently undeveloped
(consistent with RTP project 333, which also (construct in conjunction with the proposed
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includes upgrading W. 11 Ave to 5-lane urban roadway widening project)
facility)
D Install wayfinding signage to direct users to and Accommodate use of Fern Ridge Path as the
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from the Fern Ridge Path. The signage should be parallel bike route to W. 11 Ave between Terry St
on the path between the Terry St connection and and Garfield St (Use Ed Cone Blvd as parallel route
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the W. 13 Ave/Arthur St connection and at between Terry St and W. 11 Ave/Ed Cone Blvd
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select locations along W. 11 Ave between Ed intersection)
Cone Blvd and Garfield St
E Install raised pedestrian refuge island in median Facilitate crossing of Danebo, specifically for
of at-grade Fern Ridge Path crossing of N. accessing the appropriate bike lane in order to then
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Danebo Ave (should be coordinated with use Danebo to travel between W. 11 Ave and Fern
construction that will occur with the Wetlands Ridge Path
Environmental Education Center)
F Widen sidewalks to 12 feet for multi-use path on Allow pedestrians and bikes to share sidewalks so it
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N. Danebo Ave between W. 11 Ave and Fern is unnecessary to cross Danebo to travel between
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Ridge Path (should be coordinated with W. 11 Ave and Fern Ridge Path
construction that will occur with the Wetlands
Environmental Education Center)
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G Provide connection between Fern Ridge Path and Provide access to Fern Ridge Path from W. 11
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future Beltline Path (RTP project 411) Ave (nearest trail connection to W. 11 Ave is ½
mi. to the east or ¼ mi. to the west)
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H Construct pedestrian bridge across Amazon Provide access to Fern Ridge Path from W. 11
Channel (north of Target parking lot, in line with Ave and nearby developments (nearest trail
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Noah St cul-de-sac) and install a 12-foot multi-connection to W. 11 Ave is 1/3 mi. to the east or ½
use path that connects the bridge to Commerce St mi. to the west)
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and/or W. 11 Ave (consistent with RTP project
350)
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ô
Provide connection between Fern Ridge Path and Provide access to north side of W. 11 Ave
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W. 11 Ave on north side of path undercrossing
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of W. 11 Ave
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
29
Call-Out Project Purpose
thth
J Install pedestrian refuge island on W. 11 Ave in Facilitate crossing of W. 11 Ave (based on May
vicinity of bus stop and Fern Ridge Path 2008 counts, there are approximately 20 daily
connection (east of Bertelsen Rd) boardings/deboardings at nearby bus stops and the
nearest at-grade crossing is ¼ mi. to the west or ½
mi. to the east)
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K Arlie Development has been conditioned to Connect Fern Ridge Path to W. 11 Ave and nearby
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install a 12-foot multi-use path to connect Fern developments (nearest trail connection to W. 11
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Ridge Path to W. 11 Ave through vacant lot and Ave is 1/5 mi. to the east or 1/3 mi. to the west)
L Grade-separate Fern Ridge Path crossing of Allow trail users to avoid the at-grade crossing with
Bailey Hill Rd and realign path as needed to give Bailey Hill Rd
preference to grade-separated crossing (to be
considered as part of Amazon Channel
Enhancement)
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M Construct pedestrian/bicycle bridge across Connect Fern Ridge Path to W. 11 Ave and nearby
Amazon Channel and install a 12-foot multi-use developments (there is significant pedestrian traffic
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or path along Buck St extending to W. 11 Ave between W. 11 Ave and the apartment complexes
and residential area south of Amazon Channel)
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N Widen sidewalks to 12-foot for multi-use path on Connect Fern Ridge Path to W. 11 Ave and nearby
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Acorn Park St between W. 11 Ave and Fern developments (there is significant pedestrian traffic
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and Ridge Path; including vehicular bridge, which between W. 11 Ave and the apartment complexes
would no longer be able to allow parking and residential area south of Amazon Channel)
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O Install one of the following pedestrian crossing Facilitate crossing of W. 11 Ave at Acorn Park St
improvements: (1) pedestrian refuge or (2) 12-
Option 2 would encourage pedestrians and
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foot multi-use path on south side of W. 11 Ave
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bicyclists to cross W. 11 Ave at Seneca Rd and
between Seneca Rd and Tyinn St
Tyinn St signals instead of at unsignalized Acorn
Park St
P Grade-separate Fern Ridge Path crossing of Oak Direct trail users to a grade-separated trail crossing,
Patch Rd and realign path as needed to give which would allow them to avoid at-grade crossing
preference to grade-separated crossing (to be with Oak Patch Rd
considered as part of Amazon Channel
Enhancement)
Q Improve Fern Ridge Path crossing of City View Improve trail crossings of both City View St and
St (current crossing is at-grade and requires use Amazon Channel
of vehicular bridge); recommended improvement
to be based on pending Amazon Creek Waterway
Study and West Eugene EmX Extension (WEEE)
findings
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
30
Call-Out Project Purpose
R Install southbound bike lane on Garfield St Transition between use of Fern Ridge Path as the
ththth
between W. 11 Ave and W. 13 Ave (consistent parallel route to W. 11 Ave and the on-street bike
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with RTP project 145) facilities planned for W. 11 Ave and W. 13 Ave.
This transition is needed because the Fern Ridge
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S Install westbound bike lanes on W. 11 Ave
Path begins to head south (near its connection to
between Garfield St and Chambers St (tie into W.
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13 Ave just east of Arthur St) and no longer is as
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11 Ave bike lanes east of Chambers St that were
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easily accessible from W. 11 Ave.
specified as RTP project 106)
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T Install eastbound bike lanes on W. 13 Ave
between Garfield St and Chambers St (tie into W.
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13 Ave bike lanes east of Chambers St that were
specified as RTP project 109)
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
31
CHAPTER 5: SAFETY ANALYSIS
This section reviews the historical collision data and the findings from the traffic conflict analysis at five
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intersections along West 11 Avenue that were identified as high collision locations in the existing
conditions chapter (see Chapter 3). Historical collision data for the study area corridor was collected from
the City of Eugene and ODOT to determine the trends and characteristics of prior crashes at the following
locations:
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West 11 Avenue and Bertelsen Road
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West 11 Avenue and Bailey Hill Road
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West 11 Avenue and Seneca Road
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West 11 Avenue and Oak Patch Road
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West 7 Avenue and Garfield Street
Collision Analysis
The collision records from ODOT were compiled to prepare collision diagrams that show the location and
type of collision within 500 feet from the intersection. In Appendix B, there are figures that illustrate the
locations of the collisions at each intersection. As discussed in the existing conditions chapter (see Table 3-
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7), the West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road intersection has the highest number of collisions along the West
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11 Avenue corridor. Rear-end collisions are the most prominent type making up 47 percent of all
collisions.
HISTORICAL COLLISION PATTERNS
The review of the historical collision records revealed several recurring patterns of collisions, which
include the following:
Rear-end collisions occur as the vehicles approaching signalized intersections with minimal
headways misjudge vehicles in front of them that stop for vehicle queues, turning traffic, side
street traffic, or driveway traffic.
Left-turn collisions occur when vehicles turn out of driveways near the intersection across vehicle
queues.
