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a <br /> A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION -Describe the total project and the benefits it will provide to <br /> the community. Attach additional sheets or information if necessary. <br /> This is a request to partially fund low-build transportation improvements associated with the new <br /> Federal Courthouse. The low-build transportation improvements are only a part of more long- <br /> term transportation improvement needs and a Courthouse Area Concept Plan. <br /> As a key next step of the Greater Downtown Vision for the City of Eugene, the Courthouse Area <br /> Concept Plan addresses several vision elements related to the vitality of greater downtown. The <br /> concept plan also furthers the City's Growth Management policies related to Land Use and <br /> Urban Form and Transportation as well as implementation of the TransPlan nodal development <br /> policy and design principles within the South Bank portion of downtown. The Courthouse Area <br /> Concept Plan focuses on the area surrounding the site of the new Federal Courthouse. <br /> The purpose of the Courthouse Area Concept Plan is to develop a conceptual urban design plan <br /> for this area, which includes the new Federal Courthouse site and surrounding properties. Based <br /> on extensive citizen input, consultant and staff analysis, three transportation infrastructure <br /> options have emerged which address urban design goals. They are: the low-build option, the 5th <br /> Avenue connection option, and the 6th/7th Avenue realignment option. <br /> Additional funding is required to implement any of the infrastructure options for the Courthouse <br /> Area Concept Plan. A combination of federal, state and local funding maybe necessary for <br /> design and implementation of the transportation improvements. <br /> This project would implement a modified version low-build transportation option identified by <br /> the Courthouse Area Concept Plan. This project would improve 8th Avenue east of Mill Street to <br /> Ferry Street and create a new extension of Ferry Street north to the existing Union Pacific <br /> Railroad tracks. Other future improvements would more fully address courthouse site access, <br /> local circulation, pedestrian crossings and possible realignment of 6th/7th Avenues. <br /> 1. Who will benefit from the project? Be as specific as possible: <br /> Citizen involvement has been a key component in developing the Courthouse Area Concept <br /> Plan. Working with professional urban design and transportation consultants hired by the city, <br /> project staff held three :community workshops. Each workshop was three hours long, and each <br /> was attended by an average of 80 citizens. The workshops focused on challenges and <br /> opportunities, developing design concepts, and selecting a preferred concept. Input from these <br /> meetings has been incorporated into the urban design concept plan, and has contributed to the <br /> development of the infrastructure options. <br /> As part of the Courthouse Area Concept Plan, infrastructure and access issues have emerged as a <br /> defining parameter of the urban design concept plan. Connecting this area to the core of <br /> <br /> .downtown, and providing a pathway to the river implies apedestrian-friendly crossing of Mill <br /> Street at 8th Avenue. The traffic volumes at this location are considerable, approximately 45,000 <br /> cars per day. Simply adding a traffic signal would cause extensive backups, requiring additional <br /> stacking lanes and increasing the crossing distance for a pedestrian. For an intersection to work. <br /> here, a substantial percentage of the traffic may need to be directed away from this location. <br /> -4- <br /> <br />