Bend commuters will see road improvements later this year, thanks to the General Obligation (G.O.) Bond measure that was approved by voters last May. The city’s transportation bond program will mean street and intersection improvements in all four quadrants between 2012 and 2014 that will benefit vehicle traffic, cyclists and pedestrians alike.
$30 million is allocated for upgrades to several major street corridors and intersections, selected for their known safety and congestion issues, geographic location and the opportunity to provide local construction jobs. “We had to pare it down to the highest of high priorities,” said Rick Root, transportation planner for the City of Bend, about the project selection process.
Reed Market Rd. was at the top of the list. Major improvements are now in store for Reed Market Road (Third to 27th Streets) including street widening in two sections (Newberry Dr. to 27th and Third Streets to Railroad) to three lanes with bike lanes and sidewalks and the possible addition of a multi-lane roundabout at its 15th Street intersection.
“There is currently no good east-west arterial in the SE quadrant of the city,” said Root. “In addition to congestion on Reed Market Road, it is very unsafe for bicyclists and pedestrians to negotiate this narrow shoulder of road.” Commuters should expect to see improvements to Reed Market Rd. in 2013 and 2014, said Root.
“The improvements to Reed Market Rd. will provide a more continuous flow while making travel safer for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians alike,” said Jeff Monson, executive director of Commute Options.
Dangerous intersections – like those with a history of T-bone crashes – were also top priorities for improvement, said Root. Consequently, three new roundabouts are planned for intersections at Brookswood Blvd. & Powers Rd., Simpson Ave. & Mt. Washington Dr., and 18th Street & Empire Ave. Their anticipated completion is the end of 2012.
Roundabouts are being utilized in city transportation planning for several key reasons, said Root. “From a safety issue, incidence of crashes drops off almost altogether,” he said. Roundabouts are also a very efficient means of intersection control, and one that is safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Roundabouts can be less costly than signaled intersections over the long run and are easier to deliver more quickly, said Root.
“Roundabouts are safer for pedestrians because they simplify (pedestrians’) cognitive assessment before they cross the road,” said Root. They are safer for bicyclists because they offer the option to ‘take the lane’ and join the flow of vehicle traffic for those who are comfortable with it, or to go onto the sidewalk and follow the rules of pedestrians if they are not.
Rehabilitation is also part of the G.O. Bond plan. In the northeast quadrant, reconstruction of the 27th St. from Connors Dr. to Butler Market Rd. will replace pavement torn up from a sewer line construction project, said Root.
If funding is available after the aforementioned projects are completed, 14th Street will see road reconstruction to urban standards with bike lanes and sidewalks. This project will have a positive impact for cyclists and pedestrians as there is currently no sidewalk on the East side of the 14th Street. The lack of sidewalk, said Root, puts pedestrians in the bike lane, pushing cyclists into vehicle lanes.
For updates on the progress of G.O. Bond projects, visit www.bendoregon.gov/GOBond.
Commute Options promotes choices that reduce the impacts of driving alone. For more information about Commute Options, contact Jeff Monson, Executive Director of Commute Options at 541-330-2647 or visit www.commuteoptions.org.
Annissa Anderson is a freelance writer and PR consultant in Bend.