Left-turn collisions occur when vehicles turn into driveways near intersections with marginal gap
clearance.
Traffic Conflict Analysis
A traffic conflict analysis was conducted at each of the five intersections that have the highest number of
collisions (see Table 3-7).
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West 11 Avenue/Bertelsen Road
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West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road
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West 11 Avenue/Seneca Road
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West 11 Avenue/Oak Patch Road
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
City of Eugene P07265-003-000
32
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West 7 Avenue/Garfield Street
The traffic conflict analysis technique involves the observation and recording of traffic conflicts (near-miss
collision) and rating the degree of severity for each conflict event. This data is used to augment the
collision reports to provide the analyst with a more comprehensive understanding of physical and
behavioral conditions at the intersection. This methodology was used because collision data is not always
conclusive in determining the actual safety problems at intersection.
METHODOLOGY
DKS staff observed each of the five intersections during the AM, afternoon, and PM peak hours, in order
to evaluate actual vehicle conflicts that are occurring within the influence of the intersection. The traffic
conflict analysis provides insight into human-factors relating issues such as traffic control devices,
geometric design, environment, and driver behavior. A traffic conflict is defined as a point in time when
two vehicles approach the same space that requires one or both vehicles to take evasive action to avoid a
collision. Examples of evasive actions are braking, swerving, and accelerating. DKS staff observed
conflicts and recorded the location at each intersection and the conflict type. The conflicts were observed
for two days during the morning (7am 9am), afternoon (11am 1pm), and evening (4pm 6pm) peak
periods. Each intersection was observed for approximately one hour at a time during each peak period over
the two days. The methodology utilized in the observations is similar to the procedures provided in the
16
Traffic Conflict Procedures Manual.
ANALYSIS
Intersection conflict diagrams have been prepared to illustrate the types and locations of the conflicts
observed in the field. Figures 5-1 through 5-5 illustrate the major conflicts that were observed during the
morning, afternoon, and evening peak periods. As illustrated in these figures, the majority of the conflicts
that were observed at the intersections were due to private driveways and unsignalized pedestrian
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crossings. Multiple conflicts along West 11 Avenue occur at the driveways located adjacent to the
intersections, as well as offset driveways and intersections. Conflicts created by these driveways were left-
turn and right-turn conflicts, as well as vehicles queued along the travel lanes.
16
nd
Traffic Conflict Procedures Manual, 2 Editions,Hamilton Associates, November 1996.
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The conflicts as summarized in the Figures 5-1 through 5-5 include the following:
Vehicles turning left into and out of the driveways near the intersection cross the through traffic
stream with minimal gaps and/or limited sight distance (caused by standing vehicle queues),
causing drivers to brake suddenly.
Vehicles turning left into and out of the driveways are in conflict with vehicles turning left into
and out of adjacent closely spaced intersections and driveways.
Vehicles slowing to turn right into a driveway on the far side of each signalized intersection cause
other drivers following too closely to brake suddenly.
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Pedestrian/vehicle conflicts occurred along Seneca Road, north of West 11 Avenue due to the
high amount of pedestrians crossing mid-block on Seneca Road, causing the northbound and
southbound through traffic to slow down. The high amount of pedestrian traffic is due to the close
proximity to the transit station on the west side and the Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul stores on
the east side.
The slow acceleration of trucks and the stopping of buses at bus stops resulted in some vehicles
queuing behind the truck or bus and other vehicles making sudden lane changes to by-pass the
truck or bus.
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The center lane along West 11 Avenue creates conflicts to the eastbound and westbound through
vehicles, as left-out vehicles from driveways use the center-lane in order to continue
to the travel lane.
These conflicts not only reflect possible collisions, but may also lead to other types of collisions by causing
drivers to brake erratically/take evasive action (potentially causing rear-end crashes) and/or to drive
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aggressively. Most of the driveways along West 11 Avenue were built when traffic volumes were lower
and the impacts of closely spaced driveways and intersections were not apparent. Now these conditions
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impact public safety and reduce the capacity along West 11 Avenue.
Safety Recommendations
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To reduce the number of collisions and potential conflict points along the West 11 Avenue Corridor,
access driveways adjacent to each intersection should be considered for closure, consolidation, or
modification (such as a restriction in some turn movements). The consideration of modifications to
driveways should be considered in a larger context, and Chapter 6 discusses a potential access management
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plan for the West 11 Avenue corridor. Driveway closures or driveway modifications would either
eliminate all driveway conflict points or would reduce the number of turning conflict points by restriction
of left-turn in/out movements to driveways located near intersections (enforced by installation of raised
medians, or driveway closure). Access management strategies have been proven to improve the safety of
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roadway corridors similar to West 11 Avenue.
In addition, to reduce the number of pedestrian and vehicle conflicts (i.e. along Seneca Road), a mid-block
pedestrian crossing with a raised median could be installed to provide a designated area for pedestrians to
cross the street safely in two stages. The crosswalk should be located in an area where adequate sight
distance is provided and where there are less access driveways to conflict with.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
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39
CHAPTER 6: ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN
Access management is the term used to describe a broad set of techniques that balance the need to provide
safe, efficient, and timely travel with the ability to allow access to individual properties. The proper
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implementation of access management techniques along the West 11 Avenue corridor is expected to
reduce collision rates, congestion, and air pollution while also conserving energy and increasing corridor
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capacity. Therefore, a short-term access management plan was developed for West 11 Avenue from
Green Hill Road to Chambers Street to improve the safety of the corridor by reducing the number of
conflict points and maintaining the functional integrity of the corridor. Before the access management plan
is described, more detailed explanations of access management benefits, strategies, the roadway
characteristics, applicable standards, and the existing access conditions are provided.
Benefits of Access Management
Access management consists of controlling or limiting the vehicular access on arterial and collector
facilities to reduce conflicts, maintain the capacity of the facilities, and preserve their functional integrity.
Numerous driveways can create conflicts and erode the capacity of arterial and collector roadways.
Preservation of capacity is particularly important on higher volume roadways whose primary function is to
maintain traffic flow and mobility (i.e., collector and arterial streets), whereas local and neighborhood
streets primarily provide access.
By managing roadway access, the City of Eugene can increase public safety, extend the life of roadway
facilities, reduce traffic congestion, and improve the appearance and quality of roadway facilities. Access
management preserves the transportation functions of roadways and also helps preserve long-term property
values and the economic viability of abutting development. From an environmental perspective, improved
traffic flow translates into better fuel efficiency and reduced motor vehicle emissions.
In addition, roadways with well-managed access provide a safer walking and cycling environment.
Pedestrians and cyclists will face fewer decision points and conflicts with traffic. Consolidating access
points along major roadways will reduce the frequency of traffic entering and exiting the roadway, thereby
making it safer to walk and cycle along the roadway. In addition to improved safety, well-managed
roadways will be less congested and adjacent businesses will be served by a more efficient roadway system
that captures a broader market area.
Research throughout the country has been performed to document the effects of implementing access
management practices. One good resource for additional information is the Safe Access is Good for
17
Business publication by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Key findings from this and other
resources are listed below.
18
Well managed arterials are often 40 to 50 percent safer than poorly managed ones.
