On Patterson Street in Eugene, cars and buses drive past signs remembering a bicyclist and University of Oregon PhD candidate who was killed just a block away.
One of the only marked crosswalks for blocks is fading, while bicyclists hug the street’s curb and pedestrians cross at random.
After community members and organizations expressed concerns about the street’s safety and recent traffic fatalities, the city is moving forward with a project that will remove one travel lane to add a bicycle and bus lane on Patterson from 19th to 24th Streets.
City of Eugene Public Works Spokesperson Marion Suitor said community input helped press the issue.
“Having all of the different viewpoints really helped inform what we decided to move forward with, and I think it created a sense of urgency that allowed us to identify this funding and make this a priority,” she said. “As always, civic voices are very important.”
Suitor hopes this change will remove the risks that come with multi-lane pedestrian crossings.
“Having a lot more activity if we do have the bus lane there and bike lanes, and more visible bikers and pedestrians,” she said, “will also visually remind drivers that they're sharing the road with others.”
The city will also update striping and signage at up to 23 marked crosswalks across Eugene.
Suitor said that, while the city can improve the infrastructure, drivers and pedestrians are also responsible for keeping each other safe.
“We all have to share this space, regardless whether you're in a car, on a bike, or walking down the sidewalk. Just be conscious of what's going on, and be careful and thoughtful about other people, and give people the benefit of the doubt,” she said. “Sometimes we're in a hurry, or we get into our own headspace, but we have to remember there are dozens and dozens, if not hundreds, of other people on the street at the same time, and we all just want to get where we're going safely.”
After planned community and city meetings later this summer to discuss proposed changes, Suitor said construction could begin in the fall.
