Promoting Fall 2019LTD Sustainable Transportation in the Coburg Corridor Alison Grover • Marc Schlossberg PPPM 407/507 Sustainable Transportation Fall 2019 LTD Promoting Sustainable Transportation in the Coburg Corridor Alison Grover Report Author • Department of Architecture Marc Schlossberg Professor • School of Planning, Public Policy, and Management COLLEGE OF DESIGN Acknowledgments The author wishes to acknowledge and thank Lane Transit District (LTD) and the City of Eugene for making this project possible. We are grateful to all city staff, LTD staff, and community members who came to our fall term final review to provide feedback on our projects. We would also like to thank the following LTD staff for their assistance and contributions that were instrumental to the completion of this report. Jennifer Zankowski, Senior Development Planner Tom Schwetz, Director of Planning and Development This report represents original student work and recommendations prepared by students in the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year Program for Lane Transit District. Text and images contained in this report may not be used without permission from the University of Oregon. Contents 4 About SCI 4 About SCYP 5 About Lane Transit District 6 Course Participants 7 Executive Summary 8 Introduction 12 Project 1: Coburg Connect 15 Project 2: Oakway Center Mobility Hub 19 Project 3: The Harlow Hub 22 Project 4: Co-Low Mobility Hub 29 Project 5: Enhancing Mobility Around Eugene 35 Project 6: The Future of Student Mobility 38 Project 7: Improving Mobility and Connectivity on Coburg Road 47 Conclusion 49 References Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation About SCI The Sustainable Cities Institute (SCI) 2. Our Urbanism Next Center, which is an applied think tank focusing on focuses on how autonomous vehicles, sustainability and cities through applied e-commerce, and the sharing economy research, teaching, and community will impact the form and function of partnerships. We work across cities. disciplines that match the complexity of cities to address sustainability In all cases, we share our expertise challenges, from regional planning to and experiences with scholars, building design and from enhancing policymakers, community leaders, and engagement of diverse communities project partners. We further extend to understanding the impacts on our impact via an annual Expert-in- municipal budgets from disruptive Residence Program, SCI China visiting technologies and many issues in scholars program, study abroad course between. on redesigning cities for people on SCI focuses on sustainability-based bicycle, and through our co-leadership research and teaching opportunities of the Educational Partnerships for through two primary efforts: Innovation in Communities Network (EPIC-N), which is transferring SCYP 1. Our Sustainable City Year Program to universities and communities (SCYP), a massively scaled university- across the globe. Our work connects community partnership program that student passion, faculty experience, matches the resources of the University and community needs to produce with one Oregon community each innovative, tangible solutions for the year to help advance that community’s creation of a sustainable society. sustainability goals; and About SCYP The Sustainable City Year Program learning courses to provide students (SCYP) is a year-long partnership with real-world projects to investigate. between SCI and a partner in Oregon, Students bring energy, enthusiasm, in which students and faculty in courses and innovative approaches to difficult, from across the university collaborate persistent problems. SCYP’s primary with a public entity on sustainability value derives from collaborations and livability projects. SCYP faculty that result in on-the-ground impact and students work in collaboration with and expanded conversations for a staff from the partner agency through community ready to transition to a a variety of studio projects and service- more sustainable and livable future. 4 About Lane Transit District About Lane Transit District LTD provides more than 10 million trips per year on its buses and EmX Bus Rapid Transit line in Lane County, Oregon. Encompassing the Eugene-Springfield metro area, LTD is a special district of the state of Oregon and led by a seven- member board of directors appointed by Oregon’s Governor. LTD also operates RideSource, that provides community members a paratransit service for people with the necessary information and with disabilities, and numerous resources to assist them in identifying transportation options programs to opportunities to drive less by promote sustainable travel county discovering transportation choices wide, and Point2Point, an initiative that meet their individual lifestyles. 5 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation Course Participants DREW ANDERSON, General Social Sciences HANNAH ARGENTO-MCCURDY, Planning, Public Policy, and Management EMILY BOYD, General Social Sciences ERIC BURDETTE, Masters in Public Administration BRIAN COOPER, Planning, Public Policy, and Management DYLAN CUATT, Pre-Planning, Public Policy, and Management SOPHIE DOMENGEAUX, Planning, Public Policy, and Management ADAM FARIS, General Social Sciences VICTOR GARCIA, Masters in Landscape Architecture CARTER GRANT, Undeclared ALISON GROVER, Masters in Landscape Architecture RACHEL HESS, Environmental Studies BRADY HILGENBERG, Pre-Planning, Public Policy, and Management ANNA JOHNSON, Pre-Planning, Public Policy, and Management ZACH LINGO, Environmental Studies ERIC MONTES, Pre-Planning, Public Policy, and Management MADDY REZNICK, Planning, Public Policy, and Management MOLLY RILLSTONE, Environmental Studies JASMINE TRIBOLET, Environmental Studies LAURA VAN HOUTEN, Environmental Studies MARELIE VORSTER, Planning, Public Policy, and Management AUSTIN WIENS, Pre-Planning, Public Policy, and Management 6 Executive Summary Executive Summary As part of the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) at the University of Oregon, this fall 2019 course asked students to come up with creative ways to implement a variety of mobility hubs in a specific area in Eugene, Oregon. With Lane Transit District (LTD) as our community partner, students proposed mobility hubs along Coburg Road. Coburg Road is one of five key corridors identified in Moving Ahead, a transportation plan put forth by the city of Eugene, LTD, and other regional partners. Along with Highway 99, River Road, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and 30th Avenue, Coburg Road is the