River Road/Santa Clara Urban Services Committees Final Report and Recommendations

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'SPECIFIC SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS" TRANSPORTATION AND STREET MAINTENANCE (continued) ' Lane County provides street lighting in arterial and collector capital improvement projects provided that another public entity agrees to own, maintain and operate the lights after installation by the County. The River Road and Santa Clara water districts provide street lighting within their service boundaries. EWEB provides for the maintenance, repair, installation, removal and relocation of streetlights through a contract with the River Road and Santa Clara water districts. What We Have Learned: The River Road/Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan of 1987 identified 19 short- to medium- to long-range projects included in TransPlan. Many of the short-term projects have been completed including the - Chambers Connector and widening River Road from Federal to Irvington. Most of the medium and long-range projects have not been completed. That includes widening Belt Line from River Road to Delta Hwy. Some projects, such as the Valley River Bridge have been removed from TransPlan. At the present time (July 2002), River Road from Maxwell to Azalea is being resurfaced and Prairie Road from Carol to Irvington is being widened to a 3-lane urban facility (includes curbs, gutters, sidewalks and bike paths). As part of the River Road resurfacing project, minor changes will be made to the median island and lane configurations near the Belt Line interchange to improve safety for motorists and bicyclists. With the recent decision by Lane County Commissioners not to allow the sand and gravel development by Eugene Sand & Gravel north of Santa Clara, the potential increase in traffic by trucks on River Road, Beacon, Prairie, Northwest Expressway and Belt Line has been alleviated.- Arterials and Collectors: Arterial streets primarily function to serve a high degree of vehicular mobility. Collector streets, found in residential, commercial and industrial areas, move traffic from the interior of the area to the closest arterial street. Concern was expressed about collectors such as Horn, Howard and Park being upgraded without making major character changes. These streets were not listed in the TransPlan Road Projects. Background materials presented to the committee indicated several potential street examples with the notation that, "There is flexibility as the specific design of a street is planned in conjunction with the affected neighbors." Goals and Recommendations The free flow of traffic on River Road between Maxwell and River Loop 1, particularly during the morning and evening commute hours, is paramount. This is important because River Road, the major arterial for River Road/Santa Clara local traffic, is also a route for those commuting to and from work, and to the fruit and vegetable farms along River Road. 46