Main Street Safety Project Update 8-4-20: Summary of Results from Online Open House #2 and Next Steps

Summary of Results from Second Round of Community Engagement

The second round of community engagement was extended through the end of April 2020 in light of COVID-19. We wanted to ensure there was additional opportunity for community members to provide feedback on the possible infrastructure elements being considered. After the second round of community engagement wrapped up, staff compiled and analyzed the feedback received. Then a presentation of the findings was provided to the Springfield City Council in June.

Overall, community members confirmed they want to see safety improved on Main Street. There were high-level consistent themes heard across all engagement points when feedback was sought to inform which possible infrastructure elements are preferred to address the safety problem on Main Street. Those consistent themes were:

• Continue considering a median. However, feedback varied on how much of a median is desired when comparing safety improvement vs. accessibility.
• Continue considering both roundabouts and signalized intersections. Intersections could vary but should be based on project criteria.
  • Further analyze roundabout priority locations based on combination of safety benefit and right of way impacts.
  • Emphasize that truck U-turns are prohibited at signalized intersections.

• Desire wider/buffered/separated bike facility. There was strong support to remove the conventional bike lane from further consideration.
• Desire to keep landscaping in toolkit with the consideration to balance with maintenance, safety, and right of way impacts. However, feedback on what the balance could look like was varied.
• Encouraged identifying priorities for phased implementation based on safety benefit, cost and feasibility.
  • Consider prioritization of worst safety locations in earlier implementation phases. Intersections and segments could be improved in different phases and not all at once.
  • Concern expressed about the cost and feasibility of more expensive options and encouraged a moderate level of investment and feasible solution.

• Expressed the need to vary design elements along corridor to meet business and community needs. Toolkit idea reiterated for ability to implement different safety elements that help meet the project goals while considering right of way impacts.
• Desire to provide better transportation options for people, especially elderly and children.

Read more about the results from the second round of community engagement on the project’s document, meeting and events page. 

Next Steps

Based on this feedback, we know that safety continues to be a key concern in our community but possible infrastructure elements need to reflect a balanced approach to improve safety and support business/economic development. Staff will take this feedback and use it to refine the possible safety elements and overall infrastructure solutions.

Then feedback on the refinements will be sought this fall through meetings and presentations with the project’s Technical Advisory Committee, Strategic Advisory Committee, and the community members and groups. Refinements and feedback collected on them will then be presented to the Springfield Planning Commission, Main Street Governance Team, and Springfield City Council in early 2021.

Upcoming Meetings

Technical Advisory Committee – Fall 2020
Strategic Advisory Committee – Fall 2020

We will send out another e-update once these meeting dates have been confirmed and meetings with community groups have been scheduled.

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.