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QuickTake:
The city is proposing to remove one travel lane from parts of Sixth and Seventh avenues and widen some sidewalks downtown.
Three traffic projects are coming to downtown Eugene.
The city plans to remove a right-hand travel lane on Sixth and Seventh avenues between Charnelton and High streets to make room for parallel street parking and curb extensions, part of a pilot project to shorten pedestrian crossings across the one-way, four-lane roads.
Eugene plans to finalize the design by the fall, working with local businesses and community partners for input, and move forward with installation by spring or summer 2027. The projects are tentatively scheduled for review in early November by the Eugene City Council, acting as the Urban Renewal Agency Board.
Highway 99 runs through downtown Eugene by using Sixth Avenue for westbound traffic and Seventh Avenue for eastbound traffic, making the streets one of the busiest traffic corridors downtown. Lindsay Selser, the communications and engagement manager for the city’s Planning and Development Department, said residents and nearby businesses have reported feeling unsafe crossing them.
Eugene installed cameras at nearby intersections last month to study traffic and driving patterns along the streets. The city has said the roads are built in a way that encourages speeds higher than the 20 mph limit. A contracted traffic analysis determined that traffic will continue to flow smoothly on Sixth and Seventh after the project installation.
“The pilot project will look at repurposing one travel lane on each street by adding on-street parking to shorten the crosswalk, improve visibility, lower traffic speeds, and boost economic development,” Selser said. “The project will also improve access to local businesses for customers and freight and create opportunities for placemaking.”
Adding street parking to the downtown roads will align Eugene with Springfield and Corvallis, which both feature street parking on state highways running through the middle of their downtown neighborhoods, Selser said.
The city has owned portions of Highway 99 in downtown Eugene for years. In 2018, the state transferred ownership of additional sections to the city, including the stretch where the highway turns into Sixth and Seventh avenues.
The project will include reversible components like paint, planters, posts and modular curbs. Selser said the city will develop cost estimates for the project, which is eligible for downtown urban renewal funds, by the fall. The city plans to hold community meetings and surveys for feedback after its installation.
“A reversible project allows the city to test an idea with the community, receive feedback, and make improvements to the design before investing in a permanent project,” the city’s website states.
Eugene may also widen and “even out” sidewalks on both sides of Oak Street and the west side of Pearl Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues to create a “more comfortable north-south walking connection” between the downtown core and the 5th Street Market District, a city news release states.
When asked if the sidewalk project will require removing a travel lane, Selser said the city is still examining a “range of options.” The city aims to improve pedestrian safety and comfort to connect downtown destinations, while having a “minimal impact” to vehicular traffic flow, she said.
“The designs are still in development,” she said. “Traffic analysis is being performed to help inform the final recommendations.”
The work would not occur on the sidewalk next to the federal building, the city’s news release states. Selser said work to improve the area’s walkability has occurred in phases over the last few years, and includes the addition of street trees along Oak and Pearl Streets between Eighth and Seventh avenues and the construction of the Farmers Market Pavilion and Plaza.
Eugene also plans to replace temporary planters and barriers on the intersection of West Broadway and Olive Street with permanent, in-ground landscaping and irrigation, according to the news release.
The proposed traffic projects would be located near the North Butterfly Lot Redevelopment, a mixed-use multistory building planned for the southwest corner of Seventh Avenue and Oak Street.
Neighbors have suggested making Sixth and Seventh avenues quieter and more pedestrian-friendly as part of the redevelopment, given that the building will overlook the busy streets.
