What the public thinks of Franklin Boulevard today

I support the goals of both Vision Zero and CFEC. I have no opinion about traffic circles nor the locations of turns off of Franklin. I am most concerned with creating a safe and attractive thoroughfare with clear delineations between cars and non-motorized user paths as well as trees for much-needed shade.

It would be great if Franklin Boulevard had dedicated bike lanes so I felt more comfortable biking or having my teenagers bike. I commute from South Eugene to Downtown Springfield, so this would make my commute safer.

From being a gravel road to a major thorough fare it has seen some changes over the years, none recently. Some of the pavement going east, left lane needs attention. Sharing with bikes and mopeds is probably needed. The EMX seems to be working well on Franklin. Safety is good I believe. I have not seen many cars speeding on this road, there are some, generally feel safe.

Franklin is unsafe for bicycles and scooters. Bus access is good, but the pedestrian access doesn’t feel safe or enjoyable. The sidewalks must be awful for people with wheelchairs or other devices. Franklin is also very unattractive, and is one of the first roads that some visitors see. This stroad is poorly designed and doesn’t serve our community.

What a mess! Given how close it is to the University and the amount of student housing that is on the north side of Franklin, as well as the lack of parking at the University and the Matt Knight forcing people to park across Franklin and then play “Frogger” to walk where they are going, it is surprising there aren’t more car-on-human deaths along it. Getting across on a bike to the River Path is also challenging and dangerous. Finally, if you are driving westbound, you will be doing at least 50 mph before going onto Franklin by Walnut, and there is no engineering to change people’s mindsets to the new speed environment – so they try to go 45 or more through to Agate. It would be great if there were a separated bike lane that went at least from 11th to Augusta. It shouldn’t be like the current 13th St bikeway – it needs to actually be a useful and pleasant way for bicyclists and scooterpeople to get through this area (no stopping at every intersection!), and it needs to allow easy and safe ways to for people to get across Franklin Street so they can access either the River Path or the University.

I am interested mainly in changes to make Franklin safer for bicycles

Circles are not my favorite, prefer lights.. Don’t know statistics on accidents. Seems with pedestrian/ bike traffic, circles would be more dangerous and distracting for drivers with pedestrians. Also add the bus to the complexity. Not to mention the road rage we are experiencing these days in Eugene.

Franklin Blvd is the really the entrance to Glenwood, so changes need to contemplate the development of that area to keep traffic moving efficiently while allowing for easy biking to Glenwood. Currently, Garden Way, 13th, 15th and North and South Bank trails provide really good bike access to everywhere you want to go on Franklin or into Glenwood/Springfield, and helps separate the traffic. Trying to combine the bike and traffic streams onto one road will just make it worse for all forms of travel, particularly if you disrupt those areas. The plan I’ve seen looks like it will create more congestion, which from experience downtown encourages bikes to weave through cars and peds, and peds to simply cross wherever they feel like it. It would be nice to have one additional crosswalk where 13th ends at Franklin (at the crossing light there).

I live on Sylvan and walk/ride along Franklin almost daily. The speed of vehicles as they leave eug to enter southbound i5/enter Springfield is alarming. The lack of bike lanes in both directions on Franklin is challenging for our commute. The lack of lighting near the eastern end approaching Sylvan is difficult at night. We often walk the much longer route up through Hendricks park to avoid the speeding vehicles and loud noise along Franklin between Sylvan and walnut.

Better bike pathways, easier for cars to see signage

A few of my neighbors are adamantly against the plan. I am not. I think it looks wonderful. The Walnut intersection is not safe for bicyclists. To go straight across Franklin at Walnut, 1/3 go to the left lane (marked for going straight), 1/3 go to the right turn only and 1/3 only feel safe by going onto the sidewalk and using the crosswalk. It is a very poor design and it is surprising that more people aren’t hurt there.

Safer bike lanes would be wonderful. A pedestrian bridge from the UO riverfront to the main campus could benefit a lot of pedestrians.