focus of transportation improvements such as compact urban development, densification, increased frequency bus lines, and enhanced pedestrian corridors. A mobility hub is an area where vehicles. This benefits the environment multiple forms of transportation are by improving air quality, conserving concentrated to facilitate convenience, resources, reducing the emission efficiency, and to increase multi- of greenhouse gases present in car modal transportation among travelers. exhaust, reducing congestion by Mobility hubs typically incorporate limiting the number of vehicles on the sustainable modes of transportation road, and increasing equity by enabling such as pedestrian access, transit carless households to thrive. A mobility hubs, and bicycle infrastructure. They hub on Coburg Road has the potential also provide all the necessities to make to function not only as a transportation these trips possible, including secure connection, but also as a welcoming, bicycle parking, parking spaces for social space for people to meet up and park and ride, electric vehicle charging relax. stations, bikeshare and scooter share Teams proposed seven mobility hubs stations, and covered seating for at different locations along Coburg people between trips. Road ranging from Oakway Center to The overarching goal of a mobility Crescent Avenue. hub is to reduce reliance on personal 7 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation Introduction The goal of these projects is similar to the goal of mobility hubs in general. Each team aimed to decrease the number of cars on the road; decrease emissions via a reduction in traffic congestion; increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders; and stimulate human-scale development along Coburg Road. Regarding pedestrian infrastructure, bike, protected bicycle lanes are an Dr. Mariela Alfonzo, urban design excellent approach. Protected bicycle researcher, describes a five-step lanes target a demographic of cyclists hierarchy of walking needs, starting that are “interested, yet concerned,” a with feasibility and continuing up with term used by Roger Geller to describe accessibility, safety, comfort, and one of the four types of cyclists (see pleasurability. Many teams addressed Figure I-1). This is the recommended these factors by widening sidewalks, demographic to target if the city of separating pedestrians from fast- Eugene wants to increase the presence moving traffic, keeping surfaces of cyclists, as they represent 60% of level, and increasing the frequency of the population that the City could crosswalks. reasonably accommodate using Regarding bicycle infrastructure, if improved bicycle infrastructure. more people are to be encouraged to FIG. I-1 The Four Types of Cyclists The “Interested but Concerned” demographic holds the most potential for future cyclists, as these people are not currently on the road, but could be encouraged with sufficient bicycle infrastructure. Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator at the city of Portland 8 Introduction Often, the “perception of safety is other forms of slow-moving personal more important than the actuality of transportation. The cities of Portland, safety,” according to Jeffrey Tumlin. Oregon and Santa Monica, California Flexible bollards are commonly used conducted studies in 2018 and 2019, as physical barriers to separate bicycle respectively, on average trip distances lanes from faster vehicular traffic. for electric scooters and electric They will not physically stop a car from bicycles. Reports show that average entering the bike lane, but cyclists’ electric scooter and bicycle trip increased perception of safety from distances are around 1.25 miles and 2.5 the three-dimensional presence of a miles, respectively. When siting mobility flexible bollard is enough to increase hubs, student teams took into account cyclists onto the road. destinations within 1.25- and 2.5-mile In many cases, students addressed radius, and many planned to implement the bicycle lane more broadly as a hubs for e-scooters and e-bikes. micromobility lane. Our definition of micromobility includes electric scooters, electric bicycles, and Students thought about a mobility hub for Coburg Road in context of the following recent transportation initiatives: • Transit Tomorrow (2019) is a transportation plan by LTD that calls for more frequent transit service along fewer routes in Eugene. As the City moves ahead with this plan, higher density areas will see increased bus frequency while some lower density areas will lose bus lines altogether. LTD’s decision to increase frequency will benefit Eugene’s overall transportation, but there are always drawbacks to change. In our design proposals outlined in this report, many teams opted to increase bike and pedestrian infrastructure in places where bus lines will be removed. • Vision Zero Eugene aims to reduce the number of transportation-related fatalities and severe injuries to zero. Ameliorating safety in the community is also the goal of all proposed mobility hubs. Calming traffic and providing wider pedestrian and bicycle spaces are popular methods of increasing safety for sustainable transportation users. • Envision Eugene names seven pillars of community values including planning for climate change, promoting energy resilience, and promoting compact urban development and efficient transportation options. 9 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation Eugene also aims to reduce PROJECT GOALS community-wide fossil fuel use by This section outlines the goals of 50% of 2010 levels by the year 2030, a the project and addresses which of tenet outlined by the Climate Recovery the current conditions the student Ordinance and adopted by Eugene’s designers plan on responding to City Council in 2013. In order to achieve through design intervention. Goals these goals, the city of Eugene plans to may include increased pedestrian offer high quality public transit, create safety, increased comfort levels for walkable “20-Minute Neighborhoods”, transit riders, or increased mobility for and triple the percentage of trips made multi-modal travelers. on foot, bike, and transit in the next 20 years. PROJECT SUMMARY The following sections outline seven This section summarizes how the student projects conceptualizing a student designers responded to the mobility hub for Eugene along Coburg existing conditions in order to achieve Road. The projects are ordered their transportation mobility goals. It based on their location on Coburg addresses specific design decisions Road from south to north. Each students made, such as adding raised project was completed by teams of crosswalks, converting an intersection three to four students and provides into a roundabout, or painting the recommendations for pedestrian, bicycle lane green. The Project bicycle, and transit opportunities in Summary outlines the full scope of addition to siting a mobility hub. The the project, whether it focuses on project descriptions are composed of pedestrian comfort at a particular the following subsections: crossing or addresses economic, aesthetic, and mobility issues across WHY? multiple intersections. The projects This section addresses the vary in size and scope. importance of the project and the reason for proposing a redesign of the area. These are the current site conditions that make it a viable option for renovation. These conditions may include high vehicular speeds, lack of crosswalks, or documented injuries or fatalities at the proposed intersection. 