A strong linear relationship exists between the number of crashes and the number of driveways
along a stretch of road. The Access Management Manual published by the Transportation
17
Safe Access is Good for Business, FHWA, Aug. 2006, www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/access_mgmt.
18
Preston, H., et al. Statistical Relationship between Vehicular Crashes and Highway Access, Minnesota Department of
Transportation, Report MN-RC-1998-27, August 1998
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Research Board (TRB) provides a figure showing a crash ratio (normalized to be equal to 1.0 at 10
access points per mile) along a stretch of road compared with the number of access points per
,
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mile. This figure is reproduced as Figure 6-1 below and is based on a national dataset of nearly
40,000 crashes. As shown, when there are more than 50 access points per mile, the crash ratio is
much higher and also increases more drastically than when there are 10 to 40 access points per
mile.
Note:
The above figure demonstrates that the collision rate for a corridor would increase by 30 percent
if going from 10 access points per mile to 20 access points per mile. If the number of access points
increases from 20 access points per mile to 40 access points per mile (100 percent increase) the collision
rate would increase 62% (1.3 to 2.1). If the number of access points increases from 40 access points per
mile to 60 access points per mile (50 percent increase) the collision rate would increase 95 percent
(2.1 to 4.1). Therefore, when there are more than 50 access points per mile, the crash ratio is much higher
and also increases more drastically for each access point.
Figure 6-1: Ratio of Crashes to Access Density
Poorly designed entrances and exits present a traffic hazard and cause congestion that can create a
21
negative image for a shopping center.
Multiple surveys indicate that the majority of business owners on corridors that have undergone
access management improvements believe there have been no declines in sales resulting from
,,
222324
access management practices.
19
Gluck, J., H. S. Levinson, and V. Stover, 1999, Impacts of Access Management Techniques, NCHRP Report 420,
Transportation Research Board.
20
Lall, B. K., D. Huntington, and A. Eghtedari, 1996, Access Management and Traffic Safety, Paper presented at the Second
Annual Access Management Conference.
21
Urban Land Institute, Shopping Center Development Handbook, Second Edition, Washington D.C., 1985, p. 101.
22
Eisele, W. E., and W. E. Frawley, A Methodology for Determining Economic Impacts of Raised Medians: Data Analysis on
Additional Case Studies, Research Report 3904-3, Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas, October 1999.
23
Iowa Department of Transportation, Access Management Research and Awareness Program: Phase II Report, 1997
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41
Drive-by businesses have been adversely affected by reconstruction projects that reduce their
25
visibility from the major road or cause them to have highly circuitous or inconvenient access.
Therefore, businesses should have sufficient signage to inform patrons of any access changes.
Access Management Strategies and Techniques
There are several strategies and techniques that can be applied to improve access management on a
roadway. Most of these include geometric design features, such as medians, median openings, auxiliary
lanes, driveway design, and intersection channelization. Requirements on access location and spacing also
need to be considered when implementing access management strategies. Access points introduce conflicts
and friction into the traffic stream and with each new access point comes a higher potential for collisions.
The added friction generally results in increased travel times and congestion.
Access management plans can also include streetscape enhancements. These enhancements can improve
pedestrian mobility and safety, develop visual gateways, signify the change from rural highway to urban
roadway, and create a cohesive streetscape design. Streetscape features could include street trees placed
within the highway right-of-way, landscaped medians, buffered sidewalks with landscaping and gateway
signing.
Roadway Characteristics
Roadway function and classification should also be considered when determining how much access should
be allowed. A roadway intended primarily to serve traffic movement (i.e., a major arterial) should have
fewer access points and longer access spacing than a roadway with the primary function of providing
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access (i.e., a local). Based on the City of Eugene Street Classification Map, West 11 Avenue is
designated as a major arterial between Green Hill Road and Garfield Street, and a minor arterial east of
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Garfield Street. In addition, West 11 Avenue west of Beltline Road is classified by ODOT as Statewide
Highway and is a designated Freight Route.
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Within the project limits, the West 11 Avenue cross-section varies. Between Green Hill Road and Terry
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Street West 11 Avenue is a two-lane roadway (one-lane in each direction) with no sidewalks or bicycle
lanes, and the posted speed limit is 55 miles per hour. Between Terry Street and Danebo Avenue, a raised,
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planted median currently exists. Between Terry Street and Garfield Street, West 11 Avenue is a five-lane
roadway (two lanes each direction with continuous left-turn lane) with sidewalks and a short segment of
bicycle lanes. The posted speed limit is 45 mph between Terry Street and Beltline Road and 35 mph
between Beltline Road and Garfield Street. On-street parking is not provided along any portion of West
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11 Avenue.
Local Standards
At this time, the City of Eugene does not have adopted access management standards. However, City staff
are in the process of adopting access management strategies for private accesses on to public right-of-
24
Long, G, C.T. Gan, and B.S. Morrison. Impacts of Selected Median and Access Design Features, Florida Department of
Transportation Report, Transportation Research Center, University of Florida, May 1993.
25
Safe Access is Good for Business, FHWA, Aug. 2006, www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/access_mgmt.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
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26
way. If adopted as currently drafted, Major Arterials such as West 11 Avenue would require a minimum
of 200 feet between access locations.
Existing Access Conditions
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DKS conducted an inventory of the existing driveways along West 11 Avenue from Green Hill Road to
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Chambers Street. There are approximately 193 driveways on West 11 Avenue between Green Hill Road
and Chambers Street (approximately 4.5 miles of roadway). The driveways provide access to residential,
industrial, commercial, and office uses along the corridor. Figures 6-1 through 6-4 show the existing
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driveways along West 11 Avenue. Each driveway is designated with a number for purposes of this report.
Appendix C provides a table that summarizes the driveway inventory and the businesses that take access
from the associated driveway.
Access spacing is an important consideration when determining the needed access management strategies.
When access spacing is determined, the private driveways and public streets on both sides of the street are
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accounted for. A summary of the access spacing and density for various segments of West 11 Avenue is
provided in Table 6-1. As shown, access density is greater than 60 accesses per mile for the majority of the
corridor. As indicated previously (see Figure 6-1 and associated discussion), national data indicates that
there are significantly more crashes when there are more than 50 access points per mile. Therefore, access
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management strategies are needed along the majority of West 11 Avenue and in particular east of Beltline
Road.
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Table 6-1: West 11 Avenue Existing Access Summary
a
Access Points
Posted Segment
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West 11 Ave Roadway Section
Speed Distance
Number Density (per mile)
Green Hill Rd to Beltline Rd 45-55 mph 1.80 mi 24 13.3
Beltline Rd to Bailey Hill Rd 45 mph 1.25 mi 76 60.8
Bailey Hill Rd to Garfield St 35 mph 1.25 mi 89 71.2
Garfield St to Chambers St 30 mph 0.25 mi 37 148.0
a
All access points are included (i.e., public streets and private driveways).
Recommendations
Recommended access management improvements include a short-term access management plan and the
implementation of access management strategies by the City of Eugene.
