What the public thinks of Franklin Boulevard today

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.

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.

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.

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.).

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

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.

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.

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.

Really busy and car dominated. People constantly weaving so not super comfortable as a driver either

Make it safer

As the artery cutting through the UofO campus and connecting Eugene and Springfield Franklin is in need of safety, comfort and convenience upgrades.

I often see cars run red lights while crossing Franklin Blvd to get to UO campus on my bike. The length of the lights and width of the street seem to encourage people to gun it in their cars.

Franklin Boulevard, in my opinion, needs to make a choice – either connect the pedestrian walkways to the road, or separate them fully. I lean towards the latter. The current walkways feel unsafe and ignored.

I’ll be living on Franklin and really am worried about the noise and safety, so those are what I am most concerned about. It always seems so dangerous with everything moving so fast so close to the sidewalks, and I really don’t trust the barely-existent bike lanes. The EmX is creepy, too, so I don’t take it a lot.

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!

Walking along Franklin Boulevard does not feel safe. Almost no one bikes on Franklin either. There is no peotection from cars or the elements. The makeup of the street and sidewalk could be greatly improved to make it walkable and feel safe. The EMX is great and is the best way to travel on Franklin.

I really support the idea of Franklin being safer for walkers/bikers because I feel that is the most common form of transportation around UO.

I want it to be safer for biking and walking!

This university-adjacent street ought to be welcoming to campus users who predominantly get around by foot or bike, yet Franklin is actually hostile to them! The city’s current redesign ideas continue to prioritize speed of cars (via 2-lane roundabouts) at the expense of actual safety and comfort of non-car users. Volumes of cars, and more importantly, quantity of people moving about via cars, do not necessitate so much car-based infrastructure, yet if that’s the way Franklin remains, it will continue to induce single occupancy, car-based travel in direct contrast to adopted existing plans on climate change, social equity, household affordability, taxpayer efficiency, and land use, and will be a major missed opportunity to get into compliance with new CFEC rules.

I have noticed via walking, driving, and bus that there are many potholes along Franklin Boulevard that make it unsafe for drivers and pedestrians due to uneven pavement.

Franklin, especially the part that connects to Broadway can be dangerous for walkers. I drive a lot on Franklin for my job, and it can be scary when bikers are nearby, also a lot of people will send it and try to cross, especially during Matt Knight Arena events, and this can be scary/stressful as a driver.