LiveMove ByDesign 2019 Report University Street

i Acknowledgements Thank you to everyone who supported the development of the 2019 LiveMove ByDesign Project: University Street. It would have been impossible to complete this research and provide recommendations without the commitment and advocacy of several community partners, university leaders, and student support: Community Partners: • Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation (BEST) • City of Eugene Planning and Development • Center for Alternative Transportation (CAT) • PeaceHealth BikeShare • National Institute for Transportation and Communities University Leaders: • Sustainable Cities Institute • Especially SCI Fiscal and Office Manager, Marsha Gravesen • School of Planning, Public Policy, and Management • Especially faculty members Dr. Anne Brown and Dr. Marc Schlossberg • UO Transportation Services • UO Campus Planning and Facilities Management • UO Outdoor Program • UO Student Recreation Center • UO University Housing ii 2019 LiveMove ByDesign Team

Corrie Parrish, President Karen Mason, Vice President Miranda Menard Hannu, Community Outreach Coordinator Finley Heeb, Speaker Series Coordinator Maddy Reznick, Speaker Series Coordinator ~~~~ Eric Burdette Zack Luckin Catherine Rohan Carmela Sambo Lexi Smaldone RJ Theofield iii

Land Acknowledgement

The University of Oregon is located on Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people. Following treaties between 1851 and 1855, Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the United States Government and forcibly removed to the Coast Reservation in Western Oregon. Today, descendants are citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians of Oregon, and continue to make important contributions in their communities, at UO, and across the land we now refer to as Oregon.

We are humbled as a student organization to develop a transportation plan that honors this history, and helps the University grow towards a more inclusive environment for all transportation needs.

Table of Contents Acknowledgements...... i-iii Chapter One: Introduction, Purpose & Vision, and Community Context ...... 2 Introduction ...... 3 Purpose and Vision ...... 4 Community Context ...... 5 University Street: A Blast to the Past ...... 6 University Street: Present Day ...... 8 Pedestrian Use ...... 10 Bike (and other wheels) Use ...... 11 Parking Use ...... 12 Chapter Two: Community Engagement Strategies ...... 14 Campus-wide Survey ...... 16 PARKing Day and other Tabling Events ...... 17 UO Stakeholder Charrette ...... 18 Chapter Three: Research Methods and Data Findings...... 20 Research Methods ...... 21 Data Findings ...... 23 People and Intersection Counts ...... 24 Speed Count ...... 27 Campus-wide Survey ...... 29 UO Stakeholder Charrette...... 32 Chapter Four: Proposed Design Recommendations, Further Considerations, & Conclusion ...... 34 Immediate Recommendations ...... 36 Short-term Recommendations ...... 38 Long-term Recommendations ...... 39 Further Considerations and Conclsuion ...... 40 Appendix A: Survey Questions and Responses ...... 42 Appendix B: People and Intersection Count Forms and Data, and Speed Count Data ...... 48 Appendix C: Site Plan Views and References ...... 58 1 2

Chapter 1 Introduction, Purpose & Vision, and Community Context 3 Introduction

Livemove is a student-led transportation and livability group that seeks to bring light to transportation access and equity issues affecting the University of Oregon (UO) campus and the Eugene/Springfield region. Our mission is to promote healthy, sustainable communities by integrating transportation and livability through collaboration, education, research and outreach.

Each year, the group collaborates to complete an annual “ByDesign” project. ByDesign projects can be either community or campus-based. Past ByDesign projects in which student recommendations were included the the implementation of the street redesign include projects such as the cycletracks built on Alder Street and 13th Avenue. This year the LiveMove team chose to focus their attention on improving traffic conditions on the on-campus portion of University Street between Johnson Avenue and 18th Avenue, which is the southern gateway of the UO campus. When this report refers to University Street, this is the defined project boundary LiveMove researched and collected data for. The portion of University Street connecting Johnson Avenue to 13th Street is included in a recent redesign of 13th Street, and therefore was not included in the project boundary. This street feeds into the heart of campus and remains one of the few locations with parking left.

Currently, the University has been plagued with vehicle congestion and has not been conducive to safe transportation for all modes. University Street, in particular, creates a car-dominated space that is unwelcoming and unsafe for all modes of travel. Students, faculty, staff, and community members note feeling unsafe on bike and foot, as well as an increasing frequency of bike and car collisions from a lack of clear designation on the roads. This report includes data gathered from several community outreach and events. Throughout the planning process LiveMove members placed an emphasis on collecting community member feedback, accounting for future campus developments, and ensuring policies produce equitable outcomes for all. 4 Purpose & Vision

LiveMove’s ultimate goal is to seek improvements in the safety aspect of campus transportation while keeping sustainability, livability, and equity as first considerations in the design process. By analyzing the ways in which this street is currently traveled, the LiveMove Design Team provides short-term (1-3 years), mid-term (3-5 years), and long-term (5-10 years) recommendations with designs for improvement of multi-modal travel along University Street. Our proposal serves as an official collection of street observations, community inputs, and group discussions.