SHORT-TERM ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN
A short-term access management plan was prepared and specific treatments are also shown in Figures 6-1
through 6-4. These treatments include closures, consolidation of accesses and relocation of access
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driveways along West 11 Avenue to improve safety, circulation, and traffic operations. The plan also
includes the installation of traffic separators and medians in selective locations to improve safety and
enhance operations and improve safety. In addition, the findings from the safety analysis (see Chapter 5)
26
*Draft*,Managing Connections to the Public Right-of-Way, City of Eugene, Not dated.
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were incorporated in the short-term access management plan since the five locations experienced high
collision rates and potential conflicts. Table 6-2 is provided following the figures and describes the
recommended short-term access management plan.
The recommended driveway closures, consolidations, and median treatments would improve the safety and
enhance traffic operations by reducing the number of conflict points, prohibit left-turn in/out movements at
driveways, provide additional spacing between intersections and driveways, and reduce the number of
right-turn vehicles that decelerate at driveway locations throughout the corridor. The short-term access
management plan will improve the locations of the approaches and circulation of existing business traffic,
while working towards meeting planned access management standards including improving safety and
efficiency of the corridor. Before the access management plan is implemented, outreach efforts should be
made to obtain input and feedback from affected businesses. The individual business needs and desires
should be considered in the context of providing reasonable access, and preference should be given to
providing access onto a side street or sharing access with adjacent developments.
ACCESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Potential strategies for managing connections to the public right-of-way should be developed for future
development and redevelopment along West 11th Avenue. The strategies should include the number of
connections allowed for each property to the public right-of-way, the spacing between connections, the
locations of the access connections in relation to the property and adjacent properties, the design of the
access connection to ensure adequate radii, and the internal design of the access condition and the
driveway. A long-term access management plan for the corridor should be developed that includes the use
of shared access agreements as new development occurs.
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Table 6-2: Short-Term Plan Driveway Recommendations
Short-Term Plan Driveway
Driveway Number Business Name
Comments
29,30, 31 Meineke Car Center Close existing driveway (#30).
33 7-11 Close existing driveway (#33)
35 Custom Audio Install traffic separator to modify
driveway #35 to right-in/right-out
movements.
34,36 Dari Mart Close existing driveway (#34). Install
Emerald Country Smoked Meats traffic separator to modify driveway
#36 to right-in/right-out movements.
37 Lumber Liquidators Close existing driveway (#38).
38,39 Kitchen Cabinets Bella Stone
40,41 All-Roofs
53,54 Pet Medical Center Consolidate existing driveways from
4 to 2 driveways.
56,57 Paul's Bicycle Shop
59,61 Transmission Solutions Consolidate existing driveways from
2 to 1 driveway.
63 Vacant Lot Future development of properties
should consider sharing access
64 Vacant Lot
driveways.
70 Vacant Lot Future development of properties
should consider sharing access
72 Vacant Lot
driveways.
89,90,92 Liberty Bank AFS Brokerage Inc. Provide the following to enforce
right-turn in/out movements at
Miller Paint
Driveway #91: Construct a raised
Hawaiian Time Restaurant
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traffic separator along West 11
Sherwin Williams
Avenue to prevent left-turn in/out
Mattress Lane
movements. Left-turn out movements
can be accommodated at Driveway
Gordon Daniel Law Office
#88 or Seneca Road.
Napa Auto Parts
88,91 Fred Meyer Shopping and Gas Station
McDonald's
Volunteer Medicine Clinic
93 Napa Auto Parts Close existing driveway (#93).
110 Good Year Tire Center Install traffic separator to modify
driveway #110 to right-in/right-out
movements.
114,115 BMW Motorcycle Sales Close existing driveway (#114).
114 Warehouse
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Short-Term Plan Driveway
Driveway Number Business Name
Comments
116 Taco Bell Consolidate existing driveways from
2 to 1 driveway. Align driveway with
Office Building (vacant)
the driveway across the street.
118 Aqua Serene Garden Center
120,122 Burger King Consolidate existing driveways (#122
and #123) from 2 to 1 driveway.
123 Garden Orient Restaurant
Future closure of existing driveway
(#120) if site is redeveloped.
125,127 Burrito Boy Restaurant Close existing driveway (#127).
Sprint Wireless
130,132 Ye Olde Pancake House Potential consolidation of driveways
from 2 to 1 driveway. Align driveway
with the driveway across the street.
131,133,136,139 West 11th Shopping Center Potential consolidation of driveways
(#131 and #133) from 2 to 1
-Elks Lodge National Society
driveway. Align driveway with the
-Environmental Controls Corporation
driveway across the street.
-Eugene Builders Exchange
-West 11th Coin Laundry-Cleaners
-America's Tire
-Pacific Continental Bank
-Staples
-Applebee's
-Auto Zone
134,135 Wendy's Close existing driveway (#135).
140,141 Vietnam Restaurant Close existing driveway (#140).
144,147,149 Les Schwab Tire Shop Close existing driveway #147.
143 Flag Lot Parcel Close driveway #143.
146,148 Mac's Radiator Service and Repair Close existing driveway (#146)
151 Empty Lot Close existing driveway (#151) upon
redevelopment. Share access with
driveway (#149) and W. 10th Ave.
160,162,163 Archer Bros Auto Service Center and Alleyway Consolidate driveways#162 and #163
from 2 to 1 driveway.
164,165,167,169 St. Vincent de Paul's Shop Potential consolidation of driveways
from 4 to 2 driveways. Potential
closure existing driveways (#165 and
#167).
Furniture Shop
179 The Key Hole Locksmith Consolidation of driveways from 2 to
1 driveway.
180 Speedy Glass/Restaurant
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CHAPTER 7: TRAFFIC SIGNAL TIMING EVALUATION
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This section summarizes the assessment of the existing traffic signal timing along West 11 Avenue
between Green Hill Road and City View Street. Based on the existing intersection geometry and existing
traffic volumes, the project area was evaluated to determine if new traffic signal timing would provide
improved traffic operations.
Coordinated traffic signal timing along major roadway corridors is one of the most cost-effective
27
techniques for improving traffic operations and can produce benefit-to-cost ratios of 40:1 or more. Key
benefits of updating traffic signal timing include fewer stops, reductions in traveler delays, improved
safety, improved air quality (due to less fuel consumption and lower emissions), improved driver
satisfaction, and more efficient use of existing transportation infrastructure.
Evaluation
The goal of the signal timing analysis was to determine if modifications to the existing signal timing would
improve traffic operations and contribute to reduced travel times through the corridor. The analysis was
accomplished by evaluating different cycle lengths, phase sequences, and subsystem configurations for
each project area. A field review of the traffic operations during the AM and PM peaks was conducted to
assess the existing conditions and gain an understanding of the corridor characteristics. Synchro was used
as the analysis tool to evaluate the existing signal timings and to develop optimized signal timings for
different scenarios. Performance measures from Synchro were used to compare the existing and proposed
operations.
The original limits of the analysis along West 11th Avenue were from Green Hill Road to Seneca Road.
Due to the close spacing of the intersections and the desire to progress traffic along West 11th Avenue
west of Garfield Street, the limits were extended to include the signals east of Seneca Road to City View
Street.
WEST 11TH AVENUE
Existing Signal Timing
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Currently, the traffic signals along West 11 Avenue between City View Street and the Fred Meyer
driveway operate in a coordinated system from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm on weekdays. The signals along
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West 11
(uncoordinated).
