Changes to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard are here!
The MLK Transit and Safety Project repurposed the outside travel lanes as dedicated bus-and-turn (BAT) lanes, added a crosswalk at Chevy Chase Street, and enhanced the bikeways with green color at driveways and intersections.
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard has experienced a significant number of severe crashes over time, including crashes that resulted in 4 fatalities and 26 life-changing injuries across all years of available data (2007-2021). The street is one of the High Crash Corridors identified in the City of Eugene’s Vision Zero Action Plan.
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard has been a 5-lane, high-speed minor arterial street with a 40 mph speed limit. This lane configuration offers more capacity than is needed for the traffic volumes on this street and this leads to risky behaviors, including speeding and erratic lane changes that can lead to crashes, serious injuries, and fatalities.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Transit and Safety project includes striping dedicated bus-and-turn (BAT) lanes, added a crosswalk at Chevy Chase Street, and enhanced the bikeways with green color at driveways and intersections.
The project was constructed between June and August 2024. It was partially funded by an ODOT safety grant and through pavement bond measure funding.
External links
- MLK Transit and Safety Project (City of Eugene)
- Bond Measures to Fix Streets (City of Eugene)
- Vision Zero (City of Eugene)
Further reading
- Oregon Ducks football 2024 parking, shuttle for Autzen Stadium on Friday (Register-Guard, 10/4/24)
- Oregon Ducks Football game days require planning ahead (City of Eugene, 9/18/24)
- Oregon Ducks football 2024 parking, shuttle options for Autzen Stadium (Register-Guard, 8/30/24)
- UO football Game Day Driving Tips (City of Eugene, 8/30/24)
- VIDEO: Changes to MLK Blvd are here! (City of Eugene Transportation at Facebook, 8/15/24)
- MLK Jr. Blvd. undergoing lane changes for safety (City of Eugene, 6/7/24)
- Changes are coming to MLK Boulevard! (City of Eugene Transportation at Facebook, 4/17/24)
- Eugene’s Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to see construction, transit and safety upgrades (Register-Guard, 3/29/24)
- Eugene’s MLK Jr. Blvd. to undergo lane changes to promote safe driving (KEZI, 3/27/24)
- Transforming Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: Safety overhaul set for Spring 2024 (KVAL, 3/27/24)
- MLK Jr. Blvd. Undergoing Lane Changes for Safety in Eugene (City of Eugene, 3/27/24)