The LiveMove Team crafted the following vision statement based on data collection and multiple community engagement and outreach events where community and university stakeholders provided feedback: Our vision is to transform University Street into a gateway to UO that reflects the values of the campus community, creates a sense of place through developing a welcoming and inclusive environment, and encourages more engagement by improving accessibility and enhancing safety. 5 Community Context

University Street runs north-south through the heart of the University of Oregon campus. University street being addressed stretches from 13th Avenue to 18th Avenue, a distance of approximately 600 meters. This report addresses the section of University Street between Johnson Avenue to 18th Avenue as UO Campus Planning and Facilities recently completed a redesign for University up to Johnson Avenue as part of the 13th Avenue Redesign. University Street’s northern terminus intersects at 13th Avenue, where it nds at the Lawrence College of Design. The Street continues southward from 18th Avenue for another mile and a half, eventually terminating in a residential neighborhood.

There is a 30-foot difference in elevation from the highest point along University Street (474’) to the lowest point of the Study Area east of the Student Tennis Center (444’). The topography of this site presents a number of challenges and opportunities for building and site design, both at the street edge, and towards the middle of the block. The crest of the hill on University Street near the entrance to McArthur Court acts as a campus boundary. This landform, the street’s parking-lot-like nature, and the absence of academic buildings all contribute to the feeling that areas south of Mac Court are not a part of campus (University Street Feasibility Study, 2012). 6 University Street: A Blast to the Past

University Street from 13th the 18th has not always existed in the form seen today, however it has always provided access to the heart of campus, as seen in an early aerial photograph from 1936 (Figure 1). Also of note in this photograph is University Street’s extension north to Franklin Boulevard. Though cut off in this particular photograph, the two streets did connect in 1936 via a small tree-lined road.

Come 1974 University Street is no longer connected to Franklin Bouvard, as seen in Figure 2. Looking closely at this photo, much more amentities can be seen along University Street. Another track field has been built, the Student Recreation Center along with Gerlinger and Esslinger Halls are built, and the quad area between 15th Avenue and behind the EMU is

Figure 1: University Street in 1936 developed into a small park with several Source: UO Library Special Collections & University Archives sidewalks built throughout to commute across campus in different directions.

Figure 2: University Street in 1974 Source: UO Library Special Collections & University Archives 7

Figure 3: 1974 Parking on University Street between 13th and 15th Avenues Source: UO Libraries Special Collections and University Archives

Figure 4: 1974 Parking on University Street between 15th and 18th Avenues Source: UO Libraries Special Collections and University Archives

Figure 5: 1994 Parking on University Street between 15th and 18th Avenues Source: UO Libraries Special Collections and University Archives

Figure 3 and Figure 4 show that primary use of University Street has always been for parking, although the parking configurations have evolved over time. In 1974 the portion of University Street between 13th and 15th Avenues was used for parallel parking while the portion between 15th and 18th Avenues was used for angled parking. By 1994 parking along University between 15th and 18th Avenues had changed to the head on, as seen in Figure 5. Parking between 13th and 15th Avenues (not pictured here) remained parallel in nature. 8 University Street: Present Day

University Street functions as one of the widest city streets in Eugene today. As it currently functions, its primary contribution to the campus is that it provides direct access to the center of campus. Its secondary use is one of a parking lot though, and one which is too wide to support a pedestrian-friendly environment. The lack of visible bike infrastructure, such as the peeling sharrows between 15th and 18th Avenues, also contribute to this section of University Street feeling more like a throughway for personal vehicles rather than community space. Existing buildings along University Street include: McArthur Court, Esslinger Hall, the Student Recreation Center (SRC), the Student Tennis Center (STC), the covered tennis courts, Jane Sanders Stadium, the Erb Memorial Union (EMU) and the Outdoor Program Barn. In comparison with the academic core of campus, the University Street area lacks the designated open space, paths, mature landscape, and academic buildings that define the academic core (University Street Feasibility Study, 2012).