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The traffic signal timings along West 11 Avenue were last adjusted approximately seven years ago. At
-phase intersections (T- intersections) and 8-
phase (protected or protected/permitted left turn phases on all four approaches) intersections. Some
intersections have protected-only left-turn phasing and others have protected/permitted left-turn phasing. In
both cases, the protected left-turn indications operate with leading left-turn phasing. There are heavy left
turning movements at a few intersections and the variable distances between intersections makes it
challenging to coordinate the signals with a common cycle length.
27
National Traffic Signal Report Card Executive Summary. National Transportation Operations Coalition, 2005.
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Table 7-1 shows the cycle length for each of the signals during the AM and PM peaks.
TABLE 7-1: Existing Peak Hour Cycle Lengths
Intersection AM Peak PM Peak Left Turn Left Turn
Phasing on Phasing on
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W. 11 Ave. Side St.
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W 11 Avenue & Green Hill Road Free Free Protected Permissive
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W 11 Avenue & Terry Street Free Free Protected Permissive
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W 11 Avenue & Danebo Avenue-Free Free Protected Prot./Perm.
Willow Creek Road
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W 11 Avenue & Beltline Road Free Free Protected Protected
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W 11 Avenue & Commerce Street Free Free Protected Protected
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W 11 Avenue & Bertelsen Road Free Free Protected Prot./Perm.
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W 11 Avenue & Bailey Hill Road Free Free Protected Prot./Perm.
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W 11 Avenue & Fred Meyer Access 80 80 Prot./Perm. Permissive
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W 11 Avenue & Seneca Road 80 80 Prot./Perm. Permissive
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W 11 Avenue & Tyinn Street 80 80 Prot./Perm. Permissive
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W 11 Avenue & Oak Patch Road 80 80 Prot./Perm. Permissive
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W 11 Avenue & Conger Street 80 80 Prot./Perm. Permissive
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W 11 Avenue & McKinley Street 80 80 Prot./Perm. Permissive
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W 11 Avenue & City View Street 80 80 Prot./Perm. Permissive
Based on field observations extensive queuing occurred at the following locations:
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West 11/Beltline Road EB left turn and SB left turn
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West 11/Commerce Street WB left turn
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West 11/Commerce Street EB through
Subsystem Configuration
Optimized signal timings were evaluated under two subsystem options. The first option includes all of the
traffic signals from City View Street to Terry Street. The second option breaks the signals into two
subsystems: from City View Street to Bailey Hill Road and from Bertelsen Road to Terry Street. It was
determined that a natural subsystem break was between Bailey Hill Road and Bertelsen Road due to the
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52
distance between intersections (0.7 miles) and the fact that the platoon is more likely to fall apart due to the
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large spacing between signals. The intersection of West 11 Avenue and Green Hill Road operates more
efficiently as an actuated free intersection (as it does today) than to coordinate it with the intersections to
the east because of the long distance (1 mile) between Green Hill Road and the traffic signal at North Terry
Street.
Cycle Lengths
Currently, the traffic signals between City View Street and the Fred Meyer driveway operate at a cycle
background cycle length. Several scenarios were evaluated with cycle lengths ranging from 80 seconds to
120 seconds.
Phase Sequences
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The traffic signals along West 11 Avenue have a mixture of protected-only left-turn phasing and
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protected/permissive left-turn phasing along West 11 Avenue. Currently all of the traffic signals operate
with leading left-turn phasing.
Two scenarios were evaluated. The first scenario assumed that the existing left-turn phasing would not
change. Those intersections that currently operate with protected-only phasing will continue to operate
with protected-only. Those intersections that currently operate with protected/permissive (doghouse head)
will continue to operate as protected/permissive. The optimized timings use lagging left-turn phasing at
some traffic signals that operate with protected-only left-turn phasing. The intersections that operate with
protected/permissive left-turn phasing were assumed to operate with leading left turns to avoid the left-turn
28
trap.
The second scenario assumed that the existing doghouse signal heads would be replaced with four-section
flashing yellow left turn heads. This will allow lead/lag phasing operations without the left-turn trap. This
scenario also assumed the existing protected-only left-turn phasing at the intersections between Commerce
Street and Bailey Hill Road would continue to operate with protected-only left-turn operation.
(Existing left-turn phasing)
PM Peak
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Based on the Synchro analysis, it was determined that operating the signals along 11 Avenue as two
systems shows the greatest improvement. The signals between City View Street and Bailey Hill Road
would operate with a 100 second cycle length, while the signals between Bertelsen Road and Terry Street
would operate with a cycle length of 110 seconds This would result in reductions of 4 to 10% in vehicle
delay, stops and fuel consumed.Table 7-2 shows a comparison of the performance measures from Synchro
for each of the scenarios.
28
-between the leading phases and lagging phases. When the doghouse
indication turns yellow for the leading direction, the left turns and the through traffic must clear the intersection. In the opposite
direction, the doghouse indication still shows the green ball (and then the lagging left turn green arrow). The left-turn trap
conflict involves the left turn vehicle trying to clear the intersection (yellow indication) while the opposing through vehicle has
the green ball.
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TABLE 7-2: PM Peak Performance Comparison with Existing Left Turn Phasing
Total Average Fuel
Travel
Scenario Delay Stops (#) Speed Consumed
Time (hr)
(hr) (mph) (gal)
Existing Signal Operation 466 214 21,655 20 696
100/110 Second Cycle Length 462 210 19,509 21 673
Note: Performance Measures Determined from Synchro 6.0 Measures of Effectiveness
PM Peak (Modified left-turn phasing)
The signal system was evaluated to determine the impacts of modifying the existing protected/permissive
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(doghouse head) phasing to the flashing yellow arrow. At the West 11 Avenue intersections at Fred
Meyer access, Seneca Road, Tyinn Street, Oak Patch Road, Conger Street, McKinley Street and City View
Street existing east/west left turn signal heads were assumed to have 4-section flashing left turn yellow
arrow left turn indications, which allows lead/lag left-turn phasing.
Based on the Synchro analysis, modifying the left-turn phasing slightly improves the operation of the
corridor. Replacing the doghouse head with the four-section flashing yellow head allows greater flexibility
of the left-turn phasing, resulting in improved performance. Table 7-3 shows the operational improvement
if modified left-turn phasing/signal heads are used.
TABLE 7-3: PM Peak Performance Comparison of Left Turn Phasing Types
Total Average Fuel
Travel Stops
Scenario Delay Speed Consumed
Time (hr) (#)
(hr) (mph) (gal)
Existing Signal Operation 466 214 21,655 20 696
1. 100/110 Second Cycle Length 462 210 19,509 21 673
(Existing left-turn phasing)
2. 100/110 Second Cycle Length 459 2075 19,142 21 668
(Modified left-turn phasing)
Note: Performance Measures Determined from Synchro 6.0 Measures of Effectiveness
Modified left-turn phasing includes changing protected/permittea protected/permitted 4-section
flashing yellow left turn signal head.
