Cascadia Mobility (operating under the umbrella of Forth Mobility Fund) is the new operator of our PeaceHealth Rides bike share program in Eugene.  As they take operations over from the City of Eugene, who has been operating the system since June of last year, they are looking for a new Community Outreach Manager and two new field technician.

You can find out more about the positions at: forth.hiringthing.com

JUMP, the operator of Eugene’s PeaceHealth Rides bike share system, is hiring a Field Technician (FT). The Field Technician is responsible for collecting and distributing bikes throughout the JUMP service area. The primary goal of the FT is to efficiently collect and distribute bikes to maximize bike availability. The FT is responsible for safely and efficiently navigating a large van in dense urban areas to optimize the number of bikes picked up and collected. The FT is also responsible for performing routine maintenance and safety checks on the bikes. Finally, the FT is responsible for responding to dispatch, investigating outlying bike issues and reporting to the Operations Manager.

About JUMP:

JUMP operates Eugene’s latest addition of sustainable transportation. PeaceHealth Rides offers 300 public bikes available 24/7 to pick up and drop off at hubs all around Eugene. A collaboration between the City of Eugene, Lane Transit District, University of Oregon, and PeaceHealth, will provide an active transportation alternative making biking in Eugene easier than ever.

For more information see their online job posting.

It’s that time of year again, it’s a month filled with fun rides and events, it’s Bike Month!! May is going to be a GREAT month for biking in Eugene and Springfield. It’s a good time for fair-weather cyclists to roll those steads out of the garage and for everyone who rides bikes to celebrate together.

Bike Month Events & Descriptions

Download a PDF of a monthly overview or a detailed list.
Read on to see more information about all the great events!

All of May
May is Falling Sky Bike month too!
Bike to any Falling Sky location & save $1
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children.
Hosted by Falling Sky

Camp Putt: Bucks for Bikes
Every weekend in May, Camp Putt Adventure Golf Park, 4006 Franklin Blvd.
Ride a bike to Camp Putt, take $2 off your round of golf!  Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children.
Hosted by Willamalane Park & Recreation District

Thursday, April 25
Exploring the Wide Open Gravel Roads of Oregon
6:30-8:00 pmEugene Garden Club, 1645 High St., Eugene
GEARs General Program – Join Ethan Stehley, adventure cyclist, for an introduction to gravel biking. He’ll share stories and photos of his favorite places to get away from it all from the Ochocos to the Steens and he’ll talk about his favorite equipment from bikes to bags.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by GEARs

Business Commute Challenge Kick-off Party
4:00 – 7:00 pm, Oakshire Brewing, 207 Madison Ave
It’s time to get ready for the 2018 BCC! Come on by to sign-up, pick up your team captain kit, live music, food discounts, $2 off beverage, and have fun with fellow BCC’ers!

Saturday, April 28
Free Bike Tune-up With Yoga
5:00 – 9:00 pm, 326 Main Street, Springfield
Tune up your bike and tune up your body!  Receive a free basic tune-up with Simply Cycle when you buy a 20 class pass with Common Bond. General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.

Tuesday, May 1
12 Bridges Ride
9:30 am – 2 pm,  Martin St., Eugene
This is a 26 miles loop around the Willamette River crossing both named and unnamed bridges. Also going through a tunnel or two.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by Obsidians.

Wednesday, May 2
Tune Up Your Bike, Tune Up Your Body
12:00 pm 1:30 pm, Eugene Park Blocks (8th & Oak)
It’s spring time and it’s time to get your bike (and your body) ready to ride! Join Stop Drop and Yoga for body tune-ups and DingDing Cycles for some bike tune-ups as well as other information booths to help gear you up for May is Bike Month and a full year of fun fitness and transportation.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by City of Eugene

Thursday, May 3
UO Outdoor & Bike Program Gear Swap
5:30 pm 7:00 pm,  UO Outdoor Program Barn (18th & University)
Sell, swap or buy outdoor and bike equipment. If you would like to sell your gear: $5.00 a table if you pre-register at the Outdoor Program Barn or EMU Office, $10.00 a table day of. Limited tables available.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

Planner’s Pub with City of Eugene Urban Design: Chad Cramer
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Tap and Growler (207 E 5th Ave)
Join LiveMove and Chad Cramer at Tap and Growler to discuss urban design in Eugene. Chad recently joined the City of Eugene team after working for the City of New Orleans. Come for conversation and free food!
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by LiveMove

Sunday, May 6
Bike and Hike the Buttes
10:00 am 4:00 pm, UO Bike Program, Erb Memorial Union, Room 008
Bike to the base and then hike to the summit of Spencer’s Butte, then over and up Skinner’s Butte for a Eugene Classic adventure! Bring your own bike or rent one from us ahead of time.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

It’s Not Too Late to Learn to Ride a Bike
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Willamalane Park (1276 G St, Springfield, LTD routes: 13, 18, 19)
Intended for kids and adults who have never learned to ride a bike or need to brush up on the basics, this is the perfect class for you. Our patient instructors will guide you through the process of balance, starting and stopping on your way to traveling on two wheels. Bring your own bike and helmet if possible. No training wheels. We will finish our day with a short neighborhood ride! Fee is $4 for Springfield residents, $6 out of area, registration is required.
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children. Hosted by Willamalane Park & Recreation District & Springfield Safe Routes to School

BTP (Bike to Pizza)
5:00 pm7:00 pm, Monroe Park (near restrooms)
Connecting neighbors to neighborhoods to good pizza arriving by bicycles. This is the first of a monthly event, leaving from Monroe Park in West Jefferson Neighborhood.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by Kerri’s Neighborhood Bike Shop

Monday, May 7
Ask A Mechanic:  1-1 Instruction For Your Tougher Bike Problems
5:30 pm 7:00 pm, UO Bike Program, Erb Memorial Union, Room 008
Need some extra help with your bike? This is a hands-on bike maintenance class offered by the UO Bike Program designed to offer you individualized instruction. Bring your bike and your questions and get ready to learn.
Sign-up Required. UO Student Cost: $5/class, Community Cost: $5/class plus $5/day fee or $25/yearly fee
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

Tuesday, May 8
Ankeny Wildlife Refuge
9:30 am 2:00 pm, See link for location
Twenty-six mile ride from Ankeny Wildlife Refuge to City of Independence via Buena Vista ferry, then looping back to AWR.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by Obsidians

