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.
I find roundabouts difficult to understand/navigate and anxiety provoking, particularly when to enter, exit, and yield. Fast impatient drivers push me to go faster than feels safe.
I support the use of roundabouts, as studies confirm that they are safer and more energy-efficient than other alternatives. The people who complain about them will get used to them. Many places around the world use them extensively with great success.
There is nothing wrong with the street. Adding roundabouts will cause confusion and delay. I love roundabouts, but students from around the country will be confused since they are not mainstream in city planning. I will personally not want to travel on that road and I know many others that will not as well. I feel bad for the businesses over there.
Spending millions of dollars on Franklin Boulevard is completely unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer dollars. Even if much of the funding comes from the federal government, that still must ultimately be paid — either through direct taxation (i.e. raising taxes) or the indirect taxation of inflation — which hurts the lower and middle classes the most. The current federal deficit is $32 trillion and rising rapidly, threatening the economic health of our country. Also, traffic circles are unsafe, despite claims to the contrary. I have come close to getting sideswiped several times in the crazy new traffic circles recently built in the Glenwood section of Franklin Blvd. All in all, this strikes me as another government boondoggle designed to benefit bureaucrats and their cronies in private business. Please don’t make these proposed changes.
Honestly there are a lot of other streets that have more safety issues. They have done a lot to improve that area. I personally think roundabouts are efficient and would also be willing to comply with a reduced rate of speed. Ive never tried to walk around that area so I’m uncertain how that is for walkers
As the Franklin area expands more, there are changes that need to be made that need made. I agree with Mr. Hiron in speaking out of “no roundabouts!! People are definitely not programed in Oregon for roundabouts Too many businesses & UofO events going on in such a short span of road. Speed is a factor in most often incidents, people hurry & don’t pay enough attention as it is!!!
Adding roundabouts would help to slow traffic down.
Round-abouts would be very detrimental to smoothing out traffic. They make access points for businesses more challenging and foster agitated motorists.
Franklin Blvd is congested and road surface is poor, I think round about would be a good option as well as resurfacing.
The road needs to be re-paved. Too many potholes. I find walking on Franklin easy and safe. Driving and parking in the area is also easy. The EmX is easily accessible and frequent. I don’t believe roundabouts will help anything. They would make travel worse by changing the flow of traffic. I see students and staff commute along Franklin daily with no complaints or issues.
No roundabouts!!! They will make it worse for everyone. Impose a lower speed limit, make safer bike lanes, install actual traffic lights at crosswalks instead of the flashing red light, but no roundabouts!!!
I think roundabouts do work to improve traffic flow. More could be done to improve attractiveness, especially the Glenwood sections.
Do not put in roundabouts. Not the solution for safer pedestrians, and will cause increased pollution from idling vehicles.
Roundabouts won’t make it any safer!! People will still drive unsafely & speed.
Round abouts are more dangerous.
This entire plan is overkill, propagated by narrow minded bureaucrats who will likely have moved on by the time the project is completed. Games and events at the Matt and Hayward indeed impact traffic, but that can be remedied by police directing traffic. This is not a good location for roundabouts.
It’s a main thoroughfare so it’s going to be busy. Enforcing a speed limit would be great. Roundabouts – don’t do it. Look at European ideas on how to satisfy car, bus, pedestrian needs.
No multi-lane roundabouts please….they are so confusing and scary to drive through. Single lane roundabouts are better, if we have to have one at all.
I used to commute to the university for years by bus and car. Please keep as many trees as possible. Good luck with the roundabouts.
Franklin Boulevard is acceptable if one is traveling via EMX and just okay by car, but is a nightmare for any other means. Traffic speeds are not enforced and it is not uncommon that I am passed by cars going 45-50 in the posted 35mph zones. The sidewalks are far too close to the streets with no buffer, forcing bicycles to ride on the sidewalk with pedestrians. In addition, there are apparently no regulations governing the “ride share” scooters that can currently be found dumped all over town; even though they have the potential to go much faster than a bicycle, the undergrads who use them frequently ride on sidewalks as well, adding to the congestion. Franklin could use a reduction in the number of car lanes; a dedicated two-way bike/scooter lane, better sidewalks, roundabouts to mitigate the flow of traffic, and pedestrian overpasses so that crossing the boulevard doesn’t feel like one is taking their life into their own hands. Events at the Matthew Knight Arena are an additional nightmare, thanks to the UO’s getting by without having to provide parking for events and offloading the burden of parking and traffic management to the surrounding neighborhoods (where I lived until May of this year). The Franklin/Villard intersection is a nightmare on event days, between the traffic and tour buses/touring semi trucks/etc. impeding traffic; I have many times been stuck behind a row of Uber/Lyft vehicles that have decided to simply pull over in the right turn lane on Franklin (approaching Villard from the west) to drop off passengers for especially large events.
Would love to see more trees along the corridor, dedicated bike lanes, and over or underpass crossings for pedestrians,. Roundabouts need to be designed so vehicles and pedestrians/cyclist do not interact with each other
work on Franklin Blvd. I have seen vehicles doing 70 – 80mph down it but in my 9 months of working, not once have I seen any police pulling folks over. I have seen folks on e-scooters on Franklin Blvd. I have seen folks on e-scooters and e-bikes on the sidewalks at speeds that endanger pedestrians and no police. Eugene needs to get some dedicated traffic police who just write tickets. Now about the roundabout’s idea, I am not for them. With all the daily commuter traffic, there is a lot of semi trucks and heavy trucks along with all the construction work going on there are those trucks too. Some semi trucks struggle to get around a roundabout. A logging truck flipped over In Glenwood because of trying to navigate the roundabout there. If a semi flipped on Franklin it would create a Huge traffic mess. My suggestion … Get some police out there and if they need a good suggestion for a speed tap location I have one. Thank you Be safe Chris
Franklin definitely needs some work. Roundabouts do not seem like the answer. The Harlow roundabout and Glenwood roundabout are some of the least safe parts of my commute because people do not know how to drive safely in them.
So help me if ANY more traffic circles are put up ANYWHERE I will no longer go to that part of town for ANY REASON…. I would not patronize any business, I would change doctors offices, I would stop supporting Fire & Police services in those areas…. THANK GOD I do not live in Eugene… but due to many of the street changes ( EMX, changes to traffic flow, etc.) I am doing MUCH more of my personal needs services (Physicians, Grocery shopping, Health care, goods & services, etc) in Junction city, Veneta, and Springfield, because getting areound Eugene in ANY form (Walking, biking, scooter, motorcyle, or car) is just too much of a pain in the butt to deal with anymore…. OH by the way, I’m 61 years old and have watched Eugene descend into a disaster for travel… and for all that is holy…. QUIT screwing around with LTD… it has been a disaster since the “Eugene City Bus” system was ended, and has only gotten worse since then….
I think that roundabouts in high traffic areas that include buses, pedestrians, bike riders, scooters, skateboards, etc. would be incredibly hazardous. I like the idea of slower speeds for autos is a great idea.