Despite the fact that University Street was University-owned land from the early years of campus development, it did not evolve in a similar manner to the rest of campus and looks much the same as it did in 1994, with parallel parking from 13th to 15th and head on parking from 15th to 18th (Figure 6). Even though access is somewhat limited, vehicle parking on University Street consistently fills up during the weekdays and other special events. It is a great location with prime access to the center of campus. For pedestrians and bicyclists, University Street is less welcoming, particularly along the stretch from 15th to 18th Avenues where the majority of the parking is. The rest of campus continues to grow rapidly today but University Street has struggled to maintain safe traffic patterns, especially with the introduction of more modes of travel, which has led to conflicts and dangerous conditions at times. The following section further discusses the current context of pedestrian use, bicycling use, and parking. 9

Figure 6: Space Allocation on University Street Map Source: UO Fesability Study 10

Pedestrian Use on University Street Photo 1: Eastside University Street Sidewalk Photo 2: Car Encroachment on University Street

The sidewalk on the west side of University Street is wide enough to comfortably fit one person. However, there are often more people than that travelling through, and it is especially difficult for any disabled person or a person with other accomodations to use this sidewalk. There is limited room to step to the side to overtake or allow someone walking to pass due to the grassy embankment on the cemetery side of the sidewalk (west side) and the parking meters and car encroachment (east side), as shown in Photos 1 and 2.

The sidewalk to the east of University Street is more pedestrian friendly in that it is a good width given the volume of people Photo 3: MacArthur Court at night Photo 4: University Street during Major passing through. This sidewalk is still uncomfortable to walk Snow Event along, particularly alongside the McArthur Court building. Pedestrians pass under the building’s low awning, which runs adjacent to the old, now unused, inset entrances to the building. While the awning can be advantageous when raining, the limited sight lines into the inset entrances create an uncomfortable environment (Photo 3). Not only is this portion of the sidewalk uncomfortable to use, it is also detracts from any feeling of continuity along the east side of University Street. Additionally, if there is a major storm event as seen this past year, pedestrians are forced to step into University Street with moving traffic (Photo 4). 11 Bicycle (And Other Wheels) Use on University Street Photo 5: Skateboarder on University Street Photo 6: Scooter on University Street

There is no dedicated bikeway along University Street, forcing bicyclists and those riding scooters, skateboards, and other “wheels” (Photos 5 & 6) to contend with vehicles pulling in and out of parking spots during prime commuting times. Currently some sharrows are marked along the street indicating bicycles and automobiles must share the road. However when vehicles back out they become a threat to bicyclists due to limited visibility, especially in the evening. Additionally, the fire lane connecting Gerlinger Annex to University St. near its intersection with East 15th is frequently used by bicyclists to travel across campus. Currently, this intersection is unregulated and no traffic treatments are in place to control access to and from (Photo Photo 7: Bicyclist Entering University from Fire Lane 7). This creates several dangerous conflicts between automobiles and bicycles. The speed limit along University Street is 15 miles per hour, however not all vehicles abide by this limit further complicating vehicle and bicycle relations.

Within the street’s block and directly adjacent is considerable bicycle parking. On the east side of University Street across from Hendricks Hall and next to the EMU, approximately 30 covered bicycle parking spaces exist and are highly used due to its proximity to the heart of campus. In addition, significant covered bicycle parking is present at the southwest corner of University Street and East 15th near the SRC. 12 Parking Use on University Street Figure 7: Parking Space Designation on University Street Source: https://map.uoregon.edu/

Private automobile parking currently occupies the majority of street’s space. From 13th Avenue to 18th Avenue, there are approximately 233 parking spaces available for automobiles and significantly less parking spaces for other vehicles, such as bicycles, other wheels, or motorcycles. Parking spaces are either classified as metered, reserved, or handicapped. Between 15th Avenue and 18th Avenue, nearly all automobile spaces are metered and head-in, while to the north between 15th Ave. and 13th Ave spaces are more evenly split between reserved, metered, and parallel. Overall, the vast majority, 207 spaces (89%), of parking along the street are configured as head-in spots. This configuration prioritizes parking capacity-- maximizing the possible number of spaces available. Due to this configuration, sightlines are often limited and as a consequence, conflicts between street users (e.g. drivers and bicyclists) are frequent. While not located on University Street, the parking lot situated directly to the south of the EMU is a significant driver of traffic and circulation. As shown in Figure 7, this parking lot is accessed by University Street between 15th Ave. and 18th Ave. and connects Figure 8: Types of Access on University Street Source: https://map.uoregon.edu/ to East 15th Ave. via Onyx St. The parking lot provides 45 metered parking spaces, with four meeting ADA accessibility standards (UO Campus Map, 2019). Aside from along University, this parking lot is the largest and most centrally located automobile parking lot on campus. This parking lot also provides service vehicle and delivery truck access to the EMU, which is essential for day-to-day operations. 13 14