Cycling the Danube in Germany & Austria – No Hills, No Flats
The 200 miles between Passau and Vienna, most all on a designated bike path without cars, gives you the opportunity to experience the people and culture of Germany and Austria. It is a trip well suited for young adults to seniors and can be done on your own or as a guided adventure. Language problems are minimal, just enough to make it interesting! The food, beer and wine are fantastic. The trip includes cycling through the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape of Wachau. Throw in Bavarian villages, castles of yore and some Roman and Habsburg history and you will have a trip you will never forget. Join Jim Kress for an evening of stories and fun along with tips on how to make this trip a reality for you and your family or friends.
Free. Registration Required
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by REI Eugene

Wednesday, May 9
National Bike to School Day

Bicycle/Race with Dr. Adonia Lugo
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Sam Bond’s Foundry (540 E 8th Ave)
Join LiveMove and Dr. Adonia Lugo to discuss her upcoming book: “Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture, and Resistance”. There will be a presentation on Wednesday evening and then a community ride Thursday. General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by LiveMove

Thursday, May 10
Women’s Bike Maintenance Night
5:30 pm 7:00 pm, UO Bike Program, Erb Memorial Union, Room 008
Learn bike maintenance basics in this one-night, hands on class hosted by the UO Bike Program. Geared towards all self-identified women including trans women and non-binary people. No prior bike maintenance experience necessary! This is an opportunity to become acquainted with the Bike Program, the workspace, and basic bike maintenance.
Sign-up Required. UO Student Cost: $5/class, Community Cost: $5/class plus $5/day fee or $25/yearly fee
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

Friday, May 11
Bike-in International Short Film Night
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, UO Outdoor Program Barn (18th & University)
Join the UO Bike Program and campus partners for an evening of inspiring bike themed film shorts. Each film comes from a different part of the world made by an independent filmmaker. If weather permits, we will arrive by bike and enjoy the films under the stars. We will provide seating, but bring a camp chair if you have one. Did we mention popcorn? Cost: Free!
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

Saturday, May 12
4th Annual Family Safety Fair
Here’s a free, family event that benefits a great cause – you! LOTS of family fun, interactive games, and tons of safety give-aways. Look for the Safe Routes to School Traffic Garden and City of Eugene Vision Zero.
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children.
Hosted by PeaceHealth, Safe Kids West Oregon and the Lane County Falls Prevention Coalition.

Mohawk Valley Metric Century
7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Starts and finishes at Armitage Park
A bike ride with 3 distance options (50k, 100k, 150k) through the beautiful rolling foothills of Marcola, Brownsville, and Coburg.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Organized by Eugene Velo

Sunday, May 13
CycloFemme Ride
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Springfield Ride – Willamalane Park Swim Center on G St.
Eugene Ride – Owen Rose Garden.
Both rides end at Island Park for joint celebration.
“CycloFemme is a socially-driven grassroots celebration of women on bikes. We are of a growing community, for a growing community. Our annual Mother’s Day ride unites riders, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or bicycle preference to share in the joy of cycling. Everyone is welcome!
Ride with us in Springfield or Eugene on May 13, 2018 as we Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, and Empower the Future of Women in Cycling.

Both rides will convene in Island Park at the end for a group celebration.
This year’s theme is bike bling, flowers, and temporary tattoos. You’re encouraged to decorate bikes with bling and flowers, and we’ll provide the tattoos.  Bring a picnic lunch to the celebration!

Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children. Organized by Willamalane, City of Springfield, City of Eugene, Point2Point at LTD, UO Bike Program, & Eugene-Springfield Safe Routes to School

Monday, May 14
Get Your Bike Ready for Summer
5:30 pm- 8:30 pm, Campbell Community Center, 155 High St
This basic maintenance class will teach you skills to get ready for summer: how to do a safety check, repairing flat tires, brake tune-ups, adjusting your shifters, and more. Bring your favorite bike and dress to get grubby. Part of Campbell Bike Week.
18+ Only, intended for older adults
Hosted by City of Eugene Recreation

Tuesday, May 15Breakfast at the Bike Bridge; Peter Defazio Bridge
7:00 am – 9:30 am SW side of Peter DeFazio Bridge
Breakfast at the Bridges is designed for path users and commuters to grab a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee, meet City staff, learn more about transportation in Eugene, and get a bicycle safety check all at the same time. Enjoy:
•FREE breakfast of bagels, cream cheese and coffee provided by Full City Coffee Roasters, Bagel Sphere & Nancy’s Yogurt
•FREE bike safety checks
•FREE Bike maps, bike bells and resources from the City of Eugene

This special kick-off event is part of the Business Commute Challenge and the “May is Bike Month” events.
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children. Hosted by City of Eugene

Free Cup of Coffee for Bikers
8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Campbell Community Center, 155 High St
Coming to Campbell Center? Bike here and enjoy a free cup of coffee or tea on us.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by City of Eugene Recreation

Cycles & Ciders: Bike Maintenance Basics Level 1 
7:00 pm- 8:30 pm,  Wildcraft Cider Works NEW Ciderhouse, 232 Lincoln St.
If you ride a bicycle, then you need this class. In this informative session you will learn how to lube a chain, fix a flat tire in record time, and make other minor adjustments to your bicycle that will keep you riding smoothly and prolong your bike’s life. No experience necessary! Note that this is a demonstration class; please do not bring your bike. The Cycles and Ciders series is a partnership with REI Eugene, Wildcraft Ciderworks, and local REI Grant partner, the Disciples of Dirt Mountain Bike Club. During classes $1 from the purchase of every pint will go to the Disciples of Dirt. Free Event, Registration Required.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by REI Eugene

Tuesday, May 15
How To Do a Multi-Day Bike Trip
6:30 pm – 8 pm Campbell Community Center, 155 High St, Eugene Mary Joy and Dave biked from Florence, Oregon to Florence, Nova Scotia and they are going to share how they did it. Whether you want to do a simple overnight to a nearby campsite or dream of biking across the continent, you’ll love this free presentation. Part of Campbell Bike Week.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by City of Eugene Recreation

Wednesday, May 16
Special Edition – Bike Riding for Fun & Fitness
10 am – 12 pm, Campbell Community Center, 155 High St.
Have you been looking for a bike group to join? Try out Campbell’s free bike weekly group. Riders go 10-20 miles at a relaxed pace with an emphasis on safety. Helmets required. Free – just drop in.  18+ Only, intended for older adults.
Hosted by City of Eugene Recreation

Tune Up Your Bike, Tune Up Your Body
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, Eugene Park Blocks (8th & Oak)
It’s spring time and it’s time to get your bike (and your body) ready to ride! Join Stop Drop and Yoga for body tune-ups and DingDing Cycles for some bike tune-ups as well as other information booths to help gear you up for May is Bike Month and a full year of fun fitness and transportation.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by City of Eugene

