Jefferson Street Traffic Calming

Thank you for sharing your concerns about effects of previous traffic calming projects and what may happen as a result of adding traffic calming to Jefferson Street. The Friendly Area Neighbors have a committee that actively meets to discuss concerns about traffic. That group helps to prioritize the neighborhood concerns about speeding and where to deploy traffic calming. Because resources are limited, we work to address the most egregious speeding problems first and on streets with a history of crashes. In developing the City of Eugene Vision Zero Action Plan, Jefferson Street was identified as part of the high crash network due to crashes resulting in injury or death. More information about the Vision Zero program may be found at: https://www.eugene-or.gov/4270/Vision-Zero. More information about the traffic calming program may be found at: https://www.eugene-or.gov/1729/Traffic-Calming.

Thanks,

Chris Henry, PE

Transportation Planning Engineer

Thank you for sharing your neighborhood history and concern about the traffic calming, old and new. The traffic calming projects on nearby Friendly and Lincoln streets were installed many decades ago and were some of the first speed humps built. We’ve established standards for their construction to yield consistent results. Some of the Friendly Street speed humps were reconstructed with a paving project a few years ago and should be matching or standard height of 3 inches.

We have new tools available now that we didn’t when we started our traffic calming program in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s. Specifically, traffic calming speed cushions are relatively new. They are constructed of the same materials (usually asphalt) as speed humps and follow the same shape. The difference with speed cushions is that they have cutouts for the wheel-path of emergency vehicles. These larger emergency vehicles are wider than typical passenger cars and can straddle the speed cushion whereas a passenger car cannot. Depending on the design, we can also place the speed cushions to discourage people from trying to bypass them. We have measured speed reductions of four to six miles per hour with speed cushions on recent projects. Speed cushions are durable, effective at speed reduction, and allow for emergency services.

While everyone may not agree, Jefferson Street is adequately wide enough for two travel lanes and two parking lanes. The absence of parked cars on the street make it appear wider and contribute to higher traveled speeds. In some cases, curbs may be extended into the street to shadow the parked cars (or absence of parked cars) to effectively narrow the street and encourage lower traveled speeds. Those measures are more expensive and less effective at calming traffic than speed humps or speed cushions. We haven’t built very many streets from scratch lately, but as we do, we typically include traffic calming design elements to encourage a travelled speed consistent with the context of the land uses nearby.

The Friendly Area Neighbors have been very active in advocating for traffic calming in the neighborhood over the years. They have spoken as individuals and as a neighborhood association in their request for relief from people driving too fast in the neighborhood. Another concern that they have raised is how the neighborhood is disconnected by missing sidewalk segments. Filling in the gaps of missing sidewalks in neighborhoods has been an ongoing funding issue.

In developing the City of Eugene Vision Zero Action Plan, Jefferson Street was identified as part of the high crash network due to crashes resulting in injury or death. More information about the Vision Zero program may be found at: https://www.eugene-or.gov/4270/Vision-Zero. More information about the traffic calming program may be found at: https://www.eugene-or.gov/1729/Traffic-Calming.

Thanks again for sharing your views here. If you are able, please plan to attend the community meeting on February 26, 2020.

Chris Henry, PE

Transportation Planning Engineer

Thank you for sharing your experience of people speeding on 29^th Avenue and asking about how streets are identified as part of the Vision Zero network in Eugene. The Vision Zero network identifies street corridors and prioritizes those that have a demonstrated history of crashes that result in fatalities or injuries. Speed may be a contributing factor, but the prioritization is based on data that shows harm to people through crashes. Jefferson Street is part of the Vision Zero network for these reasons. There is also a demonstrated problem with people driving too fast on Jefferson Street that qualifies the street for traffic calming. While many streets may present safety concerns and may also qualify for traffic calming, we are focused on addressing the most egregious problems first with a data-driven approach within the financial resources available. More information about the Vision Zero program may be found at: https://www.eugene-or.gov/4270/Vision-Zero. More information about the traffic calming program may be found at: https://www.eugene-or.gov/1729/Traffic-Calming.

Thanks,

Chris Henry, PE

Transportation Planning Engineer

Your ideas are being considered...

Staff are exploring options and modifications to the traffic calming proposed at the February 2020 community meeting. We plan to engage the Friendly Area Neighbors Transportation Team in that process.

Many of the suggestions above involve work within the public right-of-way. While your enthusiasm is appreciated, work within the public right-of-way needs to be performed or managed by the city for the safety and liability of all involved as well as the traveling public.

The types of treatments suggested here are things that we are already considering. An approach to implement them quickly and at a lower cost is consistent with efforts called “tactical urbanism.” The city has used similar techniques in other locations and will evaluate what could be implemented on Jefferson Street.

Vehicles may be parked along the street for up to 72 hours consistent with Eugene City Code.

Thanks,

Chris Henry, PE

Transportation Planning Engineer