1999 Eugene Arterial & Collector Street Plan

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Citizen Involvement A staff team consisting of staff from the Eugene Public Works Department, Eugene Planning and Development Department, Eugene Fire Department, Lane Transit District, and Lane County Public Works Department developed proposals for the Arterial and Collector Street Plan with input from various citizen, neighbor- hood, and special interest groups. Earlier efforts to update the City's street classification map in 1992-93 resulted in a certain degree of contro- versy, primarily regarding traffic and livability issues on residential collector streets in older neighborhoods. As a result the City Council did not adopt a new classifica- tion map, but directed staff to reevaluate the collector street classification and related issues in conjunction with the TransPlan update. In January 1997 staff began the collector street evaluation with the dual intentions of (1) preparing a revised Street Classification Map, and (2) incorpo- rating the map and classification structure into the TransPlan update process. The map revision process included an evaluation of the function and design of collector streets; that evaluation has resulted in several proposals that would respond to public input by recommending the following changes to collector street classification and design. • Separating the former collector street classifi- cation into two distinct-types of collectors: a) Neighborhood Collector streets, which carry low to moderate traffic volumes at low speeds, serving mainly single-family residen- tial areas by connecting the local street system with other collector and arterial streets. b) Major Collector streets, which carry higher traffic volumes; serve commercial, industrial and multifamily land uses; and also serve single-family residential neighborhoods where a combination of auto-volumes, transit, and/or bicycle and pedestrian usage suggest a higher classification of street. • Providing a wider array of design options for collector streets. In particular, the narrower and more flexible design choices developed earlier for the Local Street Plan have been adapted and carried over in this document to apply to many Neighborhood Collectors. The first draft of this document (entitled Eu ene Street Classifications and Design Standards was released in August 1997. Notice of the process was mailed to interested parties and presentations were scheduled with neighborhood groups and other affected parties. In September and October 1997, a series of public information meetings on the draft plan were held throughout the city. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the August 1997 Draft Eugene Street Classifications and Design Standards on November 4, 1997. The Planning Commission received 26 pieces of testi- mony on the draft plan, including comments and letters received in advance of the hearing, oral and written testimony submitted on the evening of the hearing, and additional comments and letters received following the hearing prior to the close of the public record. Some of the letters included petitions, so the commission actually heard from more than 230 people. After reviewing the testimony, the Planning Commis- sion directed staff to address issues raised at the public hearing. In February and March, 1998 staff returned to the Planning Commission with a number of recommendations for revising the plan to address those issues. The Commission then directed staff to prepare the revised Arterial and Collector Street Plan for a second public hearing on the document. The Planning Commission held its public hearing on the second draft of the ACSP in June 1998. The extensive testimony was reviewed in several work sessions by the commission during fall of 1998, which culminated in a third draft (April 1999). The Commission forwarded the April 1999 draft to the City Council with a recommendation to adopt. The City Council met a total of four times to review, discuss and/or receive testimony on the April 1999 draft of the ACSP: • At a Council work session on May 12 • A public hearing held on June 14 • A second work session on September 27, and • A Council meeting to consider adoption of a revised version of the ACSP, November 22 The revisions in the final (November 1999) version of the plan are extensive, resulting from public testimony and City Council direction to staff during the May-September 1999 period. 18