Chapter 2 Community Engagement Strategies 15 Community Engagement

The LiveMove team used a variety of community outreach methods to engage with university stakeholders, the UO community, and the Eugene/Springfield community. A campus-wide survey was completed, which involved both intercept surveys and an online platform that was open for about two weeks. The team held its largest-to-date PARKing day event as a way to engage the UO community on what University Street would look like with more park space. Team members collected written feedback through other outreach events on what community members would like to see improve on University Street, among other engagement methods. The following sections provides a in-depth look into how each community engagement method was executed, and which partners were involved. The three major community engagement tactics used include a campus-wide survey, PARKing Day and other tabling events, and the UO Stakeholder Charrette held with partners from across campus. 16 Community Engagement: Strategies Used Campus-wide Survey

LiveMovers created a survey to obtain first-hand self-reported information about how the community interacts with University Street. It asked questions about user level of comfort while using a variety of different travel options along University Street, what is currently liked on University Street, and what could be improved. A copy of the survey and its results can be found in Appendix A.

The survey was launched during the PARKing day celebration, which is discussed in further detail under “PARKing Day and other Tabling Events” in this chapter. A campus-wide platform outreach campign was also conducted via an online copy of the survey. Outreach included but was not limited to: UO College of Design listservs, PPPM student listservs, UO Recreation listservs, and several community partner social media outlets. LiveMove members also conducted intercept surveys at events to help collect more responses, in addition to collecting responses in the EMU during self-determined breaks. Additionally, LiveMove asked professors who teach transportation or community engagement-related classes to distribute the survey to their students. The survey was open from April 1 through April 28 and received 256 responses. The results of the survey is discussed further in Chapter Four: Methods and Data Findings. 17

PARKing Day and Other Tabling Events

LiveMove hosts a parking spot and activates the space into some kind of park-like space every year in honor of PARKing Day, which is an international movement to turn parking spaces into more community spaces. This year LiveMove collaborated with the following partners to organize its largest PARKing Day event to-date: • BEST (Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation) • CAT (Center for Alternative Transportation) • PeaceHealth Bikeshare • UO Outdoor Program • UO Student Recreation Center • UO Transportation Services In conjunction with fun activities and free food to encourage the UO community to partake in the event, LiveMove used the event as an opportunity to educate the community on the ByDesign project, collect surveys, and gather feedback. LiveMove also gathered community feedback at other tabling outreach events. 18

UO Stakeholder Charrette

LiveMove held a stakeholder charrette with UO and Community leadership. Those in attendance were from: • BEST • LiveMove Advisor, Dr. Marc Schlossberg • UO Campus Planning and Facilities • UO Transportation Services • UO University Housing The LiveMove team laid out a map of University Street divided into two sections: the upper half of University Street (15th to 18th Avenue) and the lower half (Johnson Avenue to 15th Avenue). LiveMove team members facilitated the workshop by having stakeholders break into two groups to discuss their visions for University Street. Participants were encouraged to use legos, scraps of paper, and markers to create these visions. After each team presented on their halves of University Street, the teams switched sections and redid the exercise. LiveMove team members who did not have an offical role in facilitating the event acted as student participants to keep student perspective in the workshop. Data findings from the charrette can be found in Chapter Four: Research Methods & Data Findings. 19 20

Chapter 3 Research Methods and Data Findings 21 Research Methods

To study and better understand the existing conditions of University Street as it interacts with the University campus, LiveMove employed five methods of data collection - people counts, intersection counts, speed counts, a survey, and a stakeholder charette. LiveMove also unofficially collected feedback at several community outreach tabling events. These methods allowed the team to generate observational quantitative data about the number of vehicles, bikes (and other forms of personal mobility), and people interacting with University Street. Additionally, it provided insight as to the types of vehicles interacting with the street, and the speed at which those vehicles were traveling along the street. It also allowed the team to collect qualitative data about the level of comfort people have when interacting with the street, what the community thinks is working well on the street, and what they hope to see in the future if and when University Street is redesigned. The following section provides a brief overview of the methods used: People and Intersection Counts

People counts provide a broad overview about the number of people passing through an intersection over a period of time, as well as the specific mode of transportation they used to do so. Modes recorded include walking/running, biking, skateboarding/scootering, and vehicles. Intersection counts focus on the vehicles passing through an intersection by recording the turning motions of vehicles at that intersection.

