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SEN Transportation Committee June Report

 

The Transportation Committee met once in June. July meetings will resume for the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 1:15 and on the 4th Thursday at 7:00-8:00 pm, all on Zoom. All are welcome. Transportation Committee member Lucy Bambrey was recently nominated to the SEN Board with a board resignation in June. 

 

SIDEWALKS: We had many volunteers express interest in helping neighbors for our sidewalk cleanup day for June. However, we had no neighbors sign up to express sidewalk needs. The event will be offered again in the fall. Neighbor Joan has spoken at meetings and in writing in order to get a sidewalk Make Way Day going in our neighborhood. 

 

Because we’ve heard from so many neighbors about sidewalks, and many other neighborhoods have as well, SEN Transportation Committee has decided to offer Thursday, August 24th at 7:00 as a cross-neighborhood forum for neighbors to convene and openly talk about needs and what has worked/what other ideas are out there to support active transportation on a safe and contiguous sidewalk network. There will be no speakers or special guests – all neighbors and discussion group format for compiling needs and ideas to take forward in the future. 

 

Spring Boulevard seismic evaluation failure updates – The SEN Board approved the Transportation Committee’s letter of concern regarding the Spring Boulevard Bridge results/emergency evacuation implications. Linda Duggan met with Councilor Keating and communicated with him about SEN’s concerns. The approved letter was sent in early July via email  and we await a reply. We never heard back from the City regarding which other bridges are higher on the list for seismic repair/retrofitting. 

 

SPEEDING – Speed Study East Amazon: 36th to Nectar 

Earlier this year, you requested a speed study on East Amazon Drive between E 36th and Nectar Way. Conducting a speed study is often the first step in determining if a street is eligible for traffic calming.

 

It’s important to note here that the traffic calming program, as it exists today, only installs speed humps and speed cushions on local or neighborhood collector streets. Speed humps and speed cushions are not installed on major collectors, minor arterials, or major arterials.

 

East Amazon Drive north of Dillard Road is a minor arterial and thus speed humps or speed cushions are not appropriate. There is still value in having speed study results from East Amazon north of Dillard Road, particularly if the traffic calming program ever expands to include other tools to address speeding on major collectors, minor arterials, and major arterials. East Amazon south of Dillard Road is a local street and thus speed humps or speed cushions could be appropriate based on speed study results.

 

I’ve listed the results from your requested speed study below. Speed studies were conducted at two locations because East Amazon Drive between E 36th and Nectar Way is a longer street segment. As a reminder, to qualify for traffic calming a street must meet all three of the listed criteria. 

 

East Amazon Drive between Potter Street and E 36th:

  1. More than 50% of vehicles are traveling at or above the speed limit (30 mph)
    1. Criteria met: The 50th percentile speed was 33.7 mph
  2. The 85th percentile speed is at least 5 miles per hour over the speed limits (30 mph)
    1. Criteria met: The 85th percentile speed was 38.2 mph
  3. Average daily traffic (ADT) volume is at least 600
    1. Criteria met: ADT was 5567

East Amazon Drive between Nectar Way and Potter Street:

  1. More than 50% of vehicles are traveling at or above the speed limit (30 mph)
    1. Criteria met: The 50th percentile speed was 31.6 mph
  2. The 85th percentile speed is at least 5 miles per hour over the speed limits (30 mph)
    1. Criteria met: The 85th percentile speed was 36.3 mph
  3. Average daily traffic (ADT) volume is at least 600
    1. Criteria met: ADT was 1433

Based on the speed study, East Amazon Drive between E 36th and Nectar Way qualifies for traffic calming. However, because of the classification of the street, speed humps or speed cushions are appropriate for only the portion of East Amazon Drive south of Dillard Road. I have added this portion of East Amazon Drive to the list of streets that are qualified for speed humps or speed cushions.

 

The list of qualified streets is reviewed annually as we program our limited traffic calming funds. We consider speed study results, closeness to community destinations (parks and schools), as well as other factors when programming funds. I unfortunately do not have an estimate of when East Amazon Drive south of Dillard Road will receive traffic calming. Traffic calming funds are currently programmed out through 2025.

 

I realize it may be disappointing to learn that while East Amazon Drive south of Dillard Road qualifies for traffic calming, actual speed humps or speed cushions may still be years away. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any additional questions about the speed study or the traffic calming program.

SPEEDING: West Amazon – Snell to Fox Hollow

You previously requested a speed study along a Eugene street. Conducting a speed study is the first step in determining if a street is eligible for traffic calming (installing speed humps and speed cushions). The City has received results from spring speed studies and is now sharing the results.

 

You requested a speed study on West Amazon Drive between Snell Street and Fox Hollow, results are below. As a reminder, to qualify for traffic calming a street must meet all three of the listed criteria. 

 

  1. More than 50% of vehicles are traveling at or above the speed limit (30 mph)
    1. Criteria met: The 50th percentile speed was 30.4 mph
  2. The 85th percentile speed is at least 5 miles per hour over the speed limits (30 mph)
    1. Criteria met: The 85th percentile speed was 35.9 mph
  3. Average daily traffic (ADT) volume is at least 600
    1. Criteria met: ADT was 1963

Based on the speed study, West Amazon Drive between Snell Street and Fox Hollow qualifies for traffic calming and has been added to our list of qualified streets. This list is reviewed annually as we program our limited traffic calming funds. We consider speed study results, closeness to community destinations (parks and schools), as well as other factors when programming funds. I unfortunately do not have an estimate of when West Amazon Drive between Snell Street and Fox Hollow will receive traffic calming. Traffic calming funds are currently programmed out through 2025.

 

I realize it may be disappointing to learn that while West Amazon Drive between Snell Street and Fox Hollow qualifies for traffic calming, actual speed humps or speed cushions may still be years away. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any additional questions about the speed study or the traffic calming program.

LTD: LTD continues to monitor ridership this year on our south Eugene bus routes, in order to inform future decisions about routes and services. We encourage everyone to ride the bus when ever possible! Transportation Committee member Linda Duggan will apply for the LTD ad hoc committee for community engagement. We have reached out to our LTD Board rep Heather Murphy in order to learn more about a possible mobility-on-demand project we’ve heard about for our region. 

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