Thursday, May 17
Public Works Day
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Public Works Yard, 1820 Roosevelt Blvd.
This annual open house is your chance to play in Tiny Town, climb big trucks, meet cool people and learn about all the ways that Public Works is active in our community! It’s free, fun and educational for kids of all ages.
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children. Hosted by City of Eugene

Eugene Mural Bike Tour
10 am – 12 pm, Campbell Community Center, 155 High St.
Take a guided tour of the best of Eugene’s public art by bicycle. Bring your own bike or rent one from the bike share station – helmets required. Register in advance by calling Campbell Center 541-682-5318. Part of Campbell Bike Week.
18+ Only, intended for older adults.
Hosted by City of Eugene Recreation

Mountain Biking 101
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, UO Outdoor Program Barn (18th & University) Interested in trying mountain biking but aren’t sure what you’ll need, where to go, or who to ride with? Disciples of Dirt is joining the UO Bike Program for a presentation on the local mountain biking community, local trails, and how to get started. Cost: Free!
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

Friday, May 18
National Bike to Work Day

Not Your Parents’ Bike Day
9:30 am – 1 pm, Campbell Community Center, 155 High St.
Recumbents? Tricycles? Hand cycles? Electric assist? Bike Share? Try all these at this bike demo. Try out our amazing fleet of bikes for people who can’t or don’t want to ride standard bike frames. Part of Campbell Bike Week.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by City of Eugene Recreation

Wheels by the Willamette
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, By the boat launch on the Northbank Path at Aspen and West D Street in Springfield
Wheels by the Willamette promotes walking and biking as transportation options. The event will feature free bicycle safety checks, bicycle and pedestrian materials, snacks, and refreshments to support and appreciate people walking and riding in our community. This event is part of May is Bike Month and the Business Commute Challenge.
Attendees will be able to speak with current Springfield Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee members about current walking and biking topics as well as learn more about volunteering with bike safety education rides in our community.
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children.
Hosted by City of Springfield and point2point at Lane Transit District

Carbon offset compensation for Commute Challenge riders
4:00 PM – 6:30 PM, Ding Ding Cycles, 108 E 5th Ave
In the process of brewing and transportation, the average pint of beer produces 1/2 lb of CO2. If you participated in the Business Commute Challenge, and rode at least 1 mile, you offset that carbon, and you deserve at least one beer! So register for the BCC, ride your bike to work, and, at the end of the week, join GEARs at Ding Ding Cycles and the David Minor Theater for a pint—on us! Oh, and did we mention, we’ll be featuring locally-brewed beer from Claim 52, delivered by bicycle courtesy of the Cascadian Courier Collective?!
21+ only. Typically this is because the event takes place in a bar or is focused on adult beverages.

Saturday, May 19
BicyClean
10 am – 2 pm, UO Outdoor Program Barn (18th & University)
Help the UO Outdoor Program and Bike Program clean up the river trails by bike!  Breakfast, raffle and snacks provided. Bring your own bike, or rent one from us beforehand.  Cost: Free
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

Kidical Mass
Meet at Fairmount Park at 10am or Holt Elementary at 10:30am
Ride to the ribbon cutting celebration for the new I-5/Beltline Path opening next to the Register Guard in North Eugene.
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children.
Hosted by Safe Routes to School and Kidical Mass

I-5/Beltline Path Ribbon Cutting
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, End of Old Coburg Road (just East of The Register Guard)
Join us for a celebration of Eugene’s newest mulit-use path connection! We’ll be cutting the ribbon to the I-5/Beltline path at the north end of the newly constructed path and celebrating with giveaways, short speeches, and other fun. Join the City of Eugene, Oregon Department of Transportation, neighbors, and all off you, as we officially open this great new connection to North Eugene and we add another mile to Eugene’s 46 miles of off-street paths.
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children.
Hosted by City of Eugene and ODOT

Sunday, May 20
Family Ride: A Trail of Two Cities
9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Booth Kelly Trailhead (307 S 5th, Springfield)
Join Willamalane, Springfield Safe Routes to Schools and other partners, sponsors and vendors to help celebrate May is Bike Month. Meet at the Booth Kelly Trailhead for a smoothie and then ride along the Willamette River and discover how our communities are linked by beautiful and convenient paths. We will stop along the way to point out routes and destinations in both of our great cities.
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children. Hosted by Willamalane Park & Recreation District

Planner’s Lunch with Emma Newman and Laughton Elliott-DeAngelis
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Washburne Café (326 Main St, Springfield)
Join Springfield’s Senior Transportation Planner, Emma Newman, and Springfield Safe Routes to School coordinator, LaughtonElliott-DeAngelis to discuss active transportation in Springfield.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by LiveMove

Wednesday, May 23
Bike in Shapes
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Viking Braggot at Willamette & 25th
A community bicycle ride where we bike in shapes!
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by Bike in Shapes

The Bamboo Road: Shanghai to Singapore on Two Wheels
6:30 – 8:00 pm, Eugene Garden Club (1645 High St.)
Southeast Asia is a magical region of ancient temples, exotic foods and modern cities. There may be no better way to experience this beautiful land than by bicycle. Join Cindy Smith and GEARs for an evening of pictures and stories of a journey of 62 cycling days and 7,300 kilometers across seven countries.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARs)

Thursday, May 24
Bike Touring & Packing 101
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, UO Outdoor Program Barn (18th & University)
Want to go on a bike adventure or learn how to pack for a trip by bike? Join the UO Bike Program and experienced bike tourers to learn the ins and outs of bike touring and bike packing in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Bring your route, gear, and logistics questions! Cost: Free
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

Speaker’s Series: Equiticity with Oboi Reed
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Stellaria Building (150 Shelton Mcmurphey Blvd #104)
Join LiveMove and the Executive Director of Equiticity, Oboi Reed, to discuss equity in biking. “Equiticity is a racial equity movement. We move through time and space, programming and advocating for racial equity, increased mobility and racial justice to make lives better for Black,Brown and Indigenous people of color across the United States.”
In addition to the main event, LiveMove will be hosting community bike rides and lunches. See the LiveMove Facebook page for more information.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by LiveMove

Friday, May 25 Breakfast at the Bike Bridges; Delta Ponds Bridge
7:00 am – 9:30 am, West Bank Path near the Delta Ponds Bridge Path Breakfast at the Bridges is designed for path users and commuters to grab a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee, meet City staff, learn more about transportation in Eugene, and get a bicycle safety check all at the same time.
This signature summer event series celebrates the outdoors and encourages active transportation – especially walking and bicycling – to meet larger City goals, including: healthy living, sustainability and a vibrant business community. Breakfast at the Bridges features local advocacy organizations and local businesses who actively work toward these City goals.
Enjoy:
•FREE breakfast of bagels, cream cheese and coffee provided by Full City Coffee Roasters, Humble Bagels & Nancy’s Yogurt
•FREE bike safety checks
•FREE Bike maps, bike bells and resources from the City of Eugene
Family Friendly- Adults are specifically encouraged to bring their children. Hosted by City of Eugene

