What the public thinks of Franklin Boulevard today
BEST asked: How safe, practical, and attractive is Franklin Boulevard adjacent to the University of Oregon for everyone today?
Here is what they wrote. The comments have been categorized by some topics that were frequently raised.
congestion
Franklin is currently one of the most unfriendly & unsafe streets in Eugene in terms of pedestrian, biking or using businesses. And this is an area where there is a significant number of students walking and biking. I currently choose not to utilize businesses in this area because of the noise & lack of accessibility. Improvements would increase my interest in utilizing businesses in this part of town. Additionally it is important that access by pedestrians & alternative forms of transportation be improved, that the speed of traffic be reduced, access to transportation systems be improved upon. I believe the both the public process around re-development on Franklin and the recommendations/ outcomes are good ones. I’m also concerned that delays will result in the loss of federal funding.
Franklin Boulevard is a little unsafe for pedestrian walking or skating. I feel like there needs to be more of a buffer between the road and the sidewalk and have a designated bike lane going both ways like 13th street.
lazy firsties whould walk more
Speed and feeder streets make for a very unsafe experience for all. Drivers have become very aggressive and inpatient. The city has many car only thoroughfares.
There needs to be a better bike friendly transition from Walnut St. To Springfield
The current conditions are inadequate. If people would like the city to not do the roundabouts, then we need to be discussing what changes will happen. The status quo doesn’t serve anyone well.
The few times I’ve walked along this road, rather than take the bus and leave the area as soon as I could, it’s been anxiety-inducing. The cars travel at high speeds, small sidewalks place you right next to traffic, and frequent driveway cuts constantly direct automobiles over the top of what little pedestrian space there is. I feel perpetually on guard, and for good reason. As a result, the area is highly unpleasant, something not helped by excessive parking lots that break up pedestrian access to the buildings. Waiting for the bus next to all the noise and pollution is somewhat less unpleasant from the station, though being sandwiched in a median between 4-6 lanes of high speed traffic for sometimes as much as 15 minutes does little for my sanity. I would never bike here. We desperately need to change the area to accommodate people, rather than cars. I just heard of this project, and I want to do everything I can to see it through to the end.
Planned changes will enhance safety and comfort for all travelers.
Franklin is not a complete street. It lacks facilities for bicycling and dedicates too much space to travel lanes for automobiles.
I have had good experiences with roundabouts, I think they work to move traffic safely.
The bike lanes and sidewalks are very poor setup for mobility other than cars. This major street has potential to to be vital for multi-transit uses. I love the improvements to bus lines and stops, and me and my fellow students use it a ton because of these investments. Many times i have avoided biking back to campus on Franklin because it makes me feel unsafe.
Blood Alley
Add protected bike lanes! Like on 13th!!
The tall buildings are so ugly, too close to the sidewalk, block out the sun — eyesores — awful. Please stop green lighting absolutely horrendous, ugly, boring architecture. What used to make Eugene cute and appealing is dying. Please consider community revitalization!!!
Inconsistent / uneven lay-out: safety and bike lanes vary depending on location, and even the width of traffic lanes appears to change. Mixing bike/pedestrian crossings with an unregulated (no stoplights) traffic circle is dangerous.
Franklin Blvd needs to be redesigned! It is extremely dangerous for people walking and biking. It is also very unpleasant to be there outside of car — increased pleasantness would benefit the business greatly.
Drivers can go very fast and there isn’t always close walkways or paths for bikers, depending on which part of Franklin. I’ve been hit trying to cross the road on Franklin in 2009.
Too fast, narrow and winding.
too busy for pedestrians – a pleasant urban street would be awesome
Weird division of the street between Franklin and the other street which makes it hard to bike from one side to the other.
It would be wonderful to feel safe crossing such a busy and wide road on foot. It would also be nice when driving if the roadway was simpler (less merging) .
People love to race across the street to catch buses (it’s me!). I feel like it would be helpful to have more lighting on Franklin especially around bus stops.
It feels like a barrier within Eugene, there is one side of Franklin and then the other. I would never live on the river side of Franklin for uncomfortability being close to Franklin. It feels like bikers are an afterthought, and I find myself navigating unsafe conditions anytime I try to bike over there. (I will say the one spot that feels good to bike is biking on Agate and passing through Franklin over to the river). I dont know how to get involved.
Due to the sidewalks being immediately next to drivers, especially eastbound, it regularly feels unsafe to walk there. Pedestrians need a safety bumper so that bad drivers won’t hurt them. Also, The agate/franklin intersection is just awful for everyone involved. It is long, regardless if you’re a pedestrian, biker, driver, or on a bus, With the 2 turn left lanes going west from agate, I can tell you that due to unclear lines on the pavement that there have been minor car accidents due to someone either cutting the turn or going wide. Same thing goes for Villard/Franklin. cars regularly improperly yield, in part due to there not being enough clarity between who is proceeding to the other side of villard vs turning. As someone who has utilized pretty much all modes of transportation, and being a previous resident, I can tell you that I absolutely hated walking down Franklin–from 13th to walnut, down either side of the road. make it safer for pedestrians, please.