The Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Plan advisory committee kicked off its three-part meeting series Tuesday night at Agate Hall.
The University building was transformed into a modern day charrette, with neon sticky notes, oversized maps and dry-erase drawing boards placed around the room in an effort to encourage attendees to put their concerns in black and white. Lee Shoemaker, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator of the committee, and his staff wanted to ensure the public’s comments were heard loud and clear.
Multiple poster boards were set up to give the public a clearer view of possible solutions to bike and pedestrian safety and efficiency issues throughout Eugene. Suggestions such as colored bike lanes would make cyclists easier to see but would be an expensive addition due to their high upkeep costs in rainy Eugene. “Bicycle Boxes” are an innovative new plan, and would extend a bike lane to cross in front of traffic, similar to a crosswalk, in order to make bike traffic more visible. Other recommendations include adding more right of way signs, or developing bike lanes that are physically detached from the rest of the road ways.
Lindsay Selser, a Eugene Public Works employee, is thrilled about the opportunity for local citizens to share their opinions.
“This meeting is really about the public and their concerns,” she said. “The more they tell us what they want, the more able we will be to accommodate them in the new master plan.”
The last Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Plan was developed in 2002 as part of the City of Eugene’s TransPlan. Since then, many traffic and roadway trends have changed, leading city officials to believe now would be a good time to start a new plan.
“There are many things we have accomplished from the old plan; however, now is a good time to review what we have done and see where we want to go next,” Shoemaker said. “There is a possibility that items we did not get to on the old plan could be dropped if the citizen committee decides those items are no longer relevant according to public comments.”
Cyclist commuter Josh Schlossberg bikes 15 miles round-trip to work each day and hopes the new plan will create segregated bike and road lanes to help alleviate his daily stresses on the road.
“I once was an advocate of education programs that taught cyclists and drivers how to safely coexist, but about three times a week I am nearly clocked by a car,” he said. “I am beginning to believe we need segregation now. I would not be opposed to a Jim Crow law for bikes. Separate but equal sounds like a good idea to me.”
The plan is not expected to be finished for several months; a budgeting process for the plan has yet to begin.
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