Sunday, May 27
Full Moon Mountain Bike Ride to Denny’s
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm, UO Outdoor Program Barn (18th & Unviersity)
Bring your mountain bike and get ready for a wild night under the full moon with the UO Bike Program! Mountain bike is used loosely here. If your bike can ride on dirt and gravel trails, you’re prepared for the intermediate ride down Moon Mountain. We will end at Denny’s Diner for some late night breakfast for dinner.
Sign-up Required-  UO Bike Program, Erb Memorial Union, Rm 008.
UO Student Cost: $10Community Cost: $10 plus $5/day fee or $25/year fee
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by UO Bike Program

Tuesday, May 29
Bike Friendly Business Movie Night
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Springfield City Hall Library Meeting Room  225, 5th St.  Springfield, OR 97477
Are you a restaurant, hotel, information center, bike shop, or retailer that offers services to visitors?
If so, join us for Bike Friendly Business Movie Night to learn about the benefits of bike tourism, how to be a bike friendly business, and for assistance submitting your free application to Travel Oregon for recognition. Businesses that submit their applications at the event will be entered into a raffle to win a free Bike Friendly Business sign. Food and refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP by May 24
Thanks to our event sponsors: City of Springfield, Springfield Chamber of Commerce, City of Eugene, Point2Point at LTD, Travel Lane County, and Travel Oregon.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by City of Springfield

Wednesday, May 30
Tune Up Your Bike, Tune Up Your Body
12:00 pm 1:30 pm, Eugene Park Blocks (8th & Oak)
It’s spring time and it’s time to get your bike (and your body) ready to ride! Join Stop Drop and Yoga for body tune-ups and DingDing Cycles for some bike tune-ups as well as other information booths to help gear you up for May is Bike Month and a full year of fun fitness and transportation.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by City of Eugene

Planner’s Pub: Advisory Bike Lanes with Michael Williams
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Sam Bond’s Foundry (540 E 8th Ave)
Join LiveMove and Michael Williams to discuss advisory bike lanes: a type of bike lane commonly used in the Netherlands. Visit LiveMove.org and our Facebook page for more information.
There will also be a community ride prior to the event.
General- Mostly intended for adults. Kids are welcome though.
Hosted by LiveMove

Banks-Vernonia CyclingRecycling
Overnight Trip, See link for location.
The trip starts with a tour of a Materials Recycling Center in Salem where they separate our co-mingled recycling
– Twenty- mile bike ride in the McMinville area
– Overnight at the Best Western in Forest Grove (participants will pay upon arrival) – $58 pp for shared room including breakfast
– Cycling the Banks-Vernonia rails to trails state park. Three possible rides; either 16, 28 or 42 miles roundtrip
Recommended for 21+ only.
Hosted by Obsidians

Thursday, May 31
Griddles & Guidebooks; A EUGFun! Wrap Up of May is Bike Month
7:30-10:30 am, Kesey Square, 10 E Broadway
Join us for a morning of free flapjacks, coffee and EUGfun!
Stop by on your way to work, school or after your morning bike ride and grab breakfast and a EUGfun! Guide.

Via City of Eugene InMotion Newsletter:

Completion of the multi-use path extensions along the west side of Interstate 5 have been delayed until next spring. Construction and weather delays led to the decision to wait until next spring to complete the path, which should result in an overall better result for users.

The portion of the path that connects to Harlow Road will be repaved to allow users access to the path and eliminate the detour that has been in place for several weeks. That area is the future connection point for the southern extension of the path.

North of Willakenzie Road, the path will extend to Old Coburg Road, next to the Eugene Register Guard building on Chad Drive. Travelers will go under Beltline and the nearby southbound I-5 off ramp.  The footprint for the path was built in the last portion of the project.

South of Harlow Road, the path will now lead to Garden Way, just north of I-105 West.  A retaining wall has been built under the Harlow Road Bridge to allow room for the path.

The entire path is now scheduled to be open in  early summer 2018.

via City of Eugene InMotion Newsletter:

Plant trees by bike Saturday December 2nd and Saturday December 16th with Friends of Trees! We are also looking for volunteers that have bike trailers and would like to help haul trees and tools by bike. Gloves, tools, and refreshments provided!

8:45am-noon. Contact for more info: Eugenetrees@friendsoftrees.org

We are looking for tree planters, bike team members, and truck drivers! Check out Events Calendar for more details.

The one major item on Eugene voter’s ballot this Fall was Measure 20-275, which was the third bond the city put forth to fund street repairs and improvements for people walking and biking. Over the next 5 years the rate of city investment from this pavement bond measure will increase from approximately $550,000 a year in the last bond to $1 million a year in the bond passed yesterday. Also, the roughly $50 million this measure will raise over five years will continue efforts to fix streets as they start to deteriorate before they are too far gone and are far more expensive to fix. During these repairs improvements are often made, separate from the dedicated pedestrian and bicycle funding, to make the street safer and more multi-modal.

The Active Transportation Committee for the City of Eugene will be meeting tomorrow evening at the Atrium Building at 5:30 p.m. and one of the items on the agenda will be “project updates” where the initial discussion of what this bond measure could mean for active transportation projects in Eugene will be discussed, including what kind of matching funds these bond funds could be used towards to leverage even more improvements.

In the last installment of this series on “Looking Towards 2021” we looked at active transportation projects that were completed over the last year. Now we’ll look towards projects that are on the schedule for 2018-2020. This coming year in particular has the potential to be a pretty big year for active transportation projects. We’re at a critical point in building out our bicycle and pedestrian transportation network and these projects are hopefully just the start of the kind of projects that will get more people choosing active transportation for more of their trips.

Coming up in 2018

 Eugene Bike Share– It’s the biggest biking project that has come to Eugene in decades. It will bring 300 Social Bicycles to 35 stations throughout downtown, the university, and the Whiteaker.  It has the potential to get more people on bikes more often and with that more people calling for better infrastructure. When combined with the 13th Avenue Cycle Track (see 2019 below) there is a great opportunity for an easy, safe, and convenient bike connection between downtown and campus. You can read more about the latest Eugene Bike Share news, including launch date and sponsor news, on our recent post about it.

Amazon Active Transportation Corridor- This project has been in the works since the city applied for STIP-Enhance funding in 2012. The initial plan was to install the cycle track (two way separated bike lanes) on the park side of West Amazon. However that side of Amazon doesn’t have set back sidewalks like the East side does and so it would have placed the cars right at the curb and therefore right next to the pedestrian space. There are also more businesses to access on the East side and a better crossing of Hilyard and East Amazon. So in 2015 the city decided to change the facility to East Amazon.