LiveMovers conducted people and intersection counts at the intersection of University Street and 15th Avenue. Data was collected twice at this intersection, once in the winter term (February 7, 2019) and once in the spring term (May 9, 2019). Both instances were Thursdays between 10am and 1:30pm. This time frame was selected because it is both the busiest day of the week and time of day, providing insight as to how the street operates during peak conditions. 22

Speed Count

Using a speed radar gun, speed counts record the speed at which a vehicle ravels. Speed counts used for this study are secondary data, obtained from a separate study that took place during the Spring 2019 term for Dr. Marc Schlossberg’s Bike Transportation class. Data was collected over one two-hour period (11:30am-1:30pm) on a Thursday in April (April 25, 2019). Survey LiveMovers created a survey to obtain firsthand self-reported information about how the community interacts with University Street. It asked questions about user level of comfort while walking/biking/driving along the street on cam- pus, what is currently liked on University Street, and what could be improved.

The survey was distributed in person at an on campus PARKing day celebration (where parking spots are converted into open spaces for a day) and online via email to undergraduate and graduate listservs. Additionally, LiveMove asked professors who teach transportation related classes to distribute the survey to their students. The survey was open from April 1 through April 28 and received 256 responses.

Stakeholder Charrette

A charrette is similar to a workshop. It uses a series of collaborative design and public input. All participants become aware of the complexities of development and design issues, and everyone works together to arrive at the best possible solution. LiveMove held a stakeholder charrette on Thursday, April 25th and used the data collected to inform the final recommendations made for this ByDesign project. 23 Data Findings etting to Campus

Data gathered from the people, intersection, and speed counts, the Looking at survey, and the stakeholder charrette helped to inform ideas and designs generated for a potential redesign on University Street. University Street  There are some limitations with this data that is important to note. First,   some of the counts were so small that they exhibit large percent changes     in data sets when they are not large changes in reality. Second, the team 2 noticed in the survey data collection that respondents were confused by a question referring to how they commute to campus. Several cited in  the comment section that they want or take public transit. Public transit  was not listed as an option because the team was interested in how people       commute via University Street, not to campus in general. The team recognizes this question could have been worded better for clarity. Lastly, the speed count is only representative of one officially-timed, research- collecting event. LiveMove members noticed personal vehicles going over 30 MPH, making illegal U-turns in the 15th and University intersection, 42    and a failure to stop at the stop sign, which is not reflected in the data   "  " presented in this report because it was not “officially” collected in one of   the designated times mentioned in this report. Despite these limitations,    the LiveMove team found interesting, helpful data that contirbuted to  Univeristy of Oregon Campus Planning and Facilities. (2019). Campus Plan. the final recommendations and designs in this report. Key findings are 4th Ed. Eugene, Oregon. iveMove (2019). University and 15th Intersection Count. Completed presented in the following section. February 21 and May 9, 2019. LiveMove (2019). LiveMove ByDesign- University Street Survey. 24 People and Intersection Counts

People counts capture the number of people passing through an intersection, and the method of travel they use to do so for a given timeframe. LiveMove chose to conduct two people counts, one in the winter term and one in the spring. Both occurred on Thursdays between 10am and 1:30pm, the busiest day of the week and the busiest time of the day on campus, so that peak capacity could be observed. Table 1 shows the total observed persons for each daily timeframe, the percentage of each mode of transportation observed being used. Appendix B contains more detailed numbers relating to these counts. Generally, there was an increase in the number of persons observed to be walking or running in May as opposed to February. Likewise, there was a reduction in the number of personal vehicles being used. This is likely reflective of the improved weather conditions that occur in May versus February, making walking and running a more attractive choice for transportation. Key Findings Table 1: Percentage of Users Observed During People Count Using Different Modes of Transportation • The majority of persons observed on both days were walking or running. There was a 17% increase from February in the number of persons observed to be walking or running in May (64% of total observed persons in February, and 75% in May). • More people were observed to be using personal vehicles in February than in May, reflected by a 59% reduction in May from February numbers (22% of total observed persons in February, 9% in May). • The percentage of total observed persons using all other modes remained relatively consistent across both Source: LiveMove, 2019 February and May observation rates. 25 Intersection counts capture the number of vehicles passing Table 2 and 3: Number of Cars Observed per Hour Passing through the Intersection of through an intersection, and the turning directions of 15th Avenue and University Street in February and May 2019 those vehicles. Turning direction refers to lack of turning as well when cars continue to drive straight forward. Intersection counts occurred concurrently with people counts. Tables 2 and 3 show the total number of cars each hour observed driving through the intersection of 15th Avenue and University Street. Table 4 shows the percent change observed in May for each turning direction when compared to February numbers. Appendix B show the numbers generated from these counts in more detail. Table 4: Percent Change in Number of Turning directors (of Total Observed Cars) in May 2019 when Compared to February 2019 Key Findings • LiveMove observed that seven out of twelve (58%) possible turning directions experienced a decrease in turning directions observed in May as opposed to February. • Two out of twelve turning directions experienced an increase (17%) in turning motions observed in the same timeframe. • Increased turning movements observed occurred for cars traveling straight south along University St, and cars turning north onto University St from the emergency accessway that runs between the Pioneer Cemetery and the Gerlinger Green. • Overall, there were 13% fewer cars observed interacting with the intersection in May than in February. 26