Franklin is terrible for cyclists & pedestrians. Probably terrible for anything other than an automobile. The intersection of Franklin & Villard is truly dangerous. I cannot believe the city & state signed off on that intersection after Knight Arena was built.

I wouldn’t currently bike in the Franklin Boulevard area, except maybe to cross it, although I’d like to. I’d never choose to walk there. Driving there is easy and feels safer, which is why I do it.

The UO campus and downtown Eugene are pedestrian friendly, human-scaled environments. Franklin should emulate this. Less traffic lanes, protected bike lanes, more trees.

I ride my bike to work almost daily in the spring, summer, and fall. I almost always move my bike up onto the sidewalk when I am crossing Franklin Boulevard, because I am concerned about being hit by the cars that are coming from behind me or turning right. I also use a great deal of caution when I am returning from work, crossing Franklin Boulevard again. I am always concerned that a driver will not see me and could hit me. As a pedestrian, I also frequently cross Franklin Boulevard. I also worry about my safety as I cross because of the fast-moving cars. I have not been hit here, but I am very cautious because I have been hit by a car and hospitalized in the past. In the winter, I now drive to work, because now that I am older, I do not wish to ride back-and-forth on my bicycle when it is dark. I have been so impressed by the change in Glenwood Franklin Boulevard. I was delighted to learn that there might be a similar traffic circle in Eugene on the Franklin Boulevard near my house. I think this would be more beautiful and would be safer, both when I ride my bicycle, and when I walk. I am disappointed by my neighbors’s strong opposition to this plan. Unfortunately, I have been unable to attend the meetings. I did respond in an email to my neighbors about my support of the plan. I also watched the strong opposition to the changes on Willamette Street in the last couple of years, and how this opposition melted after the changes were made. The changes make Willamette Street so much better. I am thinking that this might happen with the Fairmount neighborhood opposition.

I bike across Franklin everyday and consistently see people speed and run red lights. There needs to be better pedestrian and bike crossings and overall accommodation for car alternative transportation. Also it is the Main Street of Fairmount and should aesthetically reflect the neighborhood identity.

I think Franklin boulevard has issues regarding accessibility for disabilities and other non car related ways of travel.

Improvements to provide better bike and walking use AND that allow at least as good access to Hirons and Market of Choice as there is now would be good. The tentative plan I have seen will destroy both of those vital businesses because of reduced ways to access them. The entire East Eugene neighborhood will be poorer and have to travel much further for services and sales now provided by those two businesses.

Synchronize the traffic lights. The light at Agate interferes with the flow of traffic.Too many drivers speed to “make the light” Scares / harms pedestrians, bike riders, other non-drivers.

From attending 5 city open houses and neighborhood presentations I have questioned and learned a lot about the Franklin Boulevard Project. It is excellent. Finally, Franklin Blvd will be safe to cross, bikeable and walkable. EmX service will vastly improve. Students and seniors will be much safer and better able to navigate the neighborhood.

Franklin Boulevard is very dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists. The sight lines from turning lanes, the speed of traffic, the number of lanes, the fact that people tend to drive well over the speed limit regularly, the confusing nature of the turning lanes onto side streets… I can’t even list all the ways is currently unsafe to those who are not inside a vehicle. Even though I have never been hit while walking, it has come very close a number of times and that is also traumatizing. I would never consider riding a bike or or other mobility device on Franklin because that is a death wish. I think the city’s plans are good, and that roundabouts are not as scary as people think they are!

Not safe for bikes or pedestrians

Safety needs to be addressed. The merging issues at the beginning of Franklin to the east are an issue. More roundabouts or other solutions that lead to smoother traffic flow, but still allow access to ALL businesses and driveways while ensuring safety for walking and biking should be the priority.

There is so much potential for this space to be special for the residents of Eugene and the students of the University of Oregon! Please don’t shy away from making it TRULY pedestrian centric. We need protected bike lanes, roundabouts, quality pedestrian crossings, many more trees and green spaces, etc. Thanks for doing this work!!