This project will also include two new crossings of the Amazon Creek (at 37th and Dillard) plus one improved crossing (at 39th), an improved intersection crossing at Hilyard from Amazon Path to the new East Amazon cycle track, and a continuation of the Amazon Path from 34th to 38th along Hilyard street.

Originally planned for this summer when the original paving project was completed on East Amazon the city needed more time for design and to complete the administrative order for parking removal. Also, because of wetland permitting issues the city has decided to postpone the Amazon Path extension to Tugman Park portion of the project until 2019 (or maybe even 2020), depending on permitting and wetland delineation.

Even though current plans are for the Amazon cycle track portion of the project to be completed during the summer of 2018 they are still in the process of completing designs and submitting the administrative order. We’ve also heard from some South Eugene residents that city council member Betty Taylor and others in her ward have expressed concerns about the project because of the car parking removal. Through several community meetings there was strong support shown for the project and counts done by the city have shown only a 10% usage rate for parking along the corridor. However, leadership from Eugene can often come from fear of change and anytime parking removal is a part of a project we can expect push back.

This is an important and exciting project since it will not only extend the popular and well utilized Amazon Path to more people but it will also install the first truly separated on-street bike facility in Eugene (not counting the car parking separated cycle track on Alder between 11th & 13th). It connects directly to two schools (Charlemagne Elementary and Ridgeline Montessori), and would serve students at Roosevelt Middle School, Spencer Butte Middle School, and South Eugene High School. It would also serve several child care facilities, parks, and retail locations in the area.

Let’s hope the city keeps pushing this project forward and that there aren’t any more delays. After six years of waiting it’s time for this project to happen!

West Amazon Repaving- West Amazon is also up for repaving this coming summer and as part of that project the existing narrow bike lane will be replaced with a wider buffered bike lane. Even though there will be a brand new two way facility on East Amazon it’s still important to provide a facility on the West side for those riding between the crossings and to keep the lanes narrow enough to help keep speeds down.

NE Livable Streets- This is another STIP-Enhance (ODOT “Transportation Enhancements”) funded project that has been in the works since 2012. The $900,000 project is in three neighborhoods in northeast Eugene: Cal Young Neighborhood Association, Harlow Neighbors, and Northeast Neighbors. The main idea of this project is to work on connecting the existing system through improvements to the bicycle boulevard network (secondary streets with lower traffic volumes and speeds), and adding pavement markings, wayfinding signs, and enhanced pedestrian crossings.

The city has not released any designs or maps for where the improvements will happen since their draft maps in 2012 but they are looking towards the 20’s Bikeway in Portland for a potential model of projects that could be implemented here.  Crossings are expected to be one of the major improvements for the corridors in this area. Though there are not any current discussions of a higher level of improvement like a “Toucan crossing” this could be a project to try something more than an Rapid Flashing Beacon. Overall this project should help these neighborhoods be better connected through quiet neighborhood streets and better crossings.

Jessen Path- We first reported on this project back in October of 2013 (that’s how slow transportation projects and funding is). The plan is for the path to be built this coming summer. Here’s what’s called for:

The Jessen Path will be a key active transportation facility for the 28,228 residents of the Bethel neighborhood in northwest Eugene. The Jessen Path will create an east-west link across the north side of the neighborhood that connects to the Beltline Highway shared use path and eventually to the regional path network. The 12-foot wide path will extend 7,250 feet along the south side of the 222-acre Golden Gardens Park which is a significant natural and recreational resource for northwest Eugene. The Jessen Path will include human-scaled lighting designed to light the path for user safety but with shields to reduce skyward illumination and lighting of sensitive natural areas.

South Willamette Street Repaving- It’s finally time for the city to decide on this one! The paving project for South Willamette Street could happen as soon as this summer (or potentially in 2019) and after more than a year of the trial it’s pretty clear to all of those who use the street that the sky didn’t fall and that the street is working better for all road users since the change from four unsafe lanes to two lanes with a center turn lane and bike lanes. See our story back in March about the initial positive findings.

However, this is Eugene and all it takes a couple squeaky wheels to bring things to a screeching halt. So will there be pushback when the city council has to vote on approving the new design? What will the official report be from city staff to the council be, and will it matter?   We’ll hopefully find out later this Fall….stay tuned!

West 7th Avenue (and West 7th Place, Bailey Hill to Hwy 99)- This project will take the existing wide travel lanes (15 feet in some locations) and reduce them to 11′ lanes that will therefore allow 6′ and 5′ bike lanes to be added to 7th Avenue from Bailey Hill to Highway 99. Though mostly an industrial area this could be a good East-West corridor for those wanting to bike to work or who want to shop in this part of town. It’s an overbuilt street that could have some decent bike facilities on it while still holding the same vehicle capacity.

Coming up in 2019

These future projects (and many others) are somewhat dependent on whether the next bond measure passes (hint, Vote YES) and if it doesn’t then it will depend on whether the city will be able to find other funding for them.

13th Avenue Cycle Track (David Minor Bikeway)- In June of 2013 a group of University of Oregon students from LiveMove presented their project “13th Avenue Redesign” to the community. Later that year the City of Eugene started a public process to “discuss transportation options between campus and downtown for people who ride bikes.” We did a write-up in June of 2014 about those meetings and the cities short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations for the corridor. Later that year the city released a report and concept drawings.

The final recommendations included implementing a two-way cycle track on 13th Avenue from Alder Street to Olive Street. The report stated that the estimated cost for the project was between $1.5 and $2 million and that the city would seek grant funds to construct the recommended improvements. The city has received $2.3 million of ODOT’s All Roads Transportation Safety (ARTS) and $450,000 of STP-U funding for the project.

Funding of $150,000 was also committed from David Minor’s family who lost their son in a crash at 13th & Willamette in June of 2008. The city will consider naming the project the “David Minor Bikeway” according to their procedures for naming infrastructure.

Initial concept drawings have been completed by Nick Falbo from Alta Planning & Design (known for his research and video on “protected intersections”) and the city will be posting those on the project website soon. In the meantime here are some images from the report that show the concepts that could lead to the design of the new bikeway:

It’s an exciting development to see official concept designs for this important connection from campus to downtown and we look forward to seeing how the city moves the project forward.

Path Connector from Roosevelt Path to Hwy 99 Path- There is a missing link in the transportation network in northwest Eugene between the Roosevelt Path and the recently constructed HWY 99 Path and this project will fill that 1,500 foot gap.  The project would also reduce conflicts between modes and improves pedestrian and bicycle access between key destinations. The new path would be on the south side of Roosevelt so would require a new pedestrian and bicycle crossing as well.