Increase in number of people observed walking ey Finding ighlights for between February and May People and Intersection Counts 1 9 Decrease from February to May in the percentage of people The percentage of observed using personal people observed using vehicles on University Street other modes of transportation to travel on University Street remained relatively the same across both February 13% fewer cars observed and May observation interacting with the 15th and dates. University intersection in May as opposed to February 27 Speed Count

Figure 9: Location of Speed Counts on University Street

University Street is home to numerous parking locations. The southern half of the street on campus, between 15th and 18th Avenues, contains 206 parking meters with head-inparking. The northern half of the street on campus, between 13th and 15th Avenues, contains parallel parking spots that are a mix of ten (10) metered and seven (7) reserved faculty permit spaces. Additionally, the northern half of the street serves as an entry point to a parking lot that contains 46 metered parking spaces and nine (9) faculty reserved spaces. As the vast majority of parking on the street is first-come first-serve, and the central location of the street in relation to campus makes it a desirable parking location, drivers often travel faster than the 15mph speed limit while using the corridor. 28 Table 5: Number of Cars Observed Traveling at Different Speed Ranges during Speed Count Speed count data collected, as shown in Tables 5 and 6 show that drivers on University Street are more than twice as likely to observe the speed limit north of 15th Avenue than south of it. This could be due to the active campus environment that exists north of 15th Table 6: Percentagle of Total Cars Observed at each Observation Point Traveling at Different Ranges Avenue; the lack of on-street parking coupled with educational halls, the Erb Memorial Union, and the Student Recreation Center likely act as natural traffic calming agents. University Street between 15th and 18th Avenues, however, is one big long strip of on-street parking. This design likely encourages more reckless driving behavior as it is viewed as more of a parking lot and less as community ey Finding ighlight space. for Speed Count Key Findings of drivers are driving at least ve • Drivers north of 15th Avenue observed the 15mph speed limit miles over the speed limit towards 2 MacArther Court, whereas only 8% more than twice as much as drivers south of 15th Avenue. were speeding on the lower part of University Street. • Three-quarters of all cars observed south of 15th Avenue were traveling over the 15mph speed limit. • Nearly half (48%) traveled one-to-five miles over the speed limit while an additional 22% traveled six-to-ten miles over the limit. 29 Table 7: Survey Responses about Travel Mode Used to Commute to Campus Survey

LiveMove distributed a survey to students and faculty asking questions about how each person interacts with University Street. Detailed data for the survey can be found in Appendix A.

As seen in Table 7 the majority of respondents indicated walking or biking as their primary means of transportation to and from campus. Additionally, survey responses about travel mode echoed Table 8: Survey Responses about Parking for if selected “Personal Vehicle” as Travel Mode Used to Commute to Campus the results of the people and intersection counts for personal vehicle use in that only 17% of respondents self-reported using a personal vehicle as their primary form of transportation to and from campus. Table 8 shows that of those that selected personal vehicle as their primary means of transportation, just under half park on University Street. Table 9: Survey Responses about Comfort on University street for Various Travel Modes Survey takers were also asked about their level of comfort on University Street while walking, biking, or driving. Table 9 shows that most people are comfortable walking along the corridor, but are uncomfortable biking and driving. 30 Table 10: Survey Responses about what Respondents Liked About University Street on Campus Survey respondents were asked to select up to three answers each from a provided list of options about what they like about University Street and what they believe should be improved. Not all respondents followed the directions to select up to three - many selected more. Tables 10 and 11 show the number of responses for each provided option. The top three responses for likes were all location-based: Access to the Center of Campus, the Erb Memorial Union (EMU), and the Student Recreation Center (the REC). The top three responses for improvements were Safety for Non-Vehicular Uses, Congestion, Table 11: Survey Responses about what Respondents would like to see Improved on and Road Quality/Maintenance. This shows that University Street on Campus respondents like the places, and access to those places, along University Street, but would like to feel safer while going to those places. 31