Modifying the existing protected-only left turn phasing to protected/permissive phasing would result in
additional performance improvements, by reducing the delay at the intersection, especially for the left
turning vehicles. The 4-section flashing yellow left-turn head has flexibility to be operated as protected-
only or protected/permitted, depending on the time of day (or other factors). Based on comments received
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from the City of Eugene and the high collision rate at the intersection of West 11 and Bailey Hill Road, it
was decided to continue to operate the traffic signals west of Bailey Hill Road using protected-only left-
turn phasing.
(Existing left-turn phasing)
AM Peak
Two scenarios were developed for the AM Peak that show improvement over the existing conditions.
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1. 90 Second Cycle Length all signals between City View Street and Terry Street operate with a 90
second cycle length.
2. 80/90 Second Cycle Length signals between City View Street and Bailey Hill Road operate with
an 80 second cycle length and the signals between Bertelsen Road and Terry Street operate with a
90 second cycle length.
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Based on the Synchro analysis, a common cycle length of 90 seconds for all of the signals along West 11
Avenue shows the greatest improvement, most notably in the number of stops. The optimized timings
would result in reductions of 4 to14% in the delay, stops and fuel consumed. Field implementation may
find that 90 seconds is too long for the signals east of Bailey Hill Road. In that case, Option 2 can be
implemented. Field implementation may also find that the platoon falls apart between Bailey Hill Road and
Bertelsen Road and that the offsets need to be adjusted to take this into account. Table 7-4 shows a
comparison of the performance measures from Synchro for each of the scenarios.
TABLE 7-4 AM Peak Performance Comparison with Existing Left Turn Phasing
Scenario Travel Total Stops Average Fuel
Time (hr) Delay (#) Speed Consumed
(hr) (mph) (gal)
Existing Signal Operation 286 108 12,045 24 440
1. 90 Second Cycle Length 279 101 10,355 24 422
2. 80/90 Second Cycle Length 279 100 10,720 24 424
Note: Performance Measures Determined from Synchro 6.0 Measures of Effectiveness
AM Peak (Modified left-turn phasing)
One scenario that modified the left turn phasing was developed in order to determine the impact of
providing lead-lag left/turn phasing at a majority of the signals.
1. 90 Second Cycle Length all signals between City View Street and Terry Street operate with a 90
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second cycle length. At the West 11 Avenue intersections at Fred Meyer access, Seneca Road,
Tyinn Street, Oak Patch Road, Conger Street, McKinley Street and City View Street existing
east/west left turn signal heads were modified to 4-section flashing left turn yellow arrow.
Based on the Synchro analysis, modifying the left-turn phasing has minimal impact on the operation of the
corridor. Replacing the doghouse head with the four-section flashing yellow head does allow greater
flexibility of the left-turn phasing, resulting in improved performance. Table 7-5 shows the operational
improvement if protected/permitted left-turn phasing is used.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
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TABLE 7-5: AM Peak Performance Comparison of Left Turn Phasing Types
Scenario Travel Total Stops Average Fuel
Time (hr) Delay (#) Speed Consumed
(hr) (mph) (gal)
Existing Signal Operation 286 108 12,045 24 440
1. 90 Second Cycle Length (Existing 279 101 10,355 24 422
left-turn phasing)
2. 90 Second Cycle Length 279 100 10,328 25 421
(Modified left-turn phasing)
Note: Performance Measures Determined from Synchro 6.0 Measures of Effectiveness
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6 Avenue/7 Avenue Signal Timing
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The traffic signals along 6 Avenue and 7 Avenue between Chambers Street and Garfield Street were
evaluated to determine if new traffic signal timing would provide improved traffic operations. The original
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limits of the analysis also included a grid of four intersections along West 6 Avenue and West 7 Avenue
between Garfield Street and Chambers Street. The limits for this project area were extended to include the
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signal at West 8 Avenue at Chambers Street, since this signal is 500 feet south of West 7
Avenue/Chambers Street and has an influence on the traffic flow on Chambers Street.
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Currently, the traffic signals along West 6 Avenue and West 7 Avenue between Garfield Street and
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Chambers Street and the intersection of Chambers Street and 8 -
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and 7 Avenue are an east/west one-way couplet, while Garfield Street and Chambers Street are both two-
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way streets and provide connections between 6 and 7 Avenue. Currently, all five signals operate at a
cycle length of 90 seconds during the AM (7:30 to 8:45 am) and PM (3:00 to 6:00 pm) peaks.
It should be noted that the signals in this project area are part of a larger signal system that extends farther
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to the east towards downtown and includes additional intersections along 6 Avenue and 7 Avenue that
are outside of this assessment. The signal timings were adjusted approximately three to four years ago
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when I-105 was reconstructed. The signals along 6 and 7 Avenues were retimed to take into account the
new intersection geometry at Jefferson and Washington (which drives the cycle length of the system). The
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timings at Chambers and Garfield were fine tuned to provide progression along 6 and 7 Avenues while
minimizing the queues on Garfield and Chambers.
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Excessive queuing was observed on 7 Avenue from Chambers Street extending to Garfield Street, during
short periods of 15 to 20 minutes during the PM peak hour. A lane imbalance results in a large percentage
of vehicles in the eastbound left-cles. If the side street
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gapped out, additional time was added to 7 Avenue, which helped to serve the eastbound vehicles.
Signal Timing Evaluation
This group of intersections will operate efficiently at a limited number of cycle lengths. A cycle length that
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is too short will have trouble clearing all the vehicles at the intersections of 6Avenue/Chambers Street
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and 7Avenue/Chambers Street while providing adequate progression along 6 and 7Avenues. A cycle
length that is too long will produce queues on the side streets and in the left turn lanes that may exceed
storage lengths due to the close spacing of the intersections. Several scenarios were evaluated with cycle
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lengths ranging from 75 seconds to 100 seconds.
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The intersection of 6 Avenue/Chambers Street has a protected left-turn phase for northbound and the
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intersection of 7 Avenue/Chambers Street has a protected left-turn phase for southbound. These
intersections currently operate with lagging left-turn phasing. It was determined that the existing phase
sequencing is the most efficient way to operate the signals, since the lagging left-turn sequence allows for
some progression along north and southbound Chambers.
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It was determined that the intersections along West 6 and 7 Avenue between Garfield and Chambers
currently operate efficiently given the existing conditions. No changes to the signal timings are
recommended at this time.
Recommendations
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WEST 11 AVENUE
Cycle Length
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Vehicle travel times, delay and stops can be reduced along the West 11 Avenue corridor by implementing
new coordinated signal timings between City View Street and Terry Street. During the PM Peak, breaking
the corridor into two systems and operating with a cycle length of 100 seconds from City View Street to
Bailey Hill Road and a 110 second cycle length for the signals between Bertelsen Road and Terry Street
results in improved operation. During the AM Peak, a cycle length of 90 seconds is estimated to provide
the largest improvement. Field implementation may find that a break in the system between Bailey Hill
Road and Bertelsen Road (and two different cycle lengths) may serve the traffic more efficiently in the AM
Peak. In either case, the system performance measures show an improvement in the corridor operations if
new coordinated signal timings are installed from City View Street to Terry Street.