Coming up in 2020 (and Beyond)

The 13th Avenue Cycle Track (highlighted above) may end happening in 2020, though city staff say they are trying to line up both 13th and High Street for 2019. Unless there is a shift in staffing or more effort put into the two happening in 2019 I would say we might not see either happen until 2020, and even that could be wishful thinking if more staff energy isn’t put onto these important projects.

High Street Cycle Track, 19th-13th (River to Ridges Bikeway, Phase Two)

This has been a dream project to see happen since I first wrote the April Fools piece about it in 2010. The project would create a two-way protected bike lane (cycle track) on High Street from the end of the Amazon Path to somewhere downtown. The city is currently scoping the project to see how far North the project could go with the funding they are looking at. Eventually the separated facility could run as far as 5th or 4th avenue which would then allow people to connect easily with the river path system either at the EWEB administration building or farther down High Street near the Campbell Center.

Like the 13th Avenue cycle track the major expense of the project wouldn’t be the physical separation of the bikeway but would be the expense of the traffic signals at the intersections which would have to be reengineered for southbound traffic and to adjust the timing for people on bikes and people in cars.

This is called the third phase of the “River to Ridges Bikeway”, with the East Amazon Cycle Track being the second phase and a future project finishing the High Street Cycle Track from 13th to 6th (or 4th Avenue?) being the fourth and final phase. We assume phase one was the existing Amazon Path.

8th Avenue– This project would be a conversion of 8th Avenue in downtown Eugene from a one-way westbound street to a two-way street. The scope of the project is still to be determined but would start at Franklin (near where it converts to Broadway and then Coburg Road) and then potentially as far west as Lincoln street, depending on funding and the full scope of the project.

City staff have stated that the 8th Avenue conversion is “a priority for the next round of flexible federal funding likely constructed by 2021.”

The Transportation System Plan calls for a cycle track, or separated bike lanes, for 8th Avenue but the city has not decided on a design and may end up putting only bike lanes in, though even that hasn’t been discussed or decided yet. There may be a need for some robust advocacy to create a strong East-West separated bikeway through our downtown. This bikeway could connect to the river path system with a realignment from 8th that may occur plus the work happening on the redevelopment of the EWEB property. This 8th Avenue project would move people through downtown from the Federal Court house and pass by City Hall, the Lane County Courthouse, Saturday Market and the important business and governmental core of our city. Definitely one to watch.

We can see a great potential for some amazing projects in the coming years and the question now is what will it take to get these projects done and what will the priority projects if the above listed projects are completed by 2020?!

Now is a prime time for advocates, city leaders, and staff to have a serious discussion about what we’re going to do to reach our goal of having half of our trips made by walking and biking by 2035. What we build in the next decade is going to be key to making that change happen. Will we look back in 2028 and think we are on the right track or will we have wished we did more in 2018 to push for change?

Stay tuned for the next installment of “Looking Towards 2021” to hear from different community members about what they think we need to be doing to reach our goals for walking and biking and how we can make Eugene the best place for biking in America.

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and they said “hey, I was reading this year’s voters pamphlet and thought of you…”. Wait. First of all what cool friends I have that they spend their Thursday night reading the voters pamphlet. Second, why would I come up when thinking of this Novembers election?

So they continued “…there was the bond measure with the piece about the $1 million a year for bicycle and pedestrian projects and I thought ‘cool’ but then I was reading the arguments against and I was like ‘wait a minute, maybe it’s not a good idea’. I should ask Shane.”

Okay so not only does my friend read about the ballot measure she also reads the arguments for and against. And she thought about asking me for my thoughts. #WellInformedFriendsRock

So this is (basically) what I told her.

The arguments against boil down to two points that I’ve heard:

• We should be funding these street repairs in some other form (from our General Fund, not from a bond that supports “Wall Street”, gas taxes, etc.).

This isn’t a vote on how our bond funding system works. It’s worked well for us up to now to pay for these repairs and if we want to have a conversation about a different funding mechanism that keeps all our money local then we need to have that conversation in general as a community and writing off an important measure that is going to make our streets better for walking and biking isn’t the time or place. We’re working with the system we have here. That answer sucks for some people but like it or not there are times for dealing with the system you have and this is that time. These bonds have been good for walking/biking in the past and this bond is even better. We need it.

What about the gas tax? We get $3 million a year from Eugene’s 5-cent-per-gallon local gas tax, yet we have a backlog of needed street repairs of $92 million. Before we passed the two previous bonds we weren’t paying for street maintenance because other items like police, fire, social services, and other city services were taking priority in the general fund. Back then we had over $200 million in backlogged repairs. With those bonds we’ve turned the tide and are making a dent in maintaining the streets we’ve all paid for. This is a good and fair way to pay for our street maintenance and to leave other city services to work with the general fund budget.

• We should be doing more for bicycle and pedestrian projects or why is it $46 million for cars and only $5 million for bicycle and pedestrian projects?

Yes we should be asking for more. And we have. The Active Transportation Committee (ATC) wrote a letter asking to match the bond funding to our transportation mode share goals. If you look at our Transportation System Plan it calls for tripling our current walking and biking mode share from 2015 levels by 2035. This would mean 50% of our trips made by walking/biking.  To get there we need to do things very different and that includes in our funding.

However, we are working within our existing system and we can’t expect to make the leap in one giant leap. If you look at where we have gone in these bonds we have raised the percentage of these funds from about 3% of the bond going to multi-use paths to 10% of this new bond going to walking and biking projects. This bond will get us $1 million dollars a year going to active transportation projects. That’s like nothing we’ve seen in Eugene and the city uses these funds to match other grant projects like Safe Routes to School and state and federal funding of active transportation projects.

Plus we’ve come a long way with city staff in implementing projects that make the streets safer for all road users when a general repaving project is done. So even those streets that are receiving the larger pot of funding in the bond are improved for people walking and biking. Out of the general bond funds they are getting new marked crossings, marked bike lanes, and street designs that can reduce speeds. Not to mention the nice and smooth pavement we can all enjoy including our skateboarding brothers and sisters (who, by the way, we should be working with to make skateboarding legal on our streets!).

Okay, I didn’t really say all of that to my friend, but you know it was basically that and I think I got those main points across.

So basically, vote YES for this bond. We need these funds to help keep moving Eugene forward in our goal to get more people walking and biking. Yes we should be asking for more for active transportation and trying to find creative ways to pay for that, so let’s have that conversation too. Seriously, I want to get people together to talk about how we can do that. Let’s work to find the funding that will get half of our trips made by walking and biking. The first step in doing that is to get this $5 million dollar piece passed and get some more good projects put in now to keep us rolling as we talk about how to get more.

