Main Street Safety Project
The following is an update from the City of Springfield, sent out on July 2nd, 2019.
Since our last e-update in April, the project team has made progress on several items noted below working with the Technical Advisory Committee, Strategic Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, City Council, and Main Street Governance Team.
Additionally, an update on the Main-McVay Transit Study is also provided below.
Revised Goals & Objectives
The project team has revised the goals and objectives shared in the April e-update based on feedback received this past spring from the Technical Advisory Committee, Strategic Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, City Council, Governance Team, and community groups. The revised Goals & Objectives will shape development of transportation improvement options for a safer Main Street. In addition, the revised Goals & Objectives were used to provide community input and direction to draft the framework that will be used to evaluate infrastructure solutions for the Main Street corridor. The Goals & Objectives Technical Memo can be viewed here.
Technical Analysis
The project team also completed technical analysis of Future Baseline Transportation Conditions (no build) for the Main Street corridor and conducted a Literature Review of potential economic effects that possible infrastructure safety solutions might have on nearby businesses and property owners. Both documents are posted in the “Technical Memos” section on the project website. This summer, the project team and the Technical Advisory Committee will be developing and analyzing safety solutions for Main Street to present this fall for stakeholder and broader community consideration.
Frequently Asked Questions
The project team has put together a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) handout to answer common questions the team has received. One of the frequently asked questions has been about what causes crashes on Main Street. The FAQ handout provides data and information related to crashes on Main Street between 2012-2016.
Upcoming Meetings
- Governance Team – July 30, 2019
- Technical Advisory Committee Meeting #6 – August 6, 2019
- For complete meeting details, agendas, and other related information please visit http://www.mainstreetsafety.org.
Next Steps
This summer, the project team and Technical Advisory Committee will be developing and analyzing alternative safety solutions for Main Street to present for stakeholder consideration this fall. In addition to the Strategic Advisory Committee and other advisory groups, the project team will engage the broader community in review and screening of solutions. Also, in August, ODOT and the City will mail letters to business and property owners on the corridor notifying them of the opportunity to review the Key Principles and Methodology that will be applied to future access decisions on Main Street.
Main-McVay Transit Study Update
The Main-McVay Transit Study will be taking the Main Street transit mode choice to the Governance Team for guidance at their July 30th meeting. The transit mode choice (Enhanced Corridor or EmX) will inform further analysis that is done in coordination with the Main Street Safety Project alternative safety solutions and will be a component of the Main Street Locally Preferred Solution (LPS) that will be selected for future comparison to a “no change” transit alternative. For more information, view transit mode choice memo that went to the Springfield Planning Commission in June 2019.
The transit LPS will consist of both the transit mode choice and alignment for the full Main Street Corridor from Springfield Station to Thurston. The Main Street Governance Team is expected to provide guidance on a complete transit LPS for Main Street in 2020 before it goes to the Springfield City Council and Lane Transit District Board for public hearing and adoption.
To learn more about the Main-McVay Transit Study go to http://ourmainstreetspringfield.org/main-mcvay-transit-improvement-study/.
Stay Informed
If you know others who would like to be informed about the Main Street Safety Project and receive email updates, please send them to this link to sign up: http://mainstreetsafety.org.
For additional information please visit http://mainstreetsafety.org.
Project Contact
Molly Markarian
Main Street Safety Project
Project Manager
mmarkarian@springfield-or.gov
541.726.4611
Project Purpose
Springfield’s Main Street is consistently ranked as one of the most unsafe city streets in Oregon based on the severity and frequency of traffic crashes. The Oregon Department of Transportation and the City must address this problem to save lives, reduce injuries, and lessen property damage due to crashes. The purpose of the Main Street Safety Project is to select infrastructure solutions that will make Main Street safer for people walking, biking, driving, and taking transit.
The selected safety improvements will provide for the movement of goods and people, support the economic viability of the corridor, accommodate current bus service and future transit solutions, and complement traffic safety education and enforcement.