Left-Turn Phasing
Additional benefit can be realized if the left-turn phasing is modified along the corridor at selected
locations. Changing the existing doghouse signal heads at the intersections from City View Street to the
Fred Meyer driveway to four-section flashing yellow left turn heads will allow lead/lag phasing operations
without the left-turn trap (not possible with the existing doghouse head).
THTH
WEST 6 AVENUE/7 AVENUE
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Based on our analysis, it was determined that the intersections along West 6 and 7 Avenue between
Garfield and Chambers currently operate efficiently given the existing conditions. No changes to the signal
timings are recommended at this time. Further study would be required to evaluate signal timing
improvements for the larger signal system, which may suggest changes to the system boundaries, cycle
length, and/or phase sequences that would improve traffic operations. Additional field observation and
discussions with the City are recommended to further study the operation of this grid of signals with
relation to the signal to the east.
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
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CHAPTER 8: SHORT-TERM TRAFFIC OPERATIONAL
IMPROVEMENTS
This chapter provides an analysis of short-term intersection improvements based on future (2013)
conditions at the study intersections. The purpose of this chapter is to determine short-term improvements
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that could be considered for the West 11 Avenue corridor. Future traffic volumes were determined based
on traffic forecasts from Lane Council of Governments.
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Improvements to the intersections along West 11 Avenue were based on the existing and future traffic
operations along the corridor. In the existing conditions (see Chapter 3), four study intersections do not
meet the mobility standards established by the City and State. These intersections are listed below:
AM Peak Hour
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West 11 Avenue/Danebo Avenue-Willow Creek Road (v/c = 0.91)
PM Peak Hour
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West 11 Avenue/Green Hill Road (v/c = 0.85)
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West 11 Avenue/Terry Street (v/c = 0.96)
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road (v/c = 0.99)
Future 2013 operating conditions were also analyzed to determine if any other intersection are expected to
exceed operating standards in the near future. The future conditions analysis and recommended
intersection improvements are described next.
Future (2013) Conditions
Future (2013) AM and PM peak hour turning movement volumes were estimated for the study area
intersections using the travel demand model developed by Lane Council of Governments (LCOG). The
future (2013) volumes were estimated by a post-processing methodology that included estimating the
growth increment between the base year and the future year models for each intersection approach and
applying an interpolated growth factor to the existing year turn movement volumes. City staff also
provided trip information for planned but unconstructed developments along the corridor that were
29
estimated to generate peak hour traffic but was not included in the traffic counts. The projected future
(2013) traffic volumes are shown in Figure 8-1.
The future (2013) operation performance of the study intersections was performed using Synchro software.
Synchro employs methodology from the 2000 Highway Capacity Manual. The traffic volumes and
transportation system configurations described previously were used to determine intersection levels of
service (LOS) and volume-to-capacity ratios. The existing intersection signal timing was used in the future
(2013) analysis. The resulting operations analysis is presented in Table 8-1. Appendix D provides the LOS
worksheets for each intersection.
29
In process traffic volume figures provided by Gary McNeel
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West 11 Avenue Corridor Study September 4, 2009
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Table 8-1: Future (2013) Intersection Performance
AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Operating
a
Intersection
Standard
Delay LOS V/C Delay LOS V/C
Signalized
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(1) W 11 Ave/Green Hill Rd 0.80 V/C 27.0 C 0.87 43.2 D 1.00
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(3) W 11 Ave/Terry St 0.80 V/C 6.5 A 0.58 107.4 F >1.0
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(4) W 11 Ave/Danebo Ave-0.80 V/C >80.0 F >1.0 38.4 D 0.91
Willow Creek Rd
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(5) W 11 Ave/Beltline Rd 0.80 V/C 24.9 C 0.79 64.4 E >1.0
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(6) W 11 Ave/Commerce St LOS D 16.0 B 0.54 47.5 D 0.83
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(7) W 11 Ave/Bertelsen Rd LOS D 38.8 D 0.84 40.5 D 0.96
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(8) W 11 Ave/Bailey Hill Rd LOS D 34.2 C 0.85 48.6 D 0.96
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(9) W 11 Ave/Shopping Center LOS D 9.1 A 0.47 7.7 A 0.70
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(10) W 11 Ave/Seneca Rd LOS D 7.2 A 0.45 46.5 D 0.98
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(11) W 11 Ave/Tyinn St LOS D 2.3 A 0.48 9.4 A 0.71
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(12) W 11 Ave/Oak Patch Rd LOS D 11.7 B 0.56 9.2 A 0.64
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(13) W 11 Ave/Conger St LOS D 5.1 A 0.46 5.0 A 0.64
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(14) W 11 Ave/ McKinley St LOS D 5.4 A 0.53 10.9 B 0.63
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(15) W 11 Ave/City View St LOS D 9.5 A 0.62 8.9 A 0.69
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(16) W 11 Ave/Garfield St LOS D 16.2 B 0.65 24.9 C 0.78
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(17) W 11 Ave/Chambers St LOS D 16.6 B 0.74 24.8 C 0.88
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(19) W 13 Ave/Chambers St LOS D 17.6 B 0.66 20.4 C 0.73
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(20) W 6 Ave/Garfield St 0.85 V/C 11.5 B 0.75 9.9 A 0.77
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(21) W 7 Ave/Garfield St 0.85 V/C 17.3 B 0.61 22.4 C 0.78
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(22) W 7 Ave/Chambers St 0.85 V/C 28.7 C 0.81 52.2 D 0.95
Unsignalized
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(2) W 11 Ave/Ed Cone Blvd 0.80 V/C 34.6 A/D 0.25 39.0 A/E 0.78
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(18) W 13 Ave/Garfield St LOS D 15.2 A/C - 16.5 A/C -
Signalized intersection: Unsignalized intersection:
Delay = Average Intersection Delay (sec.) Delay = Critical Movement Approach Delay (sec.)
LOS = Level of Service LOS = Major Street LOS/Minor Street LOS
V/C = Volume-to-Capacity Ratio V/C = Critical Movement Volume-to-Capacity Ratio
Bold UnderlinedBold Underlined
values do not meet standards. values do not meet standards.
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During the AM peak hour, mobility standards are not met at two intersections, and during the PM peak
hour, mobility standards are not met at five intersections. All the deficient intersections exceed the V/C
standard established by ODOT. The intersections are listed below by peak hour during with standards are
not met.
AM Peak Hour
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West 11 Avenue/Green Hill Road (v/c = 0.87)
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West 11 Avenue/Danebo Avenue-Willow Creek Road (v/c = >1.0)
PM Peak Hour
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West 11 Avenue/Green Hill Road (v/c = 1.00)
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West 11 Avenue/Terry Street (v/c = >1.0)
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West 11 Avenue/Danebo Avenue-Willow Creek Road (v/c = 0.91)
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road (v/c = >1.0)
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West 7 Avenue/Chambers Street (v/c = 0.95)
Intersection Improvements
Capacity and signal phasing improvements were reviewed at each of the deficient intersections and at other
key intersections that have safety and operational concerns even though they may not be exceeding
operational standards. Focus is on intersections because they are the controlling bottlenecks of traffic flow
and the ability of a roadway system to carry traffic efficiently is nearly always diminished in their vicinity.
