Eugene’s dryly worded plan contains only vague proposed policies
that largely correspond to existing city policies without calling for
measurable increases in city efforts and results to increase cycling.
PRIORITY BIKE PROJECT
The plan also prioritizes a large number of
“bicycle boulevards,” including on 15th from
Jefferson to the UO, on Friendly, Blair and
Monroe streets and many more on residential
streets in outlying subdivisions. “One of this
plan’s primary goals is to create a robust
bicycle boulevard network,” the document
states.
But it’s not clear from the plan exactly
what the city is committing to build when it
says “bicycle boulevard.” The plan says the
facility “can vary greatly,” but states “it is
assumed that all bicycle boulevards in Eugene
will at a minimum have signs, pavement
markings, traffi c calming, (if needed to
keep vehicle speeds low), and some type of
intersection crossing treatments.”
Unlike bike lanes, bike boulevards do
not legally dedicate any part of the roadway
to bicyclists. They are cheap, but without
traffi c diverters and “do not enter except
bikes” signs, it can be diffi cult to say that
they offer signifi cant improvement over the
already existing low traffi c street they are put
on. Because they are not built in busy areas,
bike boulevards often also do not connect
to workplaces and shopping where many
cyclists want to go.
Not included in the draft priority list are
a lot of important bike improvements long
sought by cycling advocates, including:
• Bridge connecting the Fern Ridge Path
to Target
• Beltline bridge to Bethel
• Bike lanes on West 13th, north Willamette
Street and Franklin Boulevard
• Closing the riverfront path gap between the
Autzen (Frohnmayer) and Knickerbocker bike
bridges
• A bike path or bridge from the river path to
the Laurel Hill neighborhood
• A railway underpass connecting Alder Street
to the river
• Improvements to dangerous intersections
• Uphill bike lanes on Dillard Road and Lorane
Highway
• Bike lanes on West 11th and buffered bike lanes
and/or a separated cycle track on Coburg Road
• A two-way cycletrack on 13th leading into the
UO
The priority plan offers only one mile of
separated, safe cycle track — considered by many
advocates as the best way to increase cycling. A
Danish study found that cycle tracks were three to
four times more effective at increasing ridership
than bike lanes.
In many ways the proposed 20-year priority
list would represent a substantial reduction in bike
projects compared to the last 20 years in Eugene.
In that period, the city built the DeFazio, I-5
and Delta bike bridges, the Fern Ridge trail and
completed a big gap in the riverfront bike system.
Comments from the Eugene City Council last
week on the planning project mostly focused on
councilors wanting bike facility improvements in
their wards. Councilor Pat Farr pressed for better
bike connections to downtown and the riverfront trail
system. “It’s a concern for the people from Bethel.”
Inerfeld told BPAC that the priority list was
based on past spending levels for bike projects.
“We thought we should have a plan that’s
realistic,” he said. “The big challenge is getting
the funding.”
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