10 Introduction PEDESTRIAN RECOMMENDATIONS TRANSIT RECOMMENDATIONS This section summarizes how This section outlines how transit riders pedestrians will benefit from the will benefit from the project proposal. proposed mobility hub and street Solutions range from adding covered redesign. Benefits can include seating for riders to clustering bicycle increased distance between parking and Park and Ride facilities at pedestrians and traffic lanes, the mobility hub. additional places to sit, and decreased crosswalk distances. ADDITIONAL This section provides an overview of BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY additional components that could RECOMMENDATIONS make the mobility hub even more This section addresses how cyclists, successful. These extra components potential cyclists, electric scooter could include space for food trucks, riders, electric bike riders, and other a café area, space for gathering micromobility users will be affected and holding events, and space for by the design intervention. Benefits retail development to stimulate the can include safer and more secure area economically. These additions bicycle parking, electric scooter would turn the mobility hub into a charging stations, and increased bike destination rather than a space to lane width. pass through. FIG. I-2 Vicinity Map 11 Fall 2019 Background Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation Project 1: Coburg Connect Location: Oakway Center By Laura Van Houten, Dylan Cuatt, and Carter Grant WHY? The Oakway Center is a highly trafficked PROJECT SUMMARY shopping Center in the Ferry Street With clarity and safety in mind, this Bridge area. In its current state, it is mobility hub would increase mobility more accessible to motor vehicles for people coming to and going from than to pedestrians, cyclists, or transit the Oakway Shopping Center area. The users. Bicycle lanes are inconsistent area is not currently oriented towards and minimal where they do exist. sustainable transportation but has the Crosswalks and transit stops are few potential to be drastically transformed. and far between, and the entire area We have identified three significant feels like it was designed with drivers corridors through which a majority of in mind. Long crosswalks spanning visitors come and go. On the north multiple lanes of traffic are daunting for side, people come from the adjacent pedestrians (Figure 1-1). residential area using Coburg Road and Oakway Road. From the south, PROJECT GOALS people use Coburg Road and may be Students’ goals with this mobility hub coming from Downtown Eugene or the are to create an efficient, safe, and University of Oregon area. From the sustainable place where Eugene’s east, people use Oakmont Way and may transportation networks intersect. They be coming from additional residential aim to create a “multi-mobile” network neighborhoods. Connecting the north, of transportation that actively reduces south, and eastern parts of this area car trips, connects to existing Eugene via the Oakway Center will increase bicycle paths, and meet the pillars of connectivity for Eugene as a whole. Envision Eugene. 12 Project 1: Coburg Connect FIG. 1-1 An extended crosswalk over five lanes of traffic on Coburg Road near the Oakway Center. FIG. 1-2 Overhead view of improved sustainable transportation design along Coburg Road at the Oakway Center. 13 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation PEDESTRIAN RECOMMENDATIONS The area currently lacks an important We recommend adding a raised connection to the existing network of crosswalk (see red outline, Figure 1-2) bicycle paths to the south, namely the connecting to a floating bus stop which path along the Willamette River and would direct transit users safely to the Ruth Bascom bike path. Creating their stop without any level changes. stronger visual cues to cyclists and Accessibility is extremely important drivers of the connections between for this mobility hub because people the cycle track and the Ruth Bascom with limited mobility are more reliant on bike path are essential to increasing transit than other members of Eugene. connectivity in Eugene. BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY TRANSIT RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS We recommend remodeling the transit We suggest incorporating a station on Coburg Road at the Oakway bidirectional green painted cycle track Center to include a floating transit along Coburg Road at Oakway Road stop. This would improve transit times (see Figure 1-2). This would increase and user experience by eliminating the visibility of the bike lane for cyclists bus’s need to merge into and out of and drivers alike. The bike lane would traffic. Additionally, the floating, raised hug the western edge of Coburg Road, transit stop would provide an extra in between floating transit stops and buffer between the bi-directional cycle the sidewalk. Putting the bike lanes track and vehicular traffic. next to each other creates a wider, safer bicycle conduit for people with personal bikes, bikeshare bikes, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other forms of micromobility. We also suggest incorporating bikeshare hubs into the mobility hub. 14 Project 2: Oakway Center Mobility Hub Project 2: Oakway Center Mobility Hub Location: Oakway Center By Austin Wiens, Hannah McCurdy, and Andrew Anderson WHY? PROJECT GOALS The Oakway Center has many Our goal is to address the lack of pedestrian-friendly routes between sustainable transportation options stores, but sustainable transportation to and from the Oakway Center by to and from the shopping center is making pedestrians, cyclists, and generally lacking and represents an other multimodal transportation opportunity for improvement. In its riders feel safer. To address this, we current state, pedestrians, cyclists, suggest building a multimodal mobility and transit riders must navigate a hub that clusters different forms of potentially unsafe and uninviting transit transportation. We targeted four areas environment. around the Oakway Center for design interventions promoting multimodal, sustainable transportation (see Figure 2-1). FIG. 2-1 Four areas targeted for redesign along Coburg Road at the Oakway Center. 