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Currently, pedestrians have no sidewalk on the north side of Franklin between Hilyard and Alder. Pedestrians who need <br /> to cross Franklin at Alder have to cross four active lanes of traffic, two lanes in each direction, with 24,000 vehicles per <br /> day and a posted speed of 35 mph. For cyclists trying to reach Sacred Heart and the UO campus from the riverbank <br /> trail, there is a difficult left turn from Hilyard to Franklin and either one-block of riding on Franklin or riding against traffic <br /> ,A the sidewalk on the south side of the street. <br /> The $71,200 project to build the sidewalk and pedestrian refuge island will be designed and constructed by the City, with <br /> ODOT approval of the design. aff anticipates signing an intergovernmental agreement with ODOT by April, with <br /> construction ready to begin by June 1 and finished by November 2003. <br /> ODOT's bicycle/pedestrian program has placed a priority on projects that improve safety at pedestrian crossings on state <br /> highways. The Franklin sidewalk project, which was approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission, will be fully <br /> funded by the state as the result of a financial strategy recently implemented by the Oregon Highway Division. For more <br /> information, contact Diane Bishop, Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, at 682-5471. <br /> Ivy Removal in High Gear this Winter <br /> The removal of ivy and other invasive plants in Eugene's parks and open space system continues to be a high priority for <br /> the Parks and Open Space Division, and crews are actively engaged in the battle against these predators this winter. Ivy <br /> removal is undertaken during the winter months in an effort to minimize the impacts to the native plants, many of which <br /> are dormant in the winter. Moreover, it is easier to pull ivy when the ground is moist. Crews have focused on land <br /> identified as having the highest quality native plant habitats that are being adversely affected by invasive plants such as <br /> ivy. <br /> To date, over three acres of ivy have been cleared from the north face of Skinner Butte by the Walama Restoration <br /> Project, and the Parks and Open Space Natural Resources crew has hauled off approximately 360 cubic yards of ivy for <br /> recycling. In addition, Walama Restoration has already removed large volumes of ivy at Hendricks Park forest, and <br /> volunteers will further the effort in the four"Gaining Ground" ivy removal work parties scheduled for this winter, including <br /> Ie session this Saturday, January 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is anticipated that close to five acres of English ivy <br /> and other invasive non-native vegetation will be pulled this winter, restoring more forest to its natural condition. Morse <br /> Ranch Park and Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park are next in line for ivy removal, which will also be performed <br /> by Walama Restoration this winter. <br /> The Sheriff's municipal court offender crew has supplemented the effort by logging over 200 hours, removing blackberry <br /> vines, ivy, deadwood, and brush from the triangular area between the canal and the Oregon Science Factory at the west <br /> intersection of Leo Harris Parkway and Centennial Boulevard in Alton Baker Park. <br /> A collaborative research study is also being conducted by Hendricks Park staff and the Environmental Studies Program <br /> at the UO on the effects of controlling perennial weeds in cleared forest areas. Last fall, research was completed and an <br /> electronic booklet produced identifying the most common weeds and native plants at Hendricks Park in various stages of <br /> growth. This term, the research will focus on identifying which secondary and annual weed plants emerge and which of <br /> several control methods are most effective in controlling them. Test plots are currently being installed. For more <br /> information about the ivy removal projects, contact Natural Resources Crew Supervisor Richard Zucker at 682-4833 or <br /> Hendricks Park Forest Management Plan Coordinator John Moriarty at 682-5324. <br /> Parks Crews Blazing New Trails <br /> Through strategic acquisitions and trail work, Parks and Open Space staff have made significant progress in expanding <br /> the Ridgeline Trail. At the end of December, a 7-acre parcel of land was acquired directly adjacent to a corridor of public <br /> land that runs due south of Hendricks Park and connects the Ridgeline Trail with the park. The newly acquired land will <br /> allow the corridor to remain a natural trail all the way from the south edge of Hendricks Park to the Spring Boulevard <br /> overpass at E. 30th Avenue, instead of being routed along a paved public street. The trail is currently overgrown with <br /> PAGE 2 <br /> EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE <br /> 2 <br /> January 9,2003 <br />