Key Findings • Most survey respondents walk (41%) or bike (38%) to and from campus. • The percentage of survey respondents who self-reported a personal vehicle (17%) as their primary means of transportation to and from campus echoes the percentage of persons observed driving during the people and intersection counts. • Of those who reported using a personal vehicle, a little less than half (43%) reported parking on University Street. • The majority of respondents (64%) selected either a 4 or a 5 as their level of comfort while walking along University Street, thus indicating that they are comfortable. • Only 22% of respondents selected a 4 or 5 for biking; 30% selected a 4 or 5 for driving. • The top three responses to what people like about University Street are all location-based - Access to the Center of Campus, the EMU, or the REC. • The top three responses to what could be improved about University Street are Safety for Non-Vehicular Uses, Congestion, and Road Quality/Maintenance. ey Finding ighlights from the The top three assets of University Street are location-based Top three improvements ByDesign Survey include safety, congestion, Open space was one of the top reasons and road maintenance why people like University Street, although it was also one of the top things to improve 4 as well. 30 22

feel comfortable walking feel comfortable driving feel comfortable biking along University Street along University Street along University Street 32 Stakeholder Charrette

LiveMove held a two-hour stakeholder charrette with university and community stakeholders. After completing the exercise, team members collected feedback and the proposed design concepts from the charrette. LiveMove found that for the time being parking must meet minimum requirements, although there was openess to street reconfiguration and some parking removal. There still needs to be a priority for ADA, emergency and delivery vehicles given that Unviersity Street feeds directly into the heart of campus, much like 13th Avenue does. There is consensus that there is a need for more open space, vegetation, and places that are “sticky,” meaning that there are places that people want to hang out in rather than pass through. There is opportunity for intersection of these needs, such as using native vegetation to address storm water management on the street.

All agreed there needs to be more improvements made to increase the safety of other modes of transportation on University Street, such as biking. It was proposed that the University Street redesign should move from bike sharrows to bike lanes of some kind. There was also discussion on balancing preservation and growth of the campus, especially with historic buildings and gateways that are along University Street. 33 34

Chapter 4 Proposed Design Recommendations, Further Considerations, & Conclusion 35 Proposed Design University Street Redesign 3 Phase Implementation Recommendations Strategy Timeline

This chapter details the proposed design recommendations made 13 IMMEDIATE by the LiveMove team. Recommendations are made based off the Recommendations team’s data collection and feedback gathered in several community ears engagement events. In order to meet current university needs, the LiveMove team has made these recommendations in a three phase design implementation plan. The first phase looks at immediate (1-3 years) implementation. The second phase focuses on short-term recommendations (3-5 years), and the third phase looks at long-term 3 Shortterm (5-10 year years) recommendations. While all phases do focus on the Recommendations defined cooridor, the LiveMove team makes these recommendations ears as goals to be completed within the defined timeframe, not all at once. The LiveMove team also envisions that as recommendations are implemented, Campus Planning and Facilities and UO Transportation Services will work southward to 18th Avenue to slowly transform 10 University Street from a car-dominated thoroughway to a plaza-like Longterm corridor filled places to hang out with classmates, host food trucks, and ears Recommendations encourage multimodal transportation to campus. 36 Immediate Recommendations (1-3 years)

Figure 10: Location of Implementation Recommendations on University Street All immediate recommendations emphasize painting or repainting traffic markings that increase biking and pedestrian visibility along University Street. Immediate recommedations include:

• Painting “SLOW” markings along University Street (A). • Repainting sharrows every 200 feet along Univeristy Street with green backing (A). • Paint crosswalks with place-making, UO community-based artwork (A--15th Avenue). • Paint new bike crossing at the Fire Lane (B). • Paint a bike box at University and 18th Avenue (C).

Examples of such projects are included on the next page. Looking to Figure 10, letters correspond with the recommended placement locations for each of the recommendations made. 37 Figure 11: Green-backed bike sharrow Examples of Immediate Recommendations

Making the bike sharrow green-backed will give greater visibility to drivers that bikes use the road (Figure 11). Painting Figure 14: Duck-themed crosswalk SLOW on the roadway will also serve as a reminder to drivers to drive the posted speed limit (Figure 12). Painting Figure 12: SLOW road marking application a bike box where bicyclists can wait at intersections also help to protect bicyclists from vehicle confrontations (Figure 13).