*The more casual writing style in this post is brought to you in honor of Mike Seager, the founder of WeBikeEugene, whose fun writing style is sorely missed as he focuses more on teaching and juggling these days. Come write some silly bike posts for us Mike

Talk about burying the lead. This is really the meat of it. This is what we have done in the past with these bond funds. Imagine if we didn’t have these funds and what a fight it would have been to get these projects done. Now imagine a nearly doubling of funding (from $516k a year to $1 million) and the dent we can keep putting into our active transportation network.  The second bond projects below are listed as the first section happening along with paving projects and the “discretionary” are those projects that happened somewhere besides where a ‘street repair’ project was occurring.

The first bond went to path repairs. Here is that list:

The second bond made improvements throughout Eugene in a variety of projects. Here they are broken down by year:

2014
· Acorn Park Street sidewalks
· Rapid Flashing Beacon: 1st & Monroe
· Shared Lane Markings on Monroe
· Buffered bike lane: 13th Avenue (Garfield to Monroe)
· Accessible Pedestrian Signal: Goodpasture Island Loop at Goodpasture Island Road
· Bike box, loop detectors, sidewalk infill: Roosevelt Blvd (Danebo to Terry)
· Match: cost share with Parks and Open Space on new bridge over creek in Tugman Park
Discretionary
o 30th Avenue Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (New Light on University)
o Green Acres Rapid Flashing Beacons
o Amazon/High ramp (25th)
o Amazon Park ramp (28th)

2015
· Shared Lane Markings on Fillmore and Friendly
· Sidewalks, new ramp, and curb extensions: Donald Street
· Buffered bike lane: Garden Way (Westward Ho to Harlow)
· Shared Lane Markings on 15th Avenue (Fairmount to Agate)
· Buffered bike lanes: Willakenzie (Bogart to Coburg)
Discretionary
– 29th at Amazon: widen sidewalk on 29th, rebuild corner of 29th at Amazon, partner with stormwater program on stormwater planters
– Bailey Hill Rapid Flashing Beacons (Fern Ridge Path crossing)
– Barger Drive Rapid Flashing Beacons (Devos St)
– Oakway Rapid Flashing Beacons (Westwood Ln)

2016
· Willamette Street: “super” Shared Lane Markings (10th to 13th)
· Sidewalk infill: Fairfield Avenue (Fairfield Elementary)
· Buffered bike lanes: Lincoln Street
Discretionary
– Goodpasture Island Road sidewalk infill
– School speed zone flashers on 30th Avenue (Camas Ridge)
– Fir Lane Rapid Flashing Beacons (River Road)
– Lone Oak Rapid Flashing Beacons (Division)

2017
· Shared Lane Markings: 3rd Avenue (REI)
· Bike lanes: 2nd Avenue (Garfield to Chambers)
· Curb extensions: Jefferson Street
Discretionary
– Pededstrian Island: Royal at Throne
– Rapid Flashing Beacons: Irvington at Revell (Spring Creek Elementary)
– Path Signs: West Bank Path
– School Speed Zone: Willamette Street (Village School)
– Buffered Bike Lane: E 24th Avenue (Roosevelt MS)

Sometimes it’s tough to keep up with all the transportation projects “in the pipeline” so I wanted to do an update on what projects were (or are being) completed this summer and fall, what is coming up in the next couple of years, and what projects could be priorities for the city to find funding for that will help us reach our transportation goals. I’ll be breaking those three sections out into different posts over the next several days. This first one will be about projects completed this year. The next post will be about projects coming up in 2018-2020. The final post will be about what we need to be working on to get us to our future goals.

Those goals are laid out in the Transportation System Plan (TSP) that was adopted by the Eugene City Council on June 26, 2017 and it calls for a tripling of our active transportation mode share by 2035.

So how are we going to get to that lofty goal? A good timeline some are using is 2021, as that is the year that Eugene will be hosting the 2021 IAFF World Track & Field Championships. It’s a pretty big deal for “Tracktown USA” as it is the first time the event has been held in the United States. The 2017 Championships were held in London and the 2019 Championships will be held in Doha, Qatar. With nearly 2,000 participants representing as many as 213 different countries from around the world it will be a time that Eugene will be on the world stage and it could be a great time to highlight how great our city is for healthy, active transportation.

So, let’s look first at what happened this year for active transportation projects that will start getting us to those goals.

This Year (2017)

New I-5 Path to the North- See Richard’s story earlier this summer about the new I-5 path near Beltline that will add a great connection to North Eugene and create a connection to the existing path that goes under Harlow and increases separation and safety. When these paths are complete cyclists will be able to get from Chad Drive, north of Beltline, down to the river path system with only a small section of on-road travel on South Garden Way.

Commerce Street Connector Bridge– As part of the West Eugene EmX project this bridge will connect the Fern Ridge multi-use path with Commerce Street and the westernmost West EmX station (near Beltline on West 11th). This project wasn’t originally in the West EmX plans but local advocates pushed LTD to make it a part of the project as whole neighborhoods could be connected to the new Bus Rapid Transit lines through this crossing as well as make an important connection for cyclists to the retail area around Commerce Street.

This project will actually include two steel truss bridges (one 135 feet and one 60 feet) to cross the Amazon Creek and wetland area. The funding for this project comes from a ConnectOregon III grant.  This project wasn’t completed in time for the opening of the WestEmX line but should be completed by October 31st.

WestEmX- Besides being the next major leg of our great Bus Rapid Transit system the WestEmX project was one of the largest pedestrian improvement projects the city of Eugene has ever seen, with 5 miles of new and improved sidewalks, 3 multi-use bridges, 700 curb ramp rebuilds, and other improvements like street trees and plant beds to create  a buffer between pedestrians and street traffic that should make walking along West 11th better than it was before.

It should be noted that the West EmX project also made some things worse for pedestrians and cyclists. By not taking a travel lane from motorized vehicles but expanding the street width instead, the project made the crossing distance at intersections much longer than before. While increasing the width of 11th at the Fern Ridge underpass they also made an already poor under-crossing even worse with a longer underpass that is lower in height and floods more often. There were also missed opportunities, such as on Garfield Street between 11th and 7th, to close a gap in the bike network that is in our Transportation System Plan. It also took several community input sessions for LTD to recognize the importance of the multi-use bridge connections over Amazon Creek and work towards finding funding for these.

Here’s hoping that the next line that is built (River Road?!) that LTD focuses on the importance of active transportation connectivity and doesn’t shy away from taking space away from the auto-elite and prioritizes active transportation over motorized vehicles.

