Main Street Safety Project Update 5-6-2021: May 10 City Council Meeting
May 10 City Council Meeting
As we committed to in our April 1, 2021 e-update, we are sending another e-update with the agenda packet for our upcoming presentation to the City Council.
- City Council Work Session – Monday, May 10 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
The presentation will cover the results from the third round of community engagement for the Main Street Safety Project. Plus, feedback received from the Planning Commission and the Governance Team.
As part of the presentations, the project team will ask Council several questions including:
- Do the toolbox recommendations meet their expectations and direction to date?
Based on feedback received, we know that the community continues to want to address safety on Main Street, but the implementation of infrastructure elements needs to reflect a balanced approach to improve safety and support business/economic development on the corridor. Further, that the recommended toolbox approach responds to this with simplicity, flexibility, and phase ability.
View City Council Presentation Packet
To attend the virtual City Council meeting, a zoom webinar link is posted in the presentation packet and can also be found on the City Council Meeting page.
View City Council Meeting page
Clearing Up Misconceptions about the Project
During the third round of community engagement, we heard some misconceptions about what the project is or is not. We want to clear up those misconceptions.
There is a long history of planning projects on Main Street, and the current Main Street Safety project has evolved based on feedback and input received throughout all of our rounds of community engagement, recommendations from the Planning Commission, and direction received from the Governance Team and the City Council.
Here is what the Main Street Safety Project is not:
- It’s not a Lane Transit District project
- It’s not EmX
- It would not prevent all left turns
- It would not need extensive new right-of-way
- It’s not one size fits all
- It would not be built all at once
As shared above, based on feedback received during the third round of community engagement, the community continues to want to address safety on Main Street, but the implementation of infrastructure elements needs to reflect a balanced approach to improve safety and support business/economic development on the corridor. And, that the recommended toolbox approach responds to this with simplicity, flexibility, and phase ability.
In summary, the community has reiterated that:
- There really is a serious safety problem on corridor;
- It’s ODOT and the City’s duty to tackle problem;
- Our approach is sensible and responsible; and
- We do listen and we do care…and we will make adjustments in design phases.
Next Steps
Next steps will be based on direction and feedback from the City Council. The anticipated next step will be for the project team to start drafting the Main Street Facility Plan. In our next e-update, we will share direction and feedback received from the City Council and confirm next step(s).
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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.
