What the public thinks of Franklin Boulevard today

Pedestrian crossing at intersection is unpleasant. Crossing on bike has confusing and dangerous right of way

I feel like Franklin (specifically by the UO campus) primarily has problems with pedestrian traffic. Cars will run red lights at the Agate intersection even after the crosswalk light has turned on, or cars will turn onto Franklin without paying attention to pedestrians crossing the street. In contrast, I also see a lot of pedestrians jay-walking when there are cars or even busses coming. I think the timing of the lights on Franklin is generally very fair; it’s just that not everyone seems to care about them. Perhaps better signage would help? Or the presence of campus police with the intent to give tickets to those who do not adhere to lights.

Franklin boulevard does not feel safe crossing as a pedestrian, the width of the street combined with the time allotted for crossing and cars waiting to turn through cross walks. The road is very load, when waiting to cross the street having a conversation is difficult. Cars travel too fast and run the red light at Onyx frequently. Traveling west on franklin as a biker or pedestrian is challenging because the sidewalk width narrows at several locations which doesn’t accommodate both modes of transit.

Currently, Franklin Boulevard is build for cars and buses with pedestrians on foot, wheels, and mobility aids being an afterthought. Additionally, there is not great lighting on many stretches of side walk, which make it especially unsafe at night. Given the prevalence of nighttime walkers on/near college campuses, and the high incidence of those people being under the influence of substances, I think well-lit walkways are of paramount importance!

It’s an ugly welcome to the city/university district. vehicles drive way too fast despite there being pedestrians nearby/crossing it all the time. drivers treat it is an extension of the freeway and/or simply as a thoroughfare to get past as quickly as possible. it’s not a pleasant experience for those who are not in a vehicle…. and even when driving, it’s hard because of the confusing signage, awkward intersections and chaos of UO campus being on both sides of the roadway.

Wheelchair accessibility and vision and hearing impairments should also be taken into account

Current issue is drivers ignoring active crosswalks either pushing through pedestrian or hitting them to turn. Currently for traveling by foot or scooter I avoid Franklin because of drivers ignoring pedestrian crosswalk signs to make right turns or occasionally making U-turns at intersections through crosswalks with pedestrian using crosswalks. I would support and like to hear proposed changes and news of the process as it continues.

It is not made for pedestrians. There are not enough ways to cross the road in locations that are regularly used, forcing people to jaywalk across a busy road. The sidewalks are poorly paved, and I cannot imagine what it would be like to have mobility issues.

I wish Franklin had easier access from the university to the river, as well as no access to strip malls (like the market of choice) straight from the road by cars, it is super scary to walk or bike on.

the biggest issue i think is that it’s not very walkable which sucks because so many huge apartment complexes are off of Franklin and you have to cross it to get to the river from campus.

i feel as though they should make the street more walkable and less congested. i feel as though walking and biking is better for the environment and we should have a better opportunity to experience that.

I’m excited to see the changes that will be made for Franklin Blvd.

It is good that Franklin Blvd has its own bus lane, as well as designated crosswalks. However, the street is still very unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists, and for those wanting to use the bus, oftentimes it is difficult because the bus stop is in the middle of the road and sometimes the bus leaves before the crosswalk allows pedestrians to cross and reach the bus stop. I have just missed the bus many times because of this, or have had to run across the street to avoid being hit by a car in order to make the bus. I have also witnessed these things happen to others also trying to take the bus. Franklin Blvd overall has good and bad aspects, but my main concerns are that it needs to be safer for non-drivers and possibly more nature could be integrated into the street in order to beautify it and make it more eco friendly, although the main priority should be making Franklin Blvd safer.

Need more accessible roads for folks

It is so frustrating to not be able to turn south onto Agate when you are in the westbound lane!

I had two friends get hit off of Agate immediately off of Franklin Blvd, one of which got little to no disability aid from the UO (despite having their femur broken in the crash.).

There needs to be more lighting

I’m all for making Franklin Boulevard safer for pedestrians and better for drivers/traffic

I want to support the change of Franklin boulevard to be more pedestrian and bike friendly and accessible to people with disabilities in any way I can.

The current overall safety in my opinion is fairly low. Bike accessibility is very poor. There is a bike lane on the south side of the street that starts at E 13th and Franklin Blvd, and extends to Walnut St. I have used this bike before, but always seem to end up riding on the sidewalk when possible because of how unsafe I feel with cars speeding past me at well over 35 mph. I would like to also note that I do not see many cyclists on Franklin Boulevard at all, due to its poor street design and narrow bike lanes. All of my friends who walk and bike to school from 2125 Franklin Blvd (Walnut St and Franklin Blvd) cross over Franklin and continue walking towards E 15 ave instead of walking down Franklin. Another problem is that the sidewalks are very bare and narrow and close to the road. Any small movement from a car on Franklin Blvd could be deadly to a pedestrian.

While my route to campus only takes me about 10-15 minutes, I have personally encountered several close calls of nearly being hit by cars and seen others nearly injured on foot or bike on countless occasions. For pedestrians, having to cross Franklin is stressful due to the high levels of traffic. While some crosswalks are in place and well used, there is a desperate need for more infrastructure to support those on foot as well as cyclists. I would suggest clearly marked bike lanes and an increased number of crosswalks, specifically across Patterson next to the 7/11 convenience store and Chula’s restaurant as this area is well-traveled at all times of the day. Eugene’s comprehensive plan and city planning committees often discuss striving to meet equity, sustainability, accessibility, and climate change goals. However, there is a serious lack of basic infrastructure to support pedestrians and cyclists, as Franklin Boulevard and surrounding streets are designed nearly solely for automobiles shown by the lack of crosswalks, bike lanes, and safety measures in place for those not in cars. With these issues that currently face pedestrians and cyclists, it is hugely unsafe for all parties as it puts pedestrians and cyclists in direct danger and causes greater obstacles for automobiles. Within the city planning class I am taking this term, we have studied several communities and explored alternative solutions and modes of transportation other than automobiles. Communities with higher rates of walking and biking have seen drastic benefits for public health, safety, community growth and placemaking, and more. Additionally, creating this sustainable infrastructure to support and encourage people to walk or bike will help minimize greenhouse gas emissions, helping the city reach its climate goals. As there is currently construction and will be even more housing available on the north side of Franklin in the near future, there will be an even greater need for visible and safe crossing paths and the addition of clearly marked bike lanes in order to create a civil, healthier, and safer space and society.

I am pro roundabouts, trees, protected bike ways and sidewalks

Transforming Franklin into a walkable street will greatly alter to area for the better. If it slows car traffic, so be it. The pedestrian friendly alternative will create better, safer routes and attract more to businesses. Most people have no interest in eating outside on Franklin- it’s ugly, loud, busy, not human scaled.

I think that they need to make an area for cyclist, people on scooters, and people crossing the street. Maybe even take a lane away. two lanes i think would be good enough. also take traffic lights out and put in roundabouts to make it better for cars

Never feels safe. walkway too close to busy, loud and fast cars. cars speed and one even ran a red light, in front of people crossing the street. takes forever to cross the street. so loud.