WEC Analysis Committee/One-Way Alternative Route Scenario

From Eugene Neighbors

[edit] Summary

This scenario involves creating a one-way alternative route to the portion of West 11th between between Bailey Hill Road and Garfield Street, intended for through traffic. This approach is similar to a "street couplet", except that the distance between the parallel streets is rather larger.

This scenario separates east and west traffic between Bailey Hill Road and Garfield/Hwy 99, using West 11th as the primary route for westbound traffic and 7th Place as the route for eastbound traffic.

[edit] Description

The changes to make 7th Place a dedicated eastbound traffic route are primarily traffic operations improvements. The basic cross section of 7th Place would remain the same: two lanes eastbound and one late westbound. The traffic operations improvements would entail signalizing an additional one or two intersections along 7th Place and converting the remaining intersections that are currently four-way stops to two-way stops.

Improvements to the intersections of Bailey Hill Road/W. 11th and 7th Place/Hwy 99 should also be considered to facilitate traffic flow to and from the alternative route..

W. 11th Avenue from Bailey Hill Road to Garfield Street would be redesigned to have two westbound through lanes and no eastbound through lanes. Converting the existing W. 11th Ave. between Bailey Hill Road and Garfield Street from 5 lanes to a proposed two lanes in only the westbound direction would enhance traffic flow for westbound travelers by removing conflicts with left-turning eastbound vehicles and making it easier to time the traffic signals for progression. This conversion to a one way street also frees up room within the right of way to serve purposes other than throughput such as redesigning the street to be conducive to mixed use development.

The street could be redesigned for a conversion to semi-one-way as a hybrid avenue wth two through lanes, EmX lanes (either two or one bi-directional), and a reverse-direction access lane only on the south side of W. 11th. This design would require different kinds of zoning/development on opposite sides of W. 11th. On the south side, compact mixed use development would be encouraged while on the north side, larger scale development that has centralized parking, few curb cuts, and most access off of side streets would be encouraged. An option for this design is to have a bike lane for westbound travel; the access lane would serve as an eastbound bicycle facility.

Note that Roosevelt Avenue already exists as a complete two-way alternative route, somewhat farther north, to the portion of West 11th between between Beltline Highway and Garfield Street.

[edit] Sketches

[edit] Map

[edit] Street Section

Conceptual Street Section for part of West 11th as a Semi-One-Way Hybrid

[edit] Time Table

Improvements to 7th Place (signals and stop signs) could be made in the short term. These could be made even when W. 11th is still two-way as they do nothing to diminish westbound traffic.

Changes to W. 11th itself should be made as part of a longer term implementation strategy.

[edit] Cost Table

In an exploration of relative costs of several street options involving West 11th from Garfield to Beltline as a multiway boulevard, as a hybrid street supplemented by an alternative route for the half from Garfield to Bailey Hill, or as an improved urban arterial supplemented by an alternative route for the half from Garfield to Bailey Hill - which drew extensively on construction engineering experience in the Analysis Committee, together with local professional sources for data - the overriding design factor that differentiated total relative costs including both construction and land acquisition, was the inclusion of transit lanes.

In other words, the total relative cost, in terms of an index value per lineal foot of street improvement, was broadly similar for each street design approach without dedicated transit lanes, and was similar for each street approach with dedicated transit lanes.

The total relative cost, in terms of an index value per lineal foot of street improvement, seems to be about twice as much for a complete project, involving dedicated transit lanes, as for a basic project, without transit lanes.

The scenarios studied did not include alternative routes for which additional length of street right-of-way would have to be acquired, in addition to any right-of-way width acquisitions. The total relative cost for alternative routes scenarios requiring length of street right-of-way acquisitions could be significantly greater.

[edit] Discussion

In several fundamental ways, West 11th can be considered the central main street for West Eugene, although its current urban design character doesn't support that calling very well. The ODOT Main Street Handbook provides some specific comments regarding the creation of couplets, to reduce traffic overload on busy main streets. (p36)

"A couplet is two streets acting as one: traffic flows one-way on both streets but in opposite directions. The two streets are usually a block apart and stretch through the [downtown]. Once outside the downtown, the couplet rejoins to form a normal two-way street.

"Couplets are fairly common because they are an easy way to increase highway capacity. They have an added benefit for pedestrians who need only look in one direction when crossing the street. However, this benefit may be offset by higher vehicle speed on one-way streets and the risk of cars in the far lane not seeing or failing to stop for a crossing pedestrian. Also, merchants along a proposed couplet some- times resist the one-way travel for fear that half the traffic will miss their stores.

