Franklin Boulevard Transformation: 2023 Update

  

 Rendering of the proposed design at the Walnut Street EmX station. The potential redevelopment of the University of Oregon-owned Joe Romania property is seen in the background (All images in this blog post from the January 27, 2023 Franklin Boulevard Corridor Analysis and Recommendations Report)

 
Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation (BEST)(1) issued an e-blast last week encouraging everyone to learn about the City of Eugene’s latest, preferred design for the Franklin Boulevard Transformation project. I’m derelict in posting this announcement regarding the opportunity to provide online feedback as the City is closing the comment period today (Sunday, March 5). Regardless, I thought I could do my part to spread word about the project, which has been in the works since 2019. I did first report on its far-reaching implications back then, noting the Franklin corridor is a significant public space that deserves to be planned with purpose.
 
Franklin Boulevard is the principal arterial street and an essential transit spine connecting downtown Eugene to the University of Oregon and Springfield. In its present form, it looks and operates like a state highway rather than as “complete street” that is safe and practical for everyone, whether one drives, rides the bus, bikes, rolls, walks, or uses a mobility assistive device. The current configuration—comprised of six automobile-dominated lanes sandwiching a single EmX track—promotes unsafe speeds and driver behavior, while becoming increasingly inefficient.(2) The streetscape is uninviting, lacking buffering between narrow sidewalks and the adjacent roadway, and far from pedestrian-friendly. Fundamentally, Franklin Boulevard is a divider, separating uses north of the corridor from those south of it.

 

Sidewalks without a buffer and substandard bike facilities are not comfortable places for people to walk and bike on Franklin Boulevard while motor vehicles are speeding by them. Most sections of Franklin Boulevard lack bike facilities altogether.

From the start, the City of Eugene envisioned transforming Franklin Boulevard from a place that people travel through to a place that people travel to, complete with protected and connected bikeways, sidewalks, intersections, and dual EmX lanes. It would encourage future developments along the length of the corridor that further enhance the attractiveness of multimodal transportation to people of all abilities. It would be a comfortable connector of places, safer and more welcoming, in stark contrast to its present condition.
 

This drawing shows a proposed typical cross section through a transformed Franklin Boulevard. The concept includes two EmX lanes in the middle, two general purpose lanes in each direction, and generous bikeways and sidewalks buffered from the vehicular traffic.

The City has invited public input throughout the project’s history, most recently at a well-attended in-person open house event on February 2 of this year, and now during an online comment period. Check out the Franklin Boulevard Transformation website for the latest project news. It includes a project overview, the Draft Corridor Analysis Report, the project timeline, and a fascinating corridor simulation video. The website describes the steps the City took to identify a preferred design alternative, and how the project is now transitioning from the planning phase to detailed engineering.
 
The City selected the preferred alternative from among three distinct design approaches:

• Alternative A, which explored a series of roundabouts along the entire corridor
• Alternative B, which explored signalized intersections with one gateway roundabout at the eastern end.
• Alternative C, which explored a hybrid concept of roundabouts and signals with gateway roundabouts at each end.

A modified version of the Alternative C hybrid design emerged as the preferred concept in March of 2020. In general, this alternative will include:

• Connected and continuous facilities for people walking and biking. Protected bikeways will be located on the north side, with a shared-use path on the south.
• Two exclusive EmX lanes (one each direction) to provide the capacity to meet planned bus frequency.
• Four general purpose travel lanes for vehicles (two in each direction).
• Roundabouts at Onyx Street, 13th Avenue/Moss Street, Walnut Street, and at an “East Gateway.”
• Signalized intersections at Villard and Agate Streets to reduce ROW and business impacts.
• Intersection improvements at 11th Avenue, Agate Street, Villard Street, and the I-5 off-ramp terminus.
• Speed limits on the urban portions of Franklin Boulevard reduced from 35 to 25 mph (speed control through the corridor would be achieved with modifications to the roadway geometrics, speed cushions at crosswalk locations, and landscape treatments).

A portion of the preferred Alternative C hybrid design, shown here between Onyx Street and Walnut Street (click to enlarge).

Some people don’t like roundabouts. They do have their pros and cons.
 
Pros:

• Improved traffic flow: Roundabouts can help to reduce traffic congestion by improving traffic flow. They can handle more traffic than traditional intersections and are more efficient at keeping traffic moving. A byproduct is less air and noise pollution, and less fuel used.
• Reduced collisions: Roundabouts can reduce the number and severity of collisions. By forcing traffic to slow down and enter the intersection at an angle, the likelihood of high-speed crashes is decreased. Research has revealed a 35% reduction in the number of collisions, 90% fewer fatalities, and 75% fewer injuries.  
• Improved pedestrian safety: Roundabouts can improve pedestrian safety by reducing the number of potential conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians.
• Lower maintenance costs: Roundabouts typically require less maintenance than traditional intersections because do entirely rely upon traffic signals and are less likely to require repairs.
• Landscaping/art potential: A precedent is the City of Bend, which is well-known for incorporating art as part of its many roundabouts.

Cons:

• High construction costs: Roundabouts can be more expensive to construct than traditional intersections because they require larger land area and often necessitate the relocation of utilities.
• Learning curve for drivers: Drivers may need time to adjust to the new traffic patterns and rules of roundabouts, especially if they are unfamiliar with them.
• Possible confusion for some drivers: Some drivers may find roundabouts confusing, especially if they encounter multiple lanes or if there are multiple exits.
• Not suitable for high-volume, high-speed traffic: Roundabouts may not be suitable for intersections with high volumes of high-speed traffic, such as on major arterials.

Count me among those who have experienced a learning curve with the proper use of roundabouts. Now that I’ve become more comfortable navigating them, I’m supportive of their use. Overall, the benefits of roundabouts outweigh the drawbacks. Additionally, roundabouts can be memorable place-makers and markers, a multivalent and useful element of a complete urban design palette.

 

Back in 2019 at the outset of the Franklin Boulevard Transformation project, I did suggest broadening its scope to account for a greater range of considerations that extend well beyond the corridor’s immediate vicinity. I now believe the City’s plans are in fact inclusive of that broader set of concerns and am satisfied the planning and design process is holistic and far-reaching.
 
Refinement of the preferred design alternative continues. Design engineering will begin this year and be finalized in 2025. The City foresees reconstruction of Franklin Boulevard being completed by 2028.
 
Do you have comments or questions regarding the preferred design for the Franklin Boulevard Transformation?  As I mentioned, the opportunity to share your feedback online is closing today. I suspect the City may offer another opportunity to furnish input in the future. Failing that, you can email your comments to Karen Mason, Transportation Planner with the City of Eugene, at KMason@eugene-or.gov.
 
(1)  BEST is a nonprofit organization that since its founding in 2012 has advocated on behalf of better public transit, safe streets, walkable neighborhoods, accessible bicycle infrastructure, and more. BEST supports the Franklin Boulevard Transformation project.
 
(2)  Ironically, as development intensifies along Franklin and use of controlled signals at pedestrian crossings increases, the elapsed travel times between the west and east ends of the corridor are most often lengthier than the average vehicle speed between stops would suggest. The “Franklin Boulevard Time Warp” is real.