15 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation PROJECT SUMMARY BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY We propose reclaiming part of the RECOMMENDATIONS Oakway Center’s large parking lot as We recommend painting the bike lane a bus boarding area, a crosswalk, a green and installing bike bollards along rideshare pick-up and drop-off, and the length of Coburg Road in order to a bikeshare station. We also propose increase cyclists’ visibility and safety improvements to bicycle infrastructure (see Figure 2-2). Along Oakway Road, along Coburg Road and Oakway Road. we suggest repurposing two lanes of This mobility hub would be located current vehicular traffic for bicycle on the west side of Coburg Road, just use (see Figure 2-3). With one lane of north of the intersection of Coburg extra space on each side of Oakway Road and Oakway Road. Road, we suggest installing a vegetated median between bicycle and motor PEDESTRIAN RECOMMENDATIONS vehicle travel lanes (Figure 2-3). We Pedestrians would have improved propose incorporating a protected turn access to the rest of the shopping connecting the proposed bicycle lanes center with increased crosswalk on Coburg Road and Oakway Road. On frequency. We suggest putting a Oakmont Way, we suggest installing a crosswalk at the proposed mobility lower-cost green painted bike lane with hub on Coburg Road, just north of bike bollards as physical separation (see the intersection of Coburg Road and Figure 2-4). Oakway Road. FIG. 2-2 Overhead view of a redesigned Coburg Road, which includes a protected bike lane, new bus stops, and additional crosswalks. 16 Project 2: Oakway Center Mobility Hub FIG. 2-3 Redesign of Oakway Road at the southern end of the Oakway Center, replacing a car lane with a bike lane and vegetated median. FIG. 2-4 Bollard-protected bike lanes on each side of Oakmont Way. 17 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation TRANSIT ADDITIONAL Moving the bus stop away from moving It is essential that this mobility hub traffic and into the parking lot area include a covered waiting area because would be safer for transit riders while of the frequency of precipitation in reducing stress for non-drivers by the winter and the unrelenting sun being further from high-speed vehicles. in the summer. Waiting for transit or Additionally, the path from the transit rideshare should feel comfortable and stop to the stores would be clearly having appropriate shelter would ease identifiable with a continuous sidewalk. the stress of potential new riders (see Figure 2-5). FIG. 2-5 Covered seating example at a designated drop-off and pickup rideshare location. 18 Project 3: The Harlow Hub Project 3: The Harlow Hub Location: Coburg Road and Harlow Road By Molly Rillstone, Sophie Domengeaux, Stephen Mack, and Brady Hilgenberg WHY? PROJECT SUMMARY There are many issues to address at We recommend repurposing a strip the intersection of Coburg Road and of land adjacent to the intersection at Harlow Road. Motor vehicles frequently Coburg Road and Harlow Road for a exceed the posted speed limit of 35 mobility hub (see Figure 3-1). Pulling miles per hour, buses wait in traffic people off the street and into the safety behind personal vehicles, and the of a mobility hub will likely increase minimal bike lane disappears for a the sense of safety for pedestrians, critical segment on Harlow Road. All of cyclists, and transit riders alike. We also these issues can be addressed with a propose adding a protected cycle track, right-of-way redesign. a floating EmX station, a dedicated bus lane, and higher visibility crosswalks to PROJECT GOALS Coburg Road and Harlow Road. The goals of this project are to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the area, especially because this intersection is surrounded by residential streets. Families with young children should feel safe and empowered to use sustainable transportation methods to navigate the area. FIG. 3-1 Current view of suggested mobility hub site. 19 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation FIG. 3-2 Proposed protected cycle track, floating EmX station, dedicated bus lane, and high-visibility crosswalks. FIG. 3-3 Before and after images of the proposed mobility hub showing a more efficiently used space. 20 Project 3: The Harlow Hub PEDESTRIAN RECOMMENDATIONS TRANSIT RECOMMENDATIONS Pedestrians benefit from this mobility For transit riders, we suggest instituting hub due to its increased shelter, dedicated bus lanes along the length sidewalks separated from the lanes of of Coburg Road. Each stop could utilize high-speed traffic, and high visibility covered waiting areas, as weather in crosswalks. The design aims to make Eugene can reach varying extremes pedestrians and cyclists feel safer between hot and cold. within the intersection by designating space visually, including painted street ADDITIONAL crossings and covered waiting areas. A mobility hub can be so much more than just a place to catch the bus. It BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY can include other elements such as RECOMMENDATIONS bike-share, electric scooter-share, a In this proposal, we suggest including lending library, a cafe, electric vehicle a bidirectional cycle track, bikeshare charging stations, and rideshare pickup stations, rebranding the bike lane as a locations. “micro lane,” and bringing the bike lane up onto the curb where possible. Green paint on the asphalt and protective barriers at the edge of the bike lanes make cyclists more visible to motor vehicle traffic and potentially safer. 21 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation Project 4: Co-Low Mobility Hub Location: Coburg Road and Harlow Road By Eric Burdette, Victor Garcia, and Alison Grover WHY? narrow sidewalks, obstacles, and a lack The intersection of Coburg Road of crosswalks. In our site analysis, we and Harlow Road feels unsafe for did not encounter cyclists. The bike pedestrians and cyclists in its current lane is narrow and feels dangerous state (see Figures 4-1 and 4-2A-B). due to the speed of adjacent vehicles. Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) Additionally, there are a multitude of reports show that there have been important destinations within a 1.25- numerous crashes and incidents at mile radius of this site. People traveling the intersection of Coburg Road and on bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters would Harlow Road, ranking this intersection be able to access the Gateway Mall in as 18th most dangerous in 2012 (LCOG Springfield to the east and Alton Baker 2012). There are many pedestrian Park to the south (see Figure 4-6). hazards on Coburg Road, including FIG. 4-1 Illustration of pedestrian hazards along Coburg Road. 22 Project 4: Co-Low Mobility Hub FIG. 4-2A Existing conditions for cyclists include a narrow bike lane adjacent to high-speed traffic. PROJECT GOALS With this mobility hub, we aim to increase safety for all modes of transportation; increase the numbers of cyclists, pedestrians, and micro-mobility riders on Coburg and Harlow Road; and create equitable transportation options for the greater Eugene community. Improvements such as increasing sidewalk width, decreasing crosswalk distance, decreasing number of motor vehicle lanes, and decreasing speed of drivers can increase safety for carless travelers (see Figure 4-2B). FIG. 4-2B Illustration of bicycle and bus lanes, replacing existing car lanes. 23 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation PROJECT SUMMARY At the intersection of Coburg Road and Harlow Road, we propose utilizing the parking lot at the Westminster Presbyterian Church as a mobility hub and bus stop (see Figure 4-3). The church parking lot is already designated as a Park and Ride; using it for a bus loading station and mobility hub would not be a drastic change. We also propose turning the intersection into a roundabout and removing traffic signals to keep vehicles moving but at a slower pace. We suggest instituting a dedicated bus lane in each direction on Coburg Road as well as a bidirectional cycle track down the middle of Coburg Road. We also suggest adding a barrier between bikes and cars to improve rider safety and feelings of safety (see Figure 4-4). FIG. 4-3 Suggested site for a Coburg Road mobility hub. 24 Project 4: Co-Low Mobility Hub FIG. 4-4 Plan of the proposal illustrating changes for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. 25 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation PEDESTRIAN RECOMMENDATIONS stations located on the property of Pedestrians will benefit from the the Westminster Presbyterian Church. decreased crosswalk distance in this The cycle track will include a physical scenario. Making the vehicular lanes barrier between bicycles and motor of traffic narrower and reducing traffic vehicles. A precedent in Boston, MA flow to a single lane in some areas shows the potential of cycle tracks makes crossing the street more direct between traffic lanes (see Figure for pedestrians. 4-5). and illustrates the cycle track’s adaptability to pedestrian and motor BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY vehicle crossings. Studies have shown RECOMMENDATIONS that even the perception of safety can For cyclists and other micromobility result in increased numbers of cyclists riders like e-scooters, e-bikes, or bike- on the road. Therefore, we expect these share bicycles, we suggest installing a safety improvements to invite new bidirectional cycle track with bike-share cyclists to the road. FIG. 4-5 A precedent on Causeway Street in Boston, MA, in which a bidirectional cycle track was installed in the middle of the road. 26 Project 4: Co-Low Mobility Hub FIG. 4-6 Illustration showing the multitude of destinations within 1.25-miles of the proposed mobility hub. TRANSIT that buses will be on time regardless of In this scenario, transit riders will board traffic. Providing a public transportation and disembark the bus in the parking system that is fast and reliable will lot of the Westminster Presbyterian encourage more people to ride the bus. Church. Repurposing this paved area These values are at the core of Eugene’s for a bus stop makes for a larger, future transportation initiatives, such as safer place for people to access the LTD’s Transit Tomorrow. bus. We propose clustering covered waiting areas, scooter and bikeshare ADDITIONAL parking, electric vehicle charging This mobility hub could include stations, and rideshare pick-up and elements that make it a destination drop-off locations next to the bus stops. rather than just a transportation hub. A Arranging important transportation café, a food truck, or a lending library connections next to each other creates would encourage people to linger a seamless experience for people rather than pass through. Also, creating taking advantage of the multimodal paths that connect neighborhoods to transportation network. This project the mobility hub more directly would also incorporates a dedicated bus lane make the mobility hub more convenient in each direction along Coburg Road so to access (see Figure 4-7). 27 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation FIG. 4-7 Potential future paths (highlighted in green) could better connect dead-end streets to the proposed mobility hub location. 28 Project 5: Enhancing Mobility Around Eugene Project 5: Enhancing Mobility Around Eugene Location: Coburg Road and Willakenzie Road By Maddy Reznick, Adam Faris, and J. Tribolet WHY? transportation service by increasing We propose a micromobility hub for bicycle infrastructure where needed. Coburg Road at its intersection with Additionally, the mobility hub would Willakenzie Road for a number of increase pedestrian and transit reasons. This mobility hub is a reaction access to create a multimodal hub to Moving Ahead, an LTD-proposed of transportation options. This would plan that increases pedestrian and encourage more trips by bike and more transit convenience and safety but multimodal trips using a combination lacks adequate bicycle improvements. of transit, pedestrian, and bike On Coburg Road, however, this mobility options. We aim to solve the last-mile hub addresses the current barriers that connections with micromobility and many cyclists and potential cyclists ride-share access. face in their decision to use bicycle infrastructure over other modes of PROJECT SUMMARY transportation. Only a strip of paint At the intersection of Coburg Road separates cyclists from fast-moving and Willakenzie Road, there is an car traffic. Addressing