"Two-way streets tend to have lower traffic speeds because the opposing lanes create a sense of friction which causes drivers to slow down. If there is extra width (above standard) when 2-way streets are made into one-way couplets, speed increases can be counteracted by adding bike lanes, on-street parking, wider sidewalks, street trees, and curb extensions.

"Drivers can be confused by one-way streets and bicyclists object to the out-of-direction travel. A large grid of one-way streets can be frustrating to all users. Ample signing, good intersection design at the beginning and end, and frequent parking opportunities are particularly im- portant with couplets.

"It is particularly important to involve residents and business owners when planning secondary routes, couplets and bypasses."

[edit] Pros and Cons

A. Improve efficiency of transportation network

Pros

• Provides an alternative route which would take something approaching half the traffic on the eastern portion of W. 11th, the half of the commercial strip from Bailey Hill to Garfield/Chambers.

Cons

• Impedes access to businesses in the eastern portion of W. 11th very significantly
• Directs westbound through-traffic headed to southerly locations several blocks out of their way, and/or displaces through traffic onto 18th.
• Eastbound traffic accessing businesses on 11th would be forced to use the eastbound access lane, which could destroy its intended function as a bicycle and pedestrian realm
• Eastbound traffic that is eventually going to 13th Avenue east of Garfield has to travel several blocks out of their way via 7th Place to Garfield to 13th, potentially further overloading already-congested intersections
• Due to the wide separation of the opposing one-way streets, some trips would have to follow a much longer route to reach their destination (while no trips would have have a shorter route).
• The confusing nature of having part of West 11th being one way, and the resulting navigational difficulties, could complicate trips, increase turning actions, and add to traffic congestion.
• Local truck traffic on 7th Place, including semis backing into and out of loading docks along 7th Place, could interfere with through traffic movements.
• Two lanes eastbound on 7th may not provide sufficient traffic capacity to provide net traffic flow improvements, once additional turning actions required for accessing alternative route are analyzed.

B. Increase public transit

Pros

• Dedicated transit lanes could be included.

Cons

• Conceptual street section drawing connected with for this approach, as shown, may not provide for BRT passing areas and/or stations.

C. Enhance pedestrian and bikeways

Pros

• Incorporates improved sidewalks, especially on one side of West 1th.

Cons

• Without an effective strategy to greatly reduce curb cuts, this approach is limited in its ability to create a highly-usable pedestrian and bicycle realm.

D. Intensify development appropriately

Pros

Cons

• This level of redesign of West 11th may not be sufficient to create a supportive environment for mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
• With little basis for general upzoning along 7th, public investment in alternative route construction would be repaid via increased tax base slowly if ever.
• Addition of traffic to the industrial areas along 7th will tend to increase pressure for commercial conversions, threatening the working character of the area.
• Because substantial traffic would be effectively forced away from West 11th onto the alternative route, it would be likely to substantially reduce the commercial value of locations along West 11th. This could greatly slow the pace of beneficial redevelopment and further reduce the potential for repayment of the public investment in West 11th improvements to be repaid via increased tax base.

E. Relocate some land uses

Pros

Cons

• This approach is likely to drive largely negative land use redistributions. As such, it may be disruptive for property owners across West Eugene.
• Addition of substantial traffic to the industrial areas along 7th will tend to substantially increase pressure for commercial conversions, seriously threatening the working character of the area.
• With the relatively low capacity of this approach to support big density increases, opportunities for beneficial land use relocations may be limited.
• Without capacity for land use relocations, alternatives are not created to current growth plans that will tend to increase West 11th traffic loading.

F. Enhance open space/natural resources

Pros

• Provide oportunity for the motoring public to view open space/natural resources

Cons

• Adding substantial traffic on routes through or alongside already-protected natural resource areas will tend to degrade their value, and worsen overall impacts on sensitive species and habitats.

G. Enhance natural watershed

Pros

Cons

• Dispersion of motor vehicles traffic across a wider area of West Eugene, through increased and additional alternative routes, without significant strategies to mitigate their impacts, is likely to worsen overall impacts on wetlands and waterways, compared to a strategy that includes mitigations or enhancements.

H. Enhance appreciation and connections to natural resources

Pros

Cons

• Adding substantial traffic on routes through or alongside already-protected natural resource areas will tend to degrade recreational and educational experiences in those areas.

[edit] References

• ODOT Main Street Handbook

[edit] External Links