Painting crosswalks, such as this example painted on campus, not only adds creativity in placemaking tactics on Figure 13: Bike box campus but also encourages pedestrians to walk in the crosswalk space (Figure 14). It also allows drivers to know that there is the potential for pedestrians in the area, and that they should slow down as well. 38 Short-term Recommendations (3-5 years)

Short-term recommendations focus on upgrading University Street infrastructure as the street design evolves from a car-dominated roadway to a shared community plaza. Site plan views of the images to the right have been included in Appendix C. Short-term recommendations include:

• Replace metered parking with parallel parking on east side of University Street and move parking elsewhere. • Install a two-way cycle track on the east side of University Street between parallel parking and the sidewalk for cyclist safety. • Install a drop-off zone that is accessible to a public transit stop near 15th and University Street. • Install a traffic circle at the 15th and University Street intersection to allow drivers to turn around more safely. • Remove all on-street parking on University Street north of 15th Avenue for personal vehicles. Designate parking for ADA accessibility and service vehicles only. • Make the parking lot behind the EMU permit-only. 39 Long-term Recommendations (5-10 years)

Long-term recommendations encourage a complete redesign of University Street. These recommendations build off the short-term recommendations, and fulfills the vision intended for University Street-- a community plaza (University Street Feasibility Study). Site plan views for the images to the right have been included in Appendix C for more detailed viewing. Long-term recommendations include:

• Remove all parking and place elsewhere. • One-way only traffic heading north (service, ADA, and emergency vehicles only). • Install 12’ two-way cycle track along East side of University Street. • Install three 8’ planter strips using native plants with stormwater management capacity. • Install human-scale, dark sky-friendly lighting. • Install 12/ pervious paver pedestrian-only area with seating and covered bike parking. • Location of identified areas such as bikeshare station, food cart area, and other amenitites. • Use of placemaking techniques throughout the corridor using community input. 40 Further Considerations & Conclusion One point for further consideration is that LiveMove was not able to engage with anyone who is from the Eugene Pioneer Cemetary Association for community input. Given that the cemetary shares the project boundary line for the upper portion of University Street, it will be important moving forward for Campus Planning and Facilities and UO Transportation Services to engage with the cemetary for feedback. Another point for further consideration is that this plan is ultimately a long-term plan; and priorities do change. It will be important to consistently engage the community throughout the redevelopment of University Street as new transit technologies are rapidly developing, the campus is growing quickly, and there is a high turnover of students, and therefore student needs are always changing. Community engagement will be paramount in order to truly achieve a community-based design for University Street.

Through researching the community context, collecting data, and gathering community input, LiveMove has provided these recommendations to university stakeholders to start implementing the improvements listed in this report. Research was collected from University Archives and several site visits to develop the context of University Street. Several methods of community engagement were used throughout the design process to gather feedback. A survey, two people and intersection counts, and a speed count was conducted to further develop data to support these recommendations. Much of what Live Move found is also further supported by the Campus Plan, Vision Framework, and prior University Street Plans, indicating the historic need for improvements on Unviersity Street. Changes should be made as soon as possible to ensure campus safety, and show commitment to Principle 9 in the Campus Plan, which prioritizes walkability and other active transportation methods. In order to achieve these recommendations, LiveMove developed a phased approach in this redesign to ensure successful implementation. LiveMove looks forward to seeing these recommendations come to fruition as University Street evolves from a car-dedicated space, to a community-dedicated space. 41 42

Appendix A Survey Questions and Responses 43

Copy of Survey Distributed: 44

Analyses Not Presented in Body of Report: Demographic Information Collected from the Survey: 45

Open Comments from Survey: 46 47 48

Appendix B People and Intersection Count Forms and Data, & Speed Count Data 49

People Count Tally Sheet: 50

Raw Data from People Counts: 51

Percentages from People Counts: 52

Intersection Count Tally Sheet 53

Raw Data from Intersection Counts: 54 55

Percentages from Intersection Counts: 56

Raw Data from Speed Counts: 57 58

Appendix C Site Plan View Files & References 59

Site Plan View: Phase 2 (Short-term) Interactive Viewing Files are also viewable at this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eWpVJePSD80lkMLxWg5uAD-H_YmYNPRF?usp=sharing 60

Site Plan View: Phase 3 (Long-term) Interactive Viewing Files are also viewable at this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eWpVJePSD80lkMLxWg5uAD-H_YmYNPRF?usp=sharing 61 References MIG, Inc. (2001). University of Oregon: University Street Study. Eugene, Oregon.

Rowell Brokaw Architects. (2012). Extending the Academic Campus: University Street Feasibility Study. Eugene, Oregon.

Univeristy of Oregon Campus Planning and Facilities. (2019). Campus Plan. 4th Ed. Eugene, Oregon.

University of Oregon Campus Planning and Facilities. (2016). University of Oregon Campus Physical Framework Vision Plan. Eugene, Oregon. 62