cyclists’ underutilization of space (see Figure impediments is particularly important 5-1). In the same vein as LTD’s proposal because LTD’s Moving Ahead plan to increase pedestrian safety on this cuts transit service to many places in transportation corridor, we propose favor of increasing its frequency and narrowing surplus space dedicated concentration in the most densely to motor vehicles to make room for populated areas. Additionally, the other, more sustainable modes of current road is very wide and used transportation. There is space in the almost exclusively by motor vehicles, adjacent parking lot (see Figure 5-4) presenting an opportunity to better to move the bike lane away from car utilize the right-of-way through traffic. There is also space on the road sustainable transportation options. to incorporate a dedicated bus lane, The intersection of Coburg Road and which carries up to 35 times as many Willakenzie Road is also ideal because passengers as a single occupancy car. of the variety of shops and restaurants Dedicated bus lanes mean transit can it has to offer sustainable transportation be faster, more reliable, and possibly users. more frequent. Adding a protected bicycle lane through the former parking PROJECT GOALS lot increases safety and ridership The goal of this project is to create among cyclists. With enough space vibrant, human-scale community to ride side-by-side, cycling can be at the proposed intersection. In a joyous social activity rather than a order to achieve this, we suggest a burden. mobility hub to connect the gaps in 29 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation FIG. 5-1 Current landscape on Coburg Road, showing an expanse of sparsely populated pavement. This location is ideal because of its proximity to shops, residential areas, restaurants, and multiple schools (see Figure 5-2). FIG. 5-2 Map showing the hotspot of shops, restaurants, schools, and parks near the proposed mobility hub. 30 Project 5: Enhancing Mobility Around Eugene At our proposed intersection, we suggest a number of improvements to achieve our project goals including improved bus stops, bikeshare hubs, bicycle parking, protected bike lanes, scooter share parking, and rideshare pick-up and drop-off locations (see Figure 5-3). FIG. 5-3 Improvements to bicycle, pedestrian, and bus transportation options can occur on all corners of this intersection. Zooming in, we propose altering a median and parking lot on the southwest corner of the intersection and repurposing this underused space for pedestrian, cyclist, and transit use (see Figures 5-4 and 5-5). FIG. 5-4 The existing bike lane provides only paint as protection from high- speed car traffic. 31 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation FIG. 5-5 Illustration showing a dedicated bus lane and a wider bicycle lane as part of the proposed mobility hub. PEDESTRIAN RECOMMENDATIONS For pedestrians, the location of this mobility hub is ideal because of the many destinations available within a 20-minute walk (see Figure 5-6A and 5-6B). This area includes a lot of residential property, which means that residents could walk to the mobility hub to catch the bus, use bike-share or scooter-share, use ride-share, or meet up with a carpool. FIG. 5-6A Destinations within a 20-minute walk (one mile) of the mobility hub (walkscore.com). 32 Project 5: Enhancing Mobility Around Eugene BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY RECOMMENDATIONS Proposed bicycle improvements to this intersection include adding lockable parking for micromobility devices and instituting a wider and separated micromobility lane on land reclaimed from vast parking lots. In this vision of the intersection, biking could be used as the main form of transportation or as a supplement to transit or ride-share as travelers engage in multimodal trips. FIG. 5-6B Cyclists traveling for 20 minutes or less can access Springfield, downtown Eugene, and the McKenzie River (walkscore.com). 33 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation TRANSIT ADDITIONAL For this mobility hub, we recommend We propose incorporating designated improving bus stops by adding covered pick-up and drop-off locations for seating as weather conditions in people using ride-share. The ability to Eugene are unpredictable and may carpool conveniently is important and affect a potential rider’s decision to use can decrease the number of personal transit. Any reduction in stress involved vehicles driving and parking on the in using transit will encourage higher road, opening up that space for use by ridership. more sustainable transportation modes. Another important aspect of this plan is the designated bus corridor in our plan. Frequency and reliability are factors in the decision to use transit, and a bus- only lane would increase LTD’s ability to function quickly and punctually. 34 Project 6: The Future of Student Mobility Project 6: The Future of Student Mobility Location: Coburg Road and Sheldon High School By Anna Pearl Johnson, Zach Lingo, and Emily Boyd WHY? PROJECT SUMMARY Sheldon High School is a high school This group’s project has three stages in the Ferry Street Bridge area in close of implementation that correlate with proximity to Coburg Road, a main three levels of implementation costs. transportation corridor and the target The Copper redesign, the cheapest of future plans by LTD that include option, includes visibility and safety a possible EmX line and pedestrian essentials such as speed bumps, improvements. In keeping with LTD’s light fixtures, stop signs, widened ideas outlined in “Moving Ahead”, crosswalks, and designated parking students believe it is important to target spaces for ride-share pick-up and drop- the nearby high school for multimodal off as well as park and ride (see Figure transportation improvements because 6-1). These would function to calm of the number of people moving to and traffic and heighten drivers’ awareness from Sheldon High School throughout of the school zone. the day and because of the younger population that it serves. PROJECT GOALS The three main goals of this project are to prioritize safety, to increase visibility of sustainable transportation methods, and to provide access to sustainable transportation methods for high school students and Sheldon High School community. 