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.

Some of the turning lanes on Franklin are confusing, even as someone who is familiar with the area. I accidentally turned into the wrong lane from Franklin onto Villard the other day (luckily other drivers saw me error and gave me room to correct it!) I don’t love having to turn left/make U turns to access business on either side. I appreciate that the EMX runs along Franklin, when I have taken it before (I did moreso in the past when I lived near a place that was on the route) I found it convenient for accessing the UO and Downtown. As a pedestrian, Franklin just feels exhausting to me–loud and full of traffic and I feel like I have to be extra vigilant at crosswalks because of all the different turn lanes/vehicles/etc.

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Franklin Blvd should remain the same. There are back streets available for bikers & scooters to travel safely if they feel unsafe on Franklin Blvd. I feel very safe driving and/or walking. The City of Eugene already supports & has provided enough accommodations for LTD. The busses aren’t even filled to capacity. Market of Choice and Hiron’s are family owned by long time Eugene families. The City of Eugene needs to support these families who keep their businesses in Eugene, as well as take a good look as to why many businesses in Eugene have shut down and the City of Eugene makes it nearly impossible for new businesses to come to town. The City of Eugene couldn’t even keep the hospital in Eugene, while Chick-Fil-A or In-N -Out is building in Springfield.

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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.

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I know many people have expressed concern about roundabouts and tree loss and closing of businesses (Hirons and MoC). I am not scared of roundabouts. They can even be nice. I would be very concerned about the other issues though. I particularly would be extremely frustrated at the loss of those two businesses and anything that would make it harder or longer for me to exit the Hendricks hill areas and go west on Franklin. That would make things significantly worse not better.

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Franklin is due for a revamp. Don’t let our local neighborhood association tell you otherwise. Also the market of choice lot is a total disaster. I drive here everyday.

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I disagree strongly with proposed changes to Franklin Blvd that inhibit/prevent direct access to Market of Choice, Hirons.

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I am excited about the idea to add more round-a-bouts to Franklin Blvd. I like the two round-a-bouts in Glenwood and I think they would improve traffic flow closer to campus. Making left turns off of Franklin on Villard St and Orchard street when going West Bound feel very dangerous. Particularly Orchard St – I avoid this left turn at all costs. The traffic in the Market of Choice and Hiron’s parking lot is also very uncomfortable. It is unclear if there are one ways and the visibility is poor especially when the sun is setting. I would like to see more trees on Franklin to improve the walking experience. I believe that the sidewalks and bike lanes could be made safer. I do NOT feel safe biking on Franklin, which is a real shame because there are so many PeaceHealth bike facilities in that area. The stores are so set back on Franklin making them feel inaccessible to pedestrians. This should be changed to promote more UO student foot traffic at local stores.

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For walkers, it is completely unpleasant to use Franklin and difficult for drivers to enter and exit local businesses.

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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.

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We need to dicincentive travel by car, and encourage walking, have a protected bike lane, and have businesses that people actually want to go to. More trees and shady, nice areas for people to walk and rest.

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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.

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I avoid Franklin Boulevard today because I get around town mostly by bike and on foot and the area’s current configuration feels inaccessible and unsafe. I’m excited about the planned multimodal transformation and how much more accessible, safe, pleasant, and all around better the area will become for everyone. I live 2-3 miles away and might actually consider visiting businesses and other destinations around here after the transformation. I support more efforts to facilitate safer multimodal transportation with roundabouts, BRT (and dedicated lanes), bike lanes, bump outs, wider connected sidewalks, protected multiuse paths, street trees, and more across town. Thanks for your work!

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