HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem A: Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
ECC
UGENE ITY OUNCIL
AIS
GENDA TEM UMMARY
Work Session: Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
Meeting Date: November 14, 2011 Agenda Item Number: A
Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Reed Dunbar
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5727
ISSUE STATEMENT
This work session will provide an overview of the draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan and the
process for finalizing the plan. The last council work session on this planning process was on July 11,
2011.
BACKGROUND
The Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (PBMP) provides the City of Eugene with the projects
and policies necessary to create a first-class city for bicycling and walking, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from transportation, and provide for a well-designed, integrated, safe, and efficient multi-
modal transportation system. Its geography covers the entire city including linkages to adjacent
communities. The Eugene PBMP serves as the basis for the pedestrian and bicycle element of the City’s
Transportation System Plan (TSP), which is currently being updated. The City Council has not
previously acted on the PBMP.
TransPlan, which was adopted in 2001, serves as the City’s existing TSP and includes pedestrian and
bicycle policies and projects. Since the adoption of TransPlan, the city developed a Pedestrian and
Bicycle Strategic Plan in 2008 that addresses mostly non-infrastructure elements of making Eugene
more walkable and bikeable such as education, encouragement and enforcement. Development of the
PBMP is funded through a Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) grant from the Oregon
Department of Transportation.
There has been an extensive amount of public involvement for the plan including a collection of input
gathered over the past several years, an interactive web-based mapping tool, an online survey and
comment form, neighborhood toolkits, two open houses, and six meetings of the Project Advisory
Committee (PAC). Based on these interactions, a draft PBMP document was made available to the
public in September 2011. A third open house was held following the release of the plan. There was
also an online survey available for residents to provide comments and staff collected written comments,
primarily via email, on issues and concerns. See Appendices A and B for a summary of public
comments.
Elements of the draft PBMP include:
1.Proposed set of pedestrian and bicycle policies that are recommended for adoption as part of the
TSP update
S:\CMO\2011 Council Agendas\M111114\S111114A.doc
2.Design Toolkit that serves as a best practice guide for updating the City’s design standards and
guidelines
3.List of proposed capital projects and feasibility studies that will replace the pedestrian and
bicycle projects in the current TransPlan
4.List of intersections that have been identified for further analysis to identify safety issues and
potential improvements
5.Recommended code revisions.
Staff recommends that the revised draft of the PBMP be brought back to the council for acceptance
during early 2012. The plan will be officially adopted around mid-2013 as part of the TSP adoption
process. In the interim, the accepted PBMP will serve as a blueprint for pedestrian and bicycle planning
activities including grant writing, facility development and network improvements.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
The Transportation System Plan is being updated as directed by the City Council in 2008, to provide an
integrated land use/transportation plan with the development of Envision Eugene. The TSP will include
policies from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
Provide feedback to staff on draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
Not applicable, as no action is requested at this time.
SUGGESTED MOTION
Not applicable, as no action is requested.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Online Survey Summary (October 2011)
B. Summary of PBMP Draft Comments (Fall 2011)
C. Timeline
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Reed Dunbar
Telephone: 541-682-5727
Staff E-Mail: reed.c.dunbar@ci.eugene.or.us
S:\CMO\2011 Council Agendas\M111114\S111114A.doc
ATTACHMENT A
PBMP Online Survey Summary
Methodology
Online survey (surveymonkey.com) linked to eugenepedbikeplan.org; closed 10.14.11. Maintained and
data table of results provided by CH2M Hill (consultant).
# Responses
86
Neighborhood of Respondent
1
General Comments
55% Positive; 20% Mixed; 14% No Answer; 12% Negative
Positive comments: comprehensive, organized, a good step, let’s do it!
Mixed comments: a good start, unfocused, needs more action, skeptical of bike boulevards, doesn’t do
enough to address transit connections and connections to LCC, 20-years is too long.
Negative comments: not aggressive enough, no timeline, doesn’t address real issues, too expensive,
doesn’t go far enough.
Yes 38%; No Answer 28%; Maybe 27%; No 7%
2
3
ATTACHMENT B
Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
Summary of Public Comments
Themes:
The plan will work. Respondents believe the plan will help increase the convenience, safety, and
number of pedestrians and bicyclists. Dissenters fall into two camps: either they feel the plan doesn’t go
far enough or they think that public money is better spent somewhere else.
To reach the next level we have to try new things. Many comments focused on developing innovative
bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Recent installations such as the two-way buffered bike lane on Alder
Street are thought by many to increase the comfort and safety of bicyclists. Likewise, the use of stutter
flash beacons across high volume roadways is thought to increase pedestrian access and safety. While
bike lanes work well for many people, separated facilities will be necessary to attract the majority of
individuals who have safety concerns (such as families with children).
Change won’t happen overnight. It will take a concerted effort on behalf of public and private entities to
double the percentage of walking and biking trips. Developing programming, infrastructure, and culture
all require time.
There will be growing pains. Developing infrastructure that is unfamiliar to local residents will meet with
resistance. It will take courage and determination to educate the public and convince transportation
users that a new design is the correct one. Stay the course.
If we are serious we must commit funding. The projects detailed in the plan are numerous and will take
many years to implement. There is a feeling that lack of funding will negatively impact the
implementation schedule and that projects with significant cost (such as bridges) might be eliminated
outright. Cities that have achieved a high percentage of walking and bicycling trips have done so
because they invested in that outcome. While city staff, local agencies, the private sector, and elected
officials will need to be creative throughout the funding process, dedicated funding streams also need to
be established.
Summary of comments on the plan’s policies:
a.All performance measures need to be quantifiable. The amount and variety of data available
will be a limiting factor.
b.Policies should prioritize separation of bikes from automobiles.
c.There is a feeling that on-street parking will impede implementation of this plan where there is
inadequate street width to provide additional bike facilities if parking is left intact.
d.Some respondents would like to see more emphasis placed on personal safety. An example is
increasing lighting on shared use paths.
e.Implementation of the PBMP will require new and greater funding sources.
f.Enhancement of the pedestrian environment has been underfunded. Pedestrian policies should
emphasize sidewalk infill and dedicated funding streams.
Summary of comments about the plan’s projects:
a.Prioritize improvements in the campus area
b.There needs to be a safe, consistent route through the Lane County fairgrounds
c.Prioritize reconstruction of Willamette Street
d.Identify route to LCC
e.Include EWEB property as study area
f.Install a separated facility on W Amazon Drive