Amazon to Riverfront

This project is part of the Central Eugene in Motion study.

Design Alternative Selected: High Street Two-Way Protected Bikeway (Planned for 2023)

After a community process that included stakeholder meetings, two open houses, surveys, online mapping, a trial evaluation of a one-lane section of High Street south of 11th, a series of focus groups with sub-area stakeholders, design refinement with affected property owners, and a final staff and leadership review, Alternative #3 was selected for the Amazon to Riverfront connection: a two-way protected bikeway on High Street. 

The two-way protected bikeway on High Street will include the following:

• Installation of a two-way protected bikeway on High Street (19th Avenue to 6th Avenue)
• Removal of one travel lane on High Street (19th Avenue to 11th Avenue)
• Parking removal on some blocks of High Street (11th Avenue to 6th Avenue)
• Bike signals at all existing traffic signals
• Updated bike wayfinding signs
• Connection to the new 13th Avenue Bikeway (linking the University of Oregon campus to downtown Eugene)
• Connection to the Amazon Path and the Riverbank Path (linking to the new Downtown Riverfront Development)

City staff have begun the design and engineering process and plan to construct the High Street Bikeway in 2022. We will continue to work with key stakeholders and property owners as we develop the design. Prior to construction, all adjacent property owners, businesses, and residents will receive advanced notification for construction and proposed schedule.

Questions?

Contact Reed Dunbar, Project Manager for Central Eugene in Motion, at 541-682-5727 or RDunbar@eugene-or.gov.

Background

Traffic Evaluation Study

Starting March 9, 2020, the west-side northbound travel lane of High Street from 19th Avenue to 11th Avenue was closed for additional traffic evaluation. The purpose was to determine what the impacts to people driving on High Street would likely be if Alternative #3: two-way protected bikeway on High Street were to be constructed. The intent of this evaluation project was to gather data on travel time, traffic queuing and intersection performance. This would inform decision making regarding which alternative is selected for implementation.

Prior to the lane closure, city staff observed and recorded intersection queuing and travel times to establish existing conditions. During the first week of the lane closure, Transportation Planning and Traffic Operations staff spent several hours observing traffic flow in the corridor. The plan had been to conduct the quantitative data gathering during the second week of the project. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, people started to drastically change their travel patterns at the end of the first week. Due to the change in traffic patterns, the evaluation project was terminated at the end of the first week and the travel lane was reopened to vehicle traffic. While monitoring traffic flow during the lane closure, staff observed that traffic flowed smoothly and traffic queues at intersections cleared during each traffic signal cycle.

Open House Materials

Pros and Cons of Alternatives	Frequently Asked Questions