Franklin Boulevard Transformation

COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE: FEBRUARY 2, 2023

The Open House will showcase the current design iteration and share the draft corridor report for the Franklin Boulevard Transformation project. It aims to update community members who have previously engaged with the project, introduce the project to new community members, and ask for feedback on the current design draft. Talk with the project team, engage with the design, and collaborate with fellow community members. Community input will be incorporated into the design as it moves forward from planning to engineering. Food and drink will be available, along with kid-friendly activities.

Community members who cannot make it to the in-person event will be able to participate with the materials virtually on the project website (here).

When: Drop in anytime on February 2nd between 4:30pm – 6:30pm

Where: The Ford Alumni Center Ballroom (1720 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403)

Why: Get updated on the latest design and provide feedback

Getting There: The EmX Agate Station stop is mere steps from the Ford Alumni Center. There is bike parking to the north and south of the building.

If arriving by car, there is a parking garage beneath the Ford Alumni Center, accessible from East 13^th Avenue ($2 per hour, 24/7). There is also hourly street parking on 13^th Avenue, and a permitted UO surface parking lot adjacent to the building.

Why was this project identified?

Franklin Boulevard, with its wide lanes and fast-moving vehicles, can be uninviting, unsafe and an uncomfortable street. For people who walk, bike or ride the bus, Franklin Boulevard can be a significant barrier to getting from place to place.

Fortunately, the future of Franklin Boulevard is brighter. The Franklin Boulevard Transformation project will encourage new ways for businesses and neighborhoods near Franklin Boulevard to redevelop the street into a more comfortable connector of places, rather than a divider.

What has the process been?

Planning for the project began in January 2019 with the goal to improve Franklin Boulevard from Alder Street to Interstate-5, including Garden Avenue. The project aims to transform Franklin Boulevard from an auto-focused state highway into a pleasant, multi-modal, urban corridor that is safe for all people, including those who walk, bike, roll, take the bus and drive.

Throughout the planning process, staff engaged with the community through multiple public involvement activities, including two workshops, online surveys and meetings with interested parties. Through public input and professional analysis, the three corridor alternatives that were shared in May 2019 have been evaluated and revised into one preferred alternative, which was shared at an open house in March 2020. Since then, additional design refinements have continued to be identified and made.

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Franklin Boulevard Receives Federal Funding: November 2021

The Cities of Eugene and Springfield, and Lane Transit District, were jointly awarded $19 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program for the Franklin Boulevard: A Partnership to Rebuild and Revive a Corridor project.

The RAISE grant will fund the first phase of the reconstruction of Franklin in Eugene with roundabout intersections at Walnut and 13th/Moss. The complete project will connect nearby neighborhoods, improve EmX bus rapid transit system, deliver significant environmental benefits, and add sidewalks and bike facilities.