• Reed Market & 15th Street Improvements 

    Reed Market & 15th Street Improvements 

    Online Open House

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  • Welcome!

  • Welcome to the open house for the Reed Market & 15th Street Improvements Project.

    In this open house you can:

    • Learn more about why this project is needed.
    • See drawings of the proposed new roundabout.
    • Learn about how we will make sure this change is safe for everyone traveling, including people on bikes, walking or using mobility devices.

  • A car travels through the existing Reed Market Road and 15th Street roundabout.

  • To record your responses, be sure to click or tap the “Submit” button at the end.

  • Background

  • Reed Market Road is a vital east-west connection for our City's transportation system and the intersection at 15th Street is a critical part of this corridor. That said, this intersection has both capacity and safety concerns. To address these needs, the City’s Transportation System Plan shows that the partial multi-lane roundabout needs to be expanded to a full multi-lane roundabout.

    The City is now evaluating this intersection to inform next steps to address its needs, including reviewing traffic data, utilities, location of the right-of-way and other surrounding transportation projects. The final design will improve safety and support future traffic needs.

  • A car is entering the Reed Market Road and 15th Street intersection, while another car is traveling within the roundabout.

  • Project Benefits

    Reduced congestion: The improvements will reduce congestion as Bend grows by providing two lanes to enter the roundabout and two lanes to exit. The current roundabout has two lanes entering but just one lane to exit.
    Simplified navigation: All approaches and exits will be redesigned so they’re both intuitive and as similar as possible.
    Safer crossings: Enhanced safety features at pedestrian crossings to prioritize safety for people riding a bike or walking.
    Improved access: Improvements will also bring the roundabout up to current ADA standards.
    Better connection: These improvements will help all users travel to their destinations on a safer and easier route.

  • Project Timeline

    The design process will continue through 2026 with construction anticipated in spring of 2027.

    A graphic showing the project timeline highlighting the open house in the study and design process, and construction period in 2027. 

    Click the image to enlarge in a new tab.

  • The Roundabout

    Considerations at this roundabout

    The SE Reed Market Road and SE 15th Street intersection is at the junction of two important corridors within the community.

  • SE Reed Market Road provides one of the few continuous east-west roads through town and SE 15th Street provides a continuous north-south corridor between US 20 and the southern city limits.

    Both roads are heavily used today and it’s necessary that they are considered as the city plans for future growth - including developments within the Southeast Area Plan and Stevens Road Tract Area Plan.

    In addition, the north-south route of the forthcoming Bend Bikeways will travel along SE 15th Street and across this intersection. Several other important transportation projects that tie into this work are now underway or will begin soon.

    Past studies, including the City’s Transportation System Plan and the recent study evaluating the Reed Market Road Railroad Overcrossing, have shown that this intersection experiences challenges today due to its current design. These challenges will only grow in the future when there are more people moving through this area by car, bike or foot.

  • Map of the area around the Reed Market Road and 15th Street intersection. The intersection of Reed Market Road and 15th Street is a critical connection from Century Drive in west Bend to SE 27th Street, and from Greenwood Avenue to Murphy Road. Several other important transportation projects that tie into this work are now underway or will begin soon.

    Click the image to enlarge in a new tab.

    The intersection of Reed Market Road and 15th Street is a critical connection from Century Drive in west Bend to SE 27th Street, and from Greenwood Avenue to Knott Road. Several other important transportation projects that tie into this work are now underway or will begin soon.

  • We have heard this intersection is confusing because of:

    • The lane striping is not intuitive to all drivers.
    • Eastbound vehicles need to move into the left lane to continue straight through the roundabout, confusing drivers.
    • Eastbound traffic heading north often uses the incorrect inside lane, creating a conflict point with other northbound traffic.
    • Due to vehicles driving on the striping in the roundabout, it gets worn off quickly, making it less clear where vehicles should be.

  • A graphic showing how drivers should correctly use the roundabout. A blue arrow shows drivers coming from the west must use the outside lane to exit to the north. 

    The eastbound car uses the outside lane to travel north, which is the correct way to navigate this roundabout.

  • A graphic showing incorrect driver behavior in the roundabout. An orange arrow illustrates a car using the inside lane to exit northbound, creating a conflict with a red arrow representing another car entering from the south in the outside lane when they both must use the same exit point. 

    The eastbound car often stays on the inside lane, which results in a conflict at the exit.

  • Proposed multi-lane roundabout design

    This proposed improvement provides a full multi-lane roundabout with two lanes entering at each leg, or approach, and with two lanes exiting. The consistency in lanes will improve driver understanding and navigation.

    • Construction should only require expansion and lane realignment, not a full reconstruction.
    • The landscaping and art at the center will not be impacted.
    • Signage, pavement markings, illumination, and pedestrian crossing treatments will be updated.

    These are the changes that will be made:

    • Extending the roadway to the outside on corners and exit lanes. (teal color on map)
    • Removing part of the center median to make room for the middle lane. (red color on map)
    • Rebuilding sidewalks on the exit lane sides of the street, entry lane sidewalks will remain as is. (purple color on map)
    • Reshaping two of the center lane medians. (orange color on map)

    Aerial view of the proposed multi-lane roundabout at Reed Market Road and 15th Street. Safety improvements include new sidewalks, splitter islands, widened lanes, and a reduced truck apron.