Intersection improvements are typically the lowest cost method for improving transportation system
capacity. The following intersection improvements were identified at the study intersections and are listed
by agency jurisdiction:
ODOT
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West 11 Avenue/Green Hill Road.
Either upgrade West 11 Avenue to a five-lane urban
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arterial or construct a dual-lane roundabout.
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West 11 Avenue/Terry Street.
Widen West 11 Avenue for one-quarter mile west of Terry
Street to provide two westbound travel lanes, convert the westbound right-turn lane to a through-
right, and restripe the southbound through/right-turn lane to include a shared left-
turn/through/right-turn lane (keeping the southbound left lane intact) with a split-phased signal in
the northbound and southbound directions.
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West 11 Avenue/Danebo Avenue-Willow Creek Road.
Widen the westbound approach at the
intersection, convert the westbound shared through/right-turn lane to a dedicated westbound
through lane, and construct an exclusive westbound right-turn lane, with permissive-overlap
phasing. In addition, construct an additional westbound left-turn lane to provide dual westbound
30
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The roundabout was considered at the Green Hill Road/West 11 Avenue intersection and was analyzed using the National
es the
(TPAU) has prepared. Based on the calculation, the construction of a dual lane roundabout intersection at Green Hill Road/West
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11 Avenue would result in LOS B or better during the AM and PM peak hours.
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left-turn lanes, and construct eastbound and southbound right-turn lanes with permissive-overlap
phasing at the intersection.
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road.
Restripe the southbound approach to include dual southbound
left-turn lanes (14 feet and 12 feet wide) and one southbound right-turn lane (12 feet wide), with a
southbound right-turn overlap phase. Construct an additional eastbound left-turn lane to provide
dual eastbound left-turn lanes. Extend the westbound right-turn lane to provide additional storage
capacity.
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West 7Avenue/Chambers Street. Construct an exclusive eastbound
left-turn lane, and
restripe the eastbound left/through lane to a dedicated eastbound through lane.
City of Eugene
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West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road.
Add a northbound right-turn lane.
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West 11 Avenue/Seneca Road.
Add a westbound right-turn lane.
/
Table 8-2 shows the change in VC and LOS that result from each of these improvements. As shown, after
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improvements all intersections will meet mobility standards, with the exception of West 11
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Avenue/Danebo Road-Willow Creek Road (AM and PM peak hours) and West 7 Avenue/Chambers
Street (PM peak hour). These intersections will continue to operate at V/Cs greater than 0.85. The
improvements that would be required to allow for acceptable operations at this intersection were
considered to be above and beyond the objective of this study.
The right-turn lanes at the two City of Eugene intersections would improve operations as well as safety. As
shown previously in Table 3-7, these two intersections have the greatest number of recorded collisions
between 2003 and 2006 (see Collision Analysis section in Chapter 3: Existing Conditions). Table 8-2 also
do have high V/C ratios (between 0.96 and 0.98). Therefore, they are nearing capacity.
Recommended Improvements
Intersection improvements can provide the greatest benefits and therefore are recommended at the
following four study intersections:
ODOT
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road
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West 11 Avenue/Terry Street
City of Eugene
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West 11 Avenue/Bailey Hill Road
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West 11 Avenue/Seneca Road
Even though improvements have been identified for five ODOT intersections, this study recommends that
improvements at these two ODOT intersections be given the highest priority of the five ODOT
intersections. These projects should be coordinated with ODOT. Where applicable, access management as
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identified in the safety and access management chapters should be implemented as part of the
improvements.
Table 8-2: Future (2013) Study Intersection Performance with Improvements
AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Operating
Scenario (by Intersection)
Standard
LOS V/C LOS V/C
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W 11 Ave/Green Hill Rd
2008 Existing 0.80 V/C B 0.75 C 0.83
2013 Future 0.80 V/C C 0.87 D 1.00
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2013 Future with 5-lane W 11 Ave 0.80 V/C B 0.57 B 0.61
2013 Future with Dual-Lane Roundabout 0.80 V/C A 0.52 B 0.65
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W 11 Ave/Terry St
2008 Existing 0.80 V/C A 0.45 D 0.97
2013 Future 0.80 V/C A 0.58 F 1.21
2013 Future with Improvements 0.80 V/C A 0.56 B 0.74
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W 11 Ave/Danebo Ave-Willow Creek Rd
2008 Existing 0.80 V/C D 0.91 C 0.71
2013 Future 0.80 V/C F 1.09 D 0.91
2013 Future with Improvements 0.80 V/C E 0.91 D 0.85
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W 11 Ave/Beltline Rd
2008 Existing 0.80 V/C C 0.70 D 0.99
2013 Future 0.80 V/C C 0.79 E 1.12
2013 Future with Improvements 0.80 V/C B 0.47 C 0.74
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W 7 Ave/Chambers St
2008 Existing 0.85 V/C C 0.77 C 0.85
2013 Future 0.85 V/C C 0.81 D 0.95
2013 Future with Improvements 0.85 V/C C 0.73 C 0.91
W 11th Ave/Bailey Hill Rd
2008 Existing LOS D C 0.80 C 0.76
2013 Future LOS D C 0.85 D 0.96
2013 Future with Improvements LOS D C 0.70 D 0.82
W 11th Ave/Seneca Rd
2008 Existing LOS D A 0.41 B 0.81
2013 Future LOS D A 0.45 D 0.98
2013 Future with Improvements LOS D A 0.45 B 0.82
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Traffic Signal System Improvements
To further improve traffic signal operations and signal timing efficiency along West 11th Avenue,
advanced traffic signal timing methods can be implemented. One method that has proven to be beneficial
is adaptive traffic signal control.
Adaptive traffic control systems, such as SCATS31, operate in real-time, adjusting signal timing
parameters (splits, cycle length and offsets) at each intersection based on variation in traffic demand and
system capacity. Adaptive traffic signal control can automatically respond to special events or other
unpredictable incidents that cause significant changes in traffic volumes and speeds without intervention
by a traffic engineer because the system constantly monitors the level of congestion. Adaptive traffic signal
control does not use pre-programmed plans, instead changes splits, offsets, and cycle lengths based on
current traffic conditions.
Adaptive systems rely on good vehicle detection, a central computer and constant second-by-second
communication to intersection controllers. The central computer processes data collected from all traffic
signal controllers in the system in real time and sets the cycle length, splits and offsets for each signal
controller.
Previous studies have shown that adaptive traffic control has substantial benefits over a non-adaptive
system, including reducing delay and travel time by 5-30 percent. The cost for an adaptive signal system
has been estimated to be $50,000 per intersection. This cost includes modification to the detection and
communications systems, the cost of licensing and the cost to configure the intersection within the central
software.
Recommended Improvement Cost Estimates
Preliminary planning level cost estimates were developed for the four recommended improvements by
OTAK for both the ODOT and City of Eugene intersections. Cost estimates are summarized on Table 8-3.
Table 8-3: Recommended Improvement Cost Estimate Summary
Alternatives
Cost Estimate
ODOT Intersections
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West 11 Avenue/Beltline Road
West 11th Avenue/Terry Street
City of Eugene
West 11th Avenue/Bailey Hill Road
West 11th Avenue/Seneca Road
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Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System
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