Pavement Bond Projects

 There were a few projects that were completed this Summer and Fall that came from the 2012 Pavement Bond Measure. Here’s a sampling of what has been completed and some that are still in progress.

Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) on Irvington Drive at Revell Street near Spring Creek Elementary School. This location had a pedestrian refuge and marked crossing before but installed the RRFB to make it a better Safe Routes to School crossing.

Pedestrian refuge island and improved sidewalk access ramps on Royal Avenue near Throne Drive at Candlelight Park.

Enhanced school zone speed limit signage near the Village School on Willamette Street. When The Village School moved from their old location near the Woodfield Station to their new location on 35th between Donald and South Willamette there were several improvements that were needed to bring the location up to standards for traffic control around a school site. This summer the first piece on Willamette was installed; a new school zone “when flashing” sign was installed.  This Fall the school should see a new marked crossing on Donald Street as well and they are hoping for an improved pedestrian crossing on South Willamette sometime in the future as well.

Complete striping changes on 24th Ave between the Amazon Parkway and Hilyard Street including a buffered bike lane and marked cross walks. This is a very exciting improvement for me since I worked hard with the 4j School District and the City of Eugene to make this improvement as part of the new Roosevelt Middle School that was completed last summer.

There was an administrative order to remove the on-street parking last year and there was an an appeal to that order from someone from the public. A hearing official eventually ruled that the city did their due diligence for the parking removal. The original design called for a physically separated bike lane on the south side of 24th (to help discourage student drop off, reduce speeds and increase the comfort level for all cyclists) but the school district didn’t want to use Safe Routes funds for a type of infrastructure that hadn’t been installed in Eugene before. The city didn’t have the funding to install the separation so for now there are buffered bike lanes. While the cones were down at the beginning of the school year it was a great comfortable facility. City staff has expressed interest in putting in permanent separation at a later date (at least as a trial) so hopefully we’ll see that happen when there is some funding for it.

A few new signs have been installed on the West Bank Path to provide improved information about street and path connections. These should help with figuring out where on the path you are and what streets connect up to it.

Stay tuned to WeBikeEugene for an update on the next pavement bond measure that will be on the November ballot and what it holds for active transportation funding (good news).

Other

13th Avenue Bike Lane Gap Fix- In 2014 the City of Eugene had a repaving project on 13th Avenue that installed one of the largest stretches of new bike lanes in the city in over a decade. The city removed parking and installed the bike lane from Chambers Street to Washington Street, including large sections that were buffered. However, this left a gap of no bike lane between Washington Street and Jefferson Street, where the previous bike lanes on 13th began. For that two block section they left the on-street parking on the south side of the street and laid down “sharrows” that required cyclists to claim the lane before the bike lanes picked back up again at on the East side on Lincoln Street.

At the time the Traffic Engineer for the City of Eugene was Tom Larsen, who, it was discovered later, was practicing without a license since 2008. This past year Matt Rodrigues was hired as the Traffic Engineer for the city and he made it a priority to fill this gap in the system. City staff also noted that Wagon Works, an auto-repair shop, initiated communication about filling the bike lane gap and that when they met with other local retailers in the area, including Hot Mama’s Wings and Soriah’s, there was support for the project.

The striping just went in the other day and you can see both a video of that new connection and some pictures of cars parking in the new bike lane on our Facebook Page. The city is planning to install cones along the bike lane buffer to help educate people on the new infrastructure change.

This small gap fill is symbolic of a larger shift that has happened at the City of Eugene since Matt Rodrigues has taken over the Traffic Engineer position. It may be the first time in the cities history that the lead Traffic Engineer is a daily bike commuter and it’s certainly the first time in a couple decades since we have seen leadership in that position that is working towards positive change for active transportation and safety improvements. There is a lot of work ahead for the city to make a major mode share shift but if this summer is any indication it’s going to be a bit easier for that work to happen with someone like Mr. Rodrigues in that position.

Two Way Conversion for Lawrence– We don’t have a lot of information about this change but we know that the City of Eugene is planning to convert Lawrence Street from one way Southbound to a two-way street this summer (from 13th to 7th Avenue). It will make connections to and from the new bike lane and North-South travel on the low-traffic volume street of Lawrence a good alternative for cyclists who can’t really use Washington or Jefferson streets.

Another piece of the Lawrence Street two way conversion and the 13th street improvements will be a new marked crossing on 13th at Lawrence that will be installed next summer.

New Schools

Along with on-street improvements there were two new school buildings that were also completed this summer and both of them brought some improved walking and biking infrastructure.

River Road/El Camino del Rio– The biggest improvement for this school was the bike parking and a major sidewalk connection. Before most of the bike parking at this school was hidden in the back and was made up of old wheel bender racks. Now it is up front, colorful, and functional. There is some covered parking and all of it is visible and already being used so much more than the previous racks.

The other major improvement completed as part of the Safe Routes to School improvements during the rebuild was a brand new sidewalk connecting the school to River Road. Previously the school was only connected to it’s namesake road by a small shoulder and dirt path for pedestrians. Through work with Lane County, the City of Eugene, and a private landowner the school district was able to finally make the connection from River Road to the new El Camino del Rio School site!

Arts & Technology Academy– Previously if you were using the multi-use path system going through Westmoreland park (connecting from the Fern Ridge Path via the 18th Avenue overpass) you would have to go through the parking lot at ATA to get to 22nd Avenue at Polk or Fillmore. The new path system provides MUCH better connections without passing through the parking lot and connects path users to the new and improved school bike parking, to the path coming from Polk, and to the multi-use path installed two years ago from Chambers to Fillmore on 22nd.

So overall it was a pretty good Summer and Fall for active transportation projects in Eugene. Just wait and see what’s in store for 2018/19….stay tuned to WeBikeEugene for that story in a few days. In the meantime get out there and ride some of this great new infrastructure.

Jonathan Maus from BikePortland.org has been doing his “People on Bikes” series for years up in Portland and I’ve always liked flipping through them. The other day I was sitting down in Amazon Park while my kids played at the skate bowl and I decided to snap some photos of the 5 o’clock traffic. There’s an interesting mix in just these 30 photos that were taken in about a 15 minute window. Like BikePortland I’ll number the photos in case you want to give any ‘shout-outs’ or (friendly) comments. What things do you notice in this small sample?

Unlike BP my photos are not very professional, but they get the idea across I think. I hope to do some more focused photos at another time. Have any good spots you’d recommend?

Also, somewhat related, there is Sunday Streets ‘Afterparty’ with a Fall Bike Fashion Show AND a Tweed themed Moonlight Mash tonight so put on your nicest duds and come out to celebrate biking on this beautiful fall day.

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