  • Crossings

  • Crossings at the Intersection with Rapid Flashing Beacons

    To improve safety and visibility of people walking and biking at the multilane roundabout crossings, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) would be installed.

  • Example of a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) installed at the roundabout at Butler Market Road and 27th Street.

  • Safety Study – Why Rapid Flashing Beacons?

    To better understand the safety of crossings at a two-lane roundabout the project team held a “yield study” to survey cars stopping for people at a crossing. The study was done at Butler Market Road and 27th Street, a two-lane roundabout, and the results showed that vehicle drivers were very responsive to people waiting to cross.

    Driver Yielding to Pedestrians in Crosswalk

    No Enhanced Treatment (Current Reed Market/15th)
    Vehicles Approaching Roundabout
    95–100%1
    Vehicles Exiting Roundabout
    65%
    Crossings Treated with RRFBs (National Data)
    Up to 98%2
    Local Crossings Treated with RRFBs (Evaluation of RRFBs at Empire/27th/Butler Market)
    Vehicles Approaching Roundabout
    100%
    Vehicles Exiting Roundabout
    97%

    1 As observed in 2016 evaluation (City of Bend Roundabout Assessment. DKS Associates, March 2017)
    2 “Will you Stop for Me?”. Center for Transportation Safety, June 2016.

    • The existing yielding rates for pedestrians at Reed Market Road and 15th Street roundabout have room for improvement, particularly on the exit side.
    • Data from national studies shows RRFBs are very effective at improving driver yielding to pedestrians.
    • Local data confirms RRFBs are very effective at improving driver yielding to pedestrians at multilane roundabout crossings.

  • Example of a multi-lane roundabout at Butler Market Road and 27th Street.

  • How do roundabouts help pedestrians cross safely?

  • Roundabouts slow down traffic as they travel through an intersection by causing them to turn. Since a vehicle is already slowing down, this makes it easier for drivers to see pedestrians and stop to let them cross.

    Another advantage for pedestrians is that vehicles approach the crossing from only one direction at a time. This is made possible by the pedestrian refuge located in the roundabout splitter islands. As a result, pedestrians can cross more safely without needing to find large gaps in two-way traffic.

    The current guidance from the U.S. Access Board is to install Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons at the crossings of multi-lane roundabouts to provide additional driver awareness of pedestrian crossings.

  • Additional Bend Projects Updates

  • Reed Market Railroad Crossing Update

    A design for a grade separated crossing of the railroad on Reed Market Road is currently being designed. An overcrossing, or bridge, is the most feasible solution to improve crossing the railroad. The city is working toward a preferred option and is currently awaiting acceptance from the railroad.

    We heard from the public that it is important to:

    • Keep 9th Street access.
    • Provide an undercrossing for people walking or rolling to connect north–south.
    • Improve safety and traffic flow for all travelers.

    Given the public preference to maintain the 9th Street connection, we have designed an option that would allow this.
    Both options would close Quill Place to vehicles but an emergency access lane would be put in place with pedestrian access.

    Crossing Option #1 

    • Maintains 9th Street connection to Reed Market Road, with an elevated intersection part way up the approach ramp. Left turns from 9th street would have to be eliminated due to sight limitations.
    • A pedestrian undercrossing would allow northsouth travel for those walking, on bike, or rolling.
    • This option will need additional easement from BNSF.

    graphic showing the crossing options

    Crossing Option #2

    • 9th Street would become a cul-de-sac for vehicles with pedestrian access through an undercrossing.
    • This option would have a slightly longer bridge.

    graphic showing the crossing options

    Reed Market Railroad Overcrossing anticipated schedule:

    Completed

    • Alternatives Analysis
    • Preferred concept submitted to railroad
    • Begin Utility Coordination

    Fall 2025 and Winter 2026

    • Meet with BNSF to gain agreement on a preferred alternative
    • Begin design of the preferred alternative, including environmental studies of the area

    2026 through mid-2027

    • Finalize design, retain permits and acquire right-of-way
    • Continued collaboration with BNSF

    Mid-2027

    • Begin Construction

  • Bend Bikeways

  • The City is designing a variety of safer and more accessible bike and pedestrian routes throughout the community, including the Bend Bikeway Project that will make the most of the existing system to build one connected and protected North-South and one East-West key route.

    15th Street is part of the selected route for north-south travel. Needed changes for 15th Street to implement a safe connected bike route are shown in the PDF. 

  • map of the bend bikeways project

    Click the image to enlarge in a new tab.

    graphic showing the 15th street concept design

    Click the image to view the full PDF in a new tab.

  • Next Steps

    Thank you for participating in this online open house.

    Your feedback will help us confirm that we are moving in the right direction for this work. 

    Sign up for project emails to stay in touch and learn more as we move forward.

  • To record your responses, be sure to click or tap the “Submit” button below.

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