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I <br /> in the fall of 2004. <br /> ~ • In the event that all Federal funding alternatives are delayed in a manner that would conflict <br /> with the Courthouse project schedule, the City will seek to use a vanety of local funding <br /> sources, chiefly Lane County Road Funds and Urban Renewal District funding, to complete <br /> initial phases of the project. <br /> <br /> ~ Courthouse District Access <br /> The emphasis of the City's planning and design efforts have been to connect the Courthouse <br /> District to the downtown core and provide a path through to the Willamette River. The central <br /> focus of this effort is enhanced access. The City's approach has been directed at enhancing both <br /> pedestrian and vehicular access since the future commercial vitality of the District is dependent <br /> on both. The central design parameter of the transportation redesign is a pedestrian crossing at <br /> the intersection of 8"' Avenue and Mill Street. <br /> Existing pedestrian access to the site is provided by two pedestrian crossings: a signalized <br /> crossing at the corner of Broadway and Mill Street that includes a pedestrian refuge island and a <br /> sidewalk connecting from 6t'' Avenue and High Street bordering the Courthouse site on the west. <br /> The City plans to enhance the visibility and the safety of these existing crossings as part of the <br /> overall access and circulation improvements in the District. These existing crossings could <br /> function well for pedestrian access as an interim sdlution prior to the construction of additional <br /> access improvements. <br /> The City's transportation design calls for the addition of a signalized intersection at 8"' Avenue <br /> ` and Mill Street. The overall design is based on adjusting traffic volume at this intersection to <br /> provide adequate time for pedestrian circulation. This intersection will provide excellent <br /> pedestrian access to the site as well as enhanced circulation for vehicles in and out of the <br /> Courthouse District. The completion of the 8"' Avenue and Mill Street intersection is a <br /> component of Phase 2 improvements, but the timing of this work has been moved up to coincide <br /> with the occupancy of the Courthouse. <br /> Recent GSA communication has expressed some interest in reviewing options for a pedestrian <br /> bridge across the intersection of 8"' Avenue and Mill Street. The City reviewed this concept <br /> during the Planning Commission's work on the Courthouse District Concept Plan. The City <br /> opted to concentrate efforts on the more fully featured access and circulation design. The City <br /> understands that a range of options have been discussed including a design that incorporates a <br /> landing into the Courthouse entry and a design that terminates on the City-owned parcel south <br /> across 8t'' Avenue from the Courthouse. The City would be happy to collaborate with the GSA in <br /> the review of pedestrian bridge alternatives in case funding or timing constraints indicate that a <br /> bridge is an appropriate alternative to a grade crossing. The City will also work with the GSA to <br /> develop a funding strategy for the bridge improvements. The City's design consultant for the <br /> transportation system, OBEC, has extensive experience with bridge and pedestrian bridge <br /> projects and was the engineer of record on the DeFazio Foot Bridge project in Eugene. OBEC is <br /> including a pedestrian bridge analysis alternate in the scope of work for the Courthouse District <br /> transportation system design project. <br /> Page 4 <br /> <br />