35 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation FIG. 6-1 Illustration of the Copper plan, showing a wider crosswalk, speed bumps, and streetlights. With increased investment, the Silver redesign builds on improvements of the Copper plan with the addition of a multi-purpose pedestrian and cycling path on an underutilized median (see Figure 6-2). Repurposing this median as a welcome space and refuge for walkers rebrands the intersection as a safe pedestrian zone. FIG. 6-2 Silver level improvements require more investment and include repurposing a median for pedestrian use. 36 Project 6: The Future of Student Mobility The Gold plan is this group’s most comprehensive plan and builds from the Copper and Silver redesigns by adding bikeshare and e-scooter hubs, covered waiting stations, and space for food trucks in the parking lot (see Figure 6-3). Making use of this median as a hub for mobility, socializing, and resting, this hub creates a destination for people while connecting to nearby transit and locations of interest. FIG. 6-3 Illustration of the Gold plan, showing bikeshare and e-scooter share stations, covered seating, and food trucks. PEDESTRIAN RECOMMENDATIONS hubs situated right across from school, Wide crosswalks will help people feel making their commutes less stressful safer when crossing the street to get and more convenient. In addition, to Sheldon High School and increase reduced vehicle speeds due to pedestrian safety, visibility, and access. crosswalk visibility, speed bumps, and With the median repurposed as a light fixtures will also increase safety for refuge, the space across from the high bikers and scooter riders. school begins to feel more oriented towards and supportive of sustainable TRANSIT RECOMMENDATIONS transportation. Speed bumps on the Covered waiting areas will benefit road will discourage vehicles from people waiting for rides and provide a speeding and increased light fixtures social space to convene at the end of a will make the environment feel safer long school day. at night. This is especially important in the winter when it may be dark before ADDITIONAL students leave school. We suggest designating space in the existing parking lot for a food truck hub, BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY which would serve as a social space RECOMMENDATIONS where high school students can eat People using micromobility will benefit lunch and meet up after school. from bike-share and e-scooter share 37 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation Project 7: Improving Mobility and Connectivity on Coburg Road Location: Costco on Coburg Road By Marelie Vorster, Brian Cooper, Eric Montes, Rachel Hess WHY? PROJECT SUMMARY This project increases safety and In order achieve these goals, this promotes sustainable transportation group proposes to repurpose the in line with goals for Envision Eugene Shopko parking lot, located east of and Vision Zero by increasing Coburg Road between Chad Drive and pedestrian and cyclist safety in a Crescent Avenue, as a mobility hub motor vehicle-dominated area. The (see Figure 7-1). This mobility hub will intersections of Coburg Road with be comprehensive and consist of a Chad Drive and Crescent Avenue are network of carless streets, a plaza for important because of their proximity to event space, an alteration of existing Crescent Village, a nearby residential traffic flows, redesigned transit stops, development that incorporates and redesigned intersections at Coburg pedestrian walking areas and mixed- Road’s intersection with Chad Drive and use development. To increase bicycle Crescent Avenue. ridership, the redesign must increase bicycle safety from high-speed motor vehicles on Coburg Road. PROJECT GOALS The goals of this project include providing a safe space for travelers to access sustainable transportation options; creating a destination for people to walk, shop, and socialize; and making the area more accessible to households without cars. 38 Project 7: Improving Mobility and Connectivity on Coburg Road FIG. 7-1 Mobility hub located north of Chad Drive on an underutilized parking lot. 39 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation Zooming in, the mobility hub will feature a network of carless streets, residential infill, retail businesses, and a brick plaza as a community gathering space. The streets leave space for a square on the west side, adjacent to a bike-share station (Figure 7-2). Creating a destination for social events and shopping, this mobility hub goes beyond the simplest jobs of connecting people to transportation options. This location, within walking distance from Crescent Village, could stimulate this area as a hotspot for bike and pedestrian-centered activity. FIG. 7-2 Green lines represent narrow, carless streets, with retail businesses as infill between streets. This design includes protected bike lanes and a dedicated bus lane in each direction (see Figure 7-3). These would increase accessibility in the area. FIG. 7-3 Protected bike lanes and designated bus lanes along Coburg Road. 40 Project 7: Improving Mobility and Connectivity on Coburg Road PEDESTRIAN RECOMMENDATIONS There are many residential areas surrounding Coburg Road. As a result, our vision for future pedestrian activity in the area includes people choosing to walk to the grocery store rather than drive. We also envision more retail and other businesses oriented towards shoppers traveling on foot. To accomplish these goals, this project would create a vibrant and accessible destination for pedestrians in the network of carless streets proposed for the current Shopko parking lot (see Figure 7-2). Additionally, pedestrians would benefit from increased crosswalk frequency along Coburg Road (see Figures 7-4 and 7-6) and separation from motor vehicle traffic (see Figure 7-3). Adding a protected bike lane to Coburg Road increases pedestrian distance from motor vehicle travel, improving pedestrian safety. Adding more streetlights would make pedestrians feel safer when walking at night, especially in the winter when it gets dark early. FIG. 7-4 The redesign crosswalks improve visibility, with cyclists benefitting from protected turns on all four corners. 41 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation FIG. 7-5 Redesign of traffic lanes on Crescent Avenue at Coburg Road. BICYCLE AND MICROMOBILITY RECOMMENDATIONS We propose implementing dedicated bike lanes to transport people into and out of the mobility hub along Coburg Road. The network of carless streets within the mobility hub on the site of the Shopko parking lot invites bikers to travel safely, separated from high-speed cars. A bike-share station would be located on the Coburg Road side of the mobility hub, providing a convenient entry point for cyclists. We also recommend bike signals at the intersection between Coburg Road and Chad Drive to minimize conflict for cyclists navigating among cars and trucks. Each corner of the intersections would include a protected turn lane for cyclists. Green paint on the bike lanes adds visibility and clarity, which is needed at such a busy intersection. FIG. 7-6 Protected bike lanes on Chad Drive and Coburg Road, with green representing bike lanes. 