Under a tent on the bustling corner of East 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street, Eugene’s community, University and elected leaders gathered together in a dedication ceremony Tuesday to formally open the new University Transit Station and celebrate several other improvements around the city.
Mayor Kitty Piercy, ASUO Chief of Staff Kerry Snodgrass and state Rep. Terry Beyer (D-Springfield) were among 11 leaders who spoke at the 30-minute ceremony. Work lasted all throughout summer and was the result of a partnership between the city, the University, Lane Transit District, the Oregon Department of Transportation and Wildish Construction. Each speaker was thrilled with how easily each group came together.
Piercy spoke about how proud she was of the achievements of the group and reminded the audience of the remaining beautification work, including new street lamps and tree plantings. These are expected to be completed by mid-winter.
Jim Williams, general manager of The Duck Store chain, discussed how the changes affect business in the area.
“Thank you for the improvements made to the business district,” Williams said. “We are excited to have a friendly and safe place for people to shop.”
Leaders also praised the cutting-edge design used in these projects.
ODOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Program spokesperson Sheila Lyons, City Councilor Alan Zelenka and Beyer each discussed the benefits of the changes.
“The coolest thing is the innovative back-in parking,” Zelenka said. “They’ve been doing this in Seattle for 40 years, and it has worked really well. It just takes some time to get used to.”
All of the improvements were primarily funded by two main projects: a $2.3 million plan from the city of Eugene and a $2.1 million plan from LTD, 10 percent of which came from a state grant.
“We developed a a flexible fund program,” Oregon Transportation Commissioner Mary Olson said of the group that drew together LTD funds. “This community can be proud of what we are dedicating today.”
For leaders, ensuring that the design is unique and fresh has been extremely important. The bus stops are each green and yellow in honor of the University, and the bike lanes have a design new to Eugene.
“The bike lanes are really cool,” Zelenka said. “The buffer zone between moving traffic and the bikes created by parked cars is something many have never seen before.”
According to Zelenka, the city has also doubled the number of parking spaces in the area around East 13th Avenue and Alder Street.
Zelenka also announced that during the construction, some old trolley tracks were discovered under the street. These tracks will be taken and recycled in an upcoming art project.