The Eugene Planning Commission unanimously endorsed proposals Monday from University students and consultants to continue working on designs to turn Franklin Boulevard into a multiway boulevard.
The commission supported short- and long-term proposals to put in separate lane divisions for through and local traffic, two side-by-side lanes for the Emerald Express buses, and possible parking on the north side of the street, with the potential for parking on the south side.
The project’s two consultants, David Evans and Associates, Inc. and Urbsworks, Inc., proposed the multiway boulevard as a way to lead to Franklin Boulevard’s rejuvenation by encouraging mixed-use development and making the area more friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists.
The consultants’ proposals for the boulevard’s new design contained elements that were taken from plans drawn up by architecture students who were involved in the project through the University’s urban design studio.
Architecture Professor Mark Gillem, who heads the studio involved with the project, said the commission’s decision will allow the consultants and the studio to study the specific details of a multiway boulevard on Franklin Boulevard.
“It was really an ideal outcome from the meeting,” Gillem said.
The consultants will now look at creating a more detailed design for the boulevard, while the students will focus on modifying their boulevard designs and on final reviews in March, Gillem said.