Polk Street Bike Lanes

Project Overview

The City of Eugene identified Polk Street from Second Avenue to 18th Avenue for bike lanes through a community-driven process called Move EUG in 2023. Bike lanes on Polk Street also were identified in the Transportation System Plan, adopted in 2017.

Polk Street is a popular bicycle route that does not provide dedicated space for people biking. Currently, Polk Street has two vehicle travel lanes and on-street parking on both sides of the street. Adding bike lanes to Polk Street would likely require removing some or all of the on-street parking.

Community Engagement

Funding to add bike lanes on Polk Street comes from the voter approved 2022 Street Repair Bond Measure. While funding has been set aside, the City has not made final decisions about adding bike lanes or changing the street design.

Hearing from community members is a vital part of the planning process. Beginning in November 2025, community members will be able to take a survey, learn more about upcoming community meetings, engage in dialogue with other community members and more.

Reasons for the Proposed Change

Polk Street is a primary biking route for people travelling north and south between 28th Avenue and the Whiteaker neighborhood, including the schools, churches, and businesses in between.

Observation of the street shows people biking, including with children, weaving in and out of the on-street parking lane, taking the lane and then being aggressively passed by people driving, lane splitting between parked cars and stopped traffic, biking on the sidewalk, and other unsafe behaviors by both people driving and people biking. The number and type of destinations along the street, speed and volume of vehicles that use Polk Street, and the behavior of people driving and biking, make the street an important candidate for dedicated bicycle lanes.