Staff Seeks Community Input on System Needs and Proposed Improvement Efforts
On Thursday, February 7, the City of Redmond will host an open house from 4-6pm at Redmond City Hall, 411 SW 9th Street. The joint open house will concentrate on US 97 South Redmond Corridor and Transportation System Plan update projects. Residents, property owners, and businesses are encouraged to attend, meet one-one-one with the project teams and provide necessary feedback to inform future improvements. Through this effort, the City of Redmond will identify the best ways to build upon our existing system and make smart future investments.
“Transportation affects everyone, and we are seeking to improve how people move through Redmond,” states Mike Caccavano City Engineer. “Learning what we need to make our infrastructure safer, more efficient and suitable for all users will be a primary focus of the open house. We want to hear firsthand what city residents experience walking, biking and driving through our community and what areas they feel may need improvement.”
The US 97 South Redmond Corridor project team will be gathering input on how to improve access to businesses, beautify the highway, enhance corridor safety, create bike and pedestrian-friendly routes, and develop connectivity between the east and west sides of the corridor. As the city of Redmond continues to grow, updates to Highway 97 south of Highland Avenue to Yew Avenue are necessary to improve safety and mobility, spur economic development and promote corridor vitality while maintaining the community’s unique character. The Oregon Department of Transportation and the City of Redmond are collaborating closely with businesses along the corridor to create solutions that benefit the entire community while improving highway safety and operations.
This is a great opportunity for attendees to review improvement concepts and give valuable input. For more information or if you can’t make it in person, visit www.southredmond97.org and/or http://redmondtsp.com/ where you can review project materials and provide comments.
BACKGROUND
US 97 South Redmond Corridor – Discussions about the US 97 South Redmond Corridor have been underway for several years as traffic on the highway and tourism in Redmond have been steadily increasing, posing the need for improvements. In 2010, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the City of Redmond, and local committees began to study the highway and make recommendations to accommodate its growing use in the Redmond South US 97 Corridor Plan. Design efforts included a two-day charrette in 2013 involving local engineers, planners and community members, followed by a partnership with the University of Oregon’s College of Design in 2015.
Today, project teams are studying the design concepts to improve access to businesses, beautify the highway, enhance corridor safety, create biker- and pedestrian-friendly routes, and develop connectivity between the east and west sides of the corridor. At this point in time, the project is not funded; as concepts are selected, funding will need to be incorporated into future plans.
Project Website: www.southredmond97.org
Transportation System Plan (TSP) – All Oregon cities and counties are required to have a Transportation System Plan (TSP) and update it every 10 years. The current City of Redmond TSP was adopted in 2008. This project will reflect changes that have occurred to the City, County, and State since 2008 and provide a 20-year horizon for transportation planning. It will update all elements of the current TSP and may identify potential amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, City Development Code and other implementing documents.
Project Website: http://redmondtsp.com/
Media Contact:
Mike Caccavano, City Engineer, 541-504-2011, mike.caccavano@ci.redmond.or.us
Deborah McMahon, Planning Manager, 541-923-7724, deborah.mcmahon@ci.redmond.or.us