42 Project 7: Improving Mobility and Connectivity on Coburg Road FIG. 7-7 Photo from Allen Street, New York City, illustrating how protected bike lanes and transit stops could be integrated. Photo by Chris Brunn. 43 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation To address the main conflict zones near Costco for cyclists and cars, we propose changes to traffic flow (see Figures 7-8 and 7-9). Because Costco is such a big attraction in the area, cars may become backed up at the intersection of Coburg Road and Chad Drive and cut off cyclists when they turn into Costco’s parking lot. We recommend closing this mid-block entrance to Costco to reduce the conflict between bikes and cars. FIG. 7-8 The red box shows the entrance to Costco to be removed due to conflict with the bike lane. 44 Project 7: Improving Mobility and Connectivity on Coburg Road To accommodate this loss of accessibility for cars and Costco shoppers, we propose adding an entrance directly into the Costco parking lot from the Randy Pape Beltline (see Figure 7-9). Drivers would be able to enter or exit the parking lot on the south side rather than on the west side. Cars could access the parking lot without crossing a bike lane. FIG. 7-9 The yellow circle shows a proposed entrance to the Costco parking lot. 45 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation TRANSIT RECOMMENDATIONS We propose a dedicated bus lane in each direction along Coburg Road, a high- frequency bus line running in the lane, and floating bus stops along the route (see Figure 7-10). Being able to rely on transit schedules is important for many riders and improvements to existing bus stops would allow buses to travel more efficiently. In addition, adding amenities such as seating, shelter, and lighting to these floating transit islands improve comfort and experience for transit riders. Creating high quality transit stops like the one pictured below could encourage more people to choose transit over personal vehicles. In this proposed redesign, a floating bus stop would mean that buses would not block the bike lane when they stop to pick up passengers, allowing both buses and bicycles to move more freely. FIG. 7-10 A floating bus stop does not block the bike lane. ADDITIONAL This mobility hub would also act as a hub for social events, food trucks, and gathering, as well as acting as an economic hub with space for retail businesses and restaurants within the network of carless streets. Creating a lively space where pedestrianism is a benefit rather than an alternative is a strategy that can reduce our reliance on personal vehicles. 46 Conclusion Conclusion When it comes to increasing the number of people using sustainable transportation, increasing safety and making riders and walkers feel more comfortable is essential. This can be achieved through methods mentioned in student projects, including sheltering people from the elements, creating social space, separating lanes of traffic based on speed, and making crossings and lane designations visible to all travelers. People may choose to use As Coburg Road densifies as a sustainable transportation on their transportation corridor, distances own, but they will be more likely to between residences, economic centers, adopt a new method of transportation and recreation spots will decrease, if encouraged by the extra qualities making walking, cycling, scootering, of a mobility hub. These extra and transit trips even more desirable. qualities lie beyond the necessities of A mobility hub can facilitate the transportation. Creating a welcoming, movements of community members social space where people can meet up in comprehensive and inclusive way in with friends, host events, and rest their order to achieve the goals that Eugene legs is great encouragement. and LTD has set for itself in the coming years. 47 Fall 2019 Coburg Road Sustainable Transportation 48 References References “2018 E-Scooter Findings Report” Departments/PCD/Transportation/ (Portland Bureau of Transportation), SantaMonicaSharedMobilityEvaluation_ accessed February 4, 2020, https://www. Final_110419.pdf portlandoregon.gov/transportation/ article/709719 “Vision Zero Eugene 3-Year Progress Report 2016-2018” (City of Eugene, n.d.), https:// Alta Planning + Design, “Understanding the www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/ ‘Four Types of Cyclists,’” Medium, August View/48443/Eugene-Vision-Zero-3yr- 18, 2017, https://blog.altaplanning.com/ Progress-Report-2016-2018. understanding-the-four-types-of-cyclists- 112e1d2e9a1b “Crashes | Lane Council of Governments, OR - Official Website,” accessed January 30, 2019, https://www.lcog.org/643/Crashes. “Envision Eugene | Eugene, OR Website,” accessed January 27, 2020, https://www. eugene-or.gov/760/Envision-Eugene. “Eugene’s Community Climate Action Plan 2.0: Playbook for Eugene’s Climate Journey” (City of Eugene, Fall 2019), https:// www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/ View/48138/CAP20-Full-Document-w- AppendicesMariela Jarrett Walker & Associates, “Transit Tomorrow Draft Network Plan” (Lane Transit District, August 14, 2019). Jeffrey Tumlin, Sustainable Transportation Planning: Tools for Creating Vibrant, Healthy, and Resilient Communities (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012). Mariela A. Alfonzo, “To Walk or Not to Walk? The Hierarchy of Walking Needs,” Environment and Behavior 37, no. 6 (November 1, 2005): 808–36, https://doi. org/10.1177/0013916504274016 “Mobility Hub Features Catalog” (San Diego Association of Governments, December 2017), https://www.sdforward.com/fwddoc/ mobipdfs/mobilityhubcatalog-features.pdf. “MovingAhead.” Accessed February 9, 2020. http://www.movingahead.org/. “Shared Mobility Pilot Program Summary Report” (City of Santa Monica, November 2019), https:// www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/ 49 SCI Directors and Staff Marc Schlossberg SCI Co-Director, and Professor of Planning, Public Policy, and Management, University of Oregon Nico Larco SCI Co-Director, and Professor of Architecture, University of Oregon Megan Banks SCYP Director, University of Oregon Sean Vermilya Report Coordinator Katie Fields SCYP Graduate Employee Danielle Lewis Graphic Designer