• Olney Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements

    Olney Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements

    Online Open House #1

  • This online open house is now closed. The content is still available to view but submissions will no longer be accepted.

  • Welcome!

  • Ver este contenido en español open in new tab icon

    Let’s make walking and biking safer on Olney Avenue!

    We're making changes to Olney Ave to make it a safer place to walk, bike, roll and drive. Read through the information in this open house and then let us know what you think!

    The project team will consider public input along with the project specific evaluation criteria to decide which improvements to include in the final design and construction for Olney Ave.

  • Graphic of project map on Olney Ave

    Want to talk with us in-person? Stop by our open house on
    July 18th, 5-7pm at Pioneer Park (1525 NW Wall St) to talk to the project team.

  • In this open house you can learn about the Olney Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements project. There are opportunities to share your opinions on each page. Click through the stations to learn more and let us know what you think!

  • Accommodation Information for People with Disabilities

    To obtain this information in an alternate format such as Braille, large print, electronic formats, etc. please contact Carrie Theus at ctheus@bandoregon.gov or (541) 323-8564; Relay Users Dial 7-1-1.

  • Background

  • Why are we doing this project?

    We’re planning to improve safety and reduce stress for everyone who uses Olney Avenue.

    Olney Avenue connects to schools, parks, trails, businesses and more — places that kids, parents, commuters and others in the City traveling east to west need to reach. But it’s a tough stretch to safely travel when walking, biking or rolling (i.e., using a wheelchair or other mobility device) — which also makes it a stressful route to drive.

    We’ll increase safety along Olney Avenue by:

    Creating a safer crossing at NE 2nd Street

    Putting a protected bike facility under US 97

    Installing intersection safety improvements at NW Wall Street

    Building a low stress, safer route for people walking and biking from NW Wall Street to the railroad

  • Image of biker transitioning into bike lane at an intersection

  • We’ve drafted several initial designs for you to review. Let us know what you think in this online open house.

    This project is funded by the Transportation General Obligation (GO) Bond approved by voters in 2020. A community committee oversees the GO Bond and sets priorities for funding and identified the Olney Pedestrian and Bike Improvements project as a high priority. This project will build on other planning projects to make Bend safer and more accessible for everyone.

  • To save money and reduce construction impacts, additional infrastructure upgrades are being evaluated for coordination with this project, such as water and sewer upgrades.

  • Spring 2023:

    Analyzed existing and future conditions along the corridor to help develop draft designs

    Summer 2023:

    Share our draft designs and ask for your input – Current phase

    Fall/Winter 2023:

    Further develop the design of selected improvements and ask for your input again

    Spring-Fall 2024:

    Construction

  • Transportation Talk: Engineers and planners use lots of technical language to define transportation concepts. Here is a decoder for the rest of us!

    • Key routes: Main routes in the City designed to be “low stress” for people walking and bicycling that help people get across town safely and get to key destinations like schools and parks. Examples include: off street multi-use paths, buffered, separated, raised and/or painted bike lanes, and widened sidewalks. Think of these as highways or arterials for biking and walking. (This is a term from the Bend Transportation System Plan.) *Olney Avenue and Wall Street are key routes.
    • Low stress network: A network of streets and crossings designed to allow everyone to travel safely and comfortably when biking, walking or driving. Think of these as local connector roads for biking and walking. *2nd Street is part of the low stress network
    • Protected bike facility: A facility for bikes that has a physical stationary vertical separation between cars and bikes - like a curb or plastic pole.
    • Shared-use path: A wide path for people walking, biking, or rolling that's separate from vehicles. Shared-use paths can provide a low-stress experience for transportation or recreation uses. A shared-use path can be part of a key route.

    View Bend’s full map open in new tab icon of key routes and the low-stress network or see the image below. Graphic of bike routes around Olney Ave

  • Questions

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  • Evaluation Criteria

  • How do we choose what work to do?

    Below is a list of “evaluation criteria” for the project, or how we decide which improvements to construct along Olney Ave. The criteria align with the Transportation System Plan goals.

  • Project Goal: Alignment with community goals

    Evaluation Criteria

    • Meets community goals identified in the Transportation System Plan and GO Bond

    Project Goal: Multimodal safety, comfort, and mobility

    Evaluation Criteria

    • Reduces the stress rating for biking and walking along Olney Ave
    • Maintains acceptable traffic standards (for example, minimizes traffic delays)
    • Maintains local freight access

    Project Goal: Meet community needs in a cost-effective way

    Evaluation Criteria

    • High benefit for the associated cost (Note: Options aim to stay within budget.)
    • Addresses needs and issues identified by the public. (Note: The project alternatives have not been evaluated for this yet. Input gathered this summer and through this open house will help us select the best option.)

  • Questions

    ______________

  • Draft Designs

  • How can we improve Olney Ave?

    We have come up with three options to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety on Olney Avenue after considering and evaluating the project goals. While the improvements are currently grouped together into three unique options, we can include different elements from each option in our final design for the road.

    All options will:

    • Bring the railroad crossing on Olney Ave up to current safety standards.
    • Create a protected bike facility under US97.
    • Reduce stress for people walking and biking along Olney Ave.
    • Include safety improvements at the Wall Street/ Olney Avenue intersection.

     

  • How will we improve the Wall Street/Olney Avenue intersection? The City completed a detailed safety review using video data to understand how people use the intersection today. Based on that review, the City is considering the following safety treatments:

    • Signal timing changes to separate people driving and people walking on the intersection crosswalks
    • Better bicycle detection at the traffic signal
    • Enhanced intersection lighting
    • More speed limit signs and new dynamic speed feedback signs along Portland Avenue
    • Option 1: Low Impact and Cost (within budget) - Click to open/close 

    • Wall Street to 1st Street:

      • Install buffered bike lanes by making the center median smaller
      • Replace sidewalks where they need to be improved

      2nd Street/Olney Ave Intersection:

      • Construct a center median for a protected pedestrian crossing to the east of 2nd Street
      • Add lighting for visibility

      Take a look at an aerial map for this option (also called a roll plot) to learn more.

    • Graphic of option one lane changes

      Cross section. (Click the image to enlarge in a new tab)

    • Technial map displaying the contruction for option 1

      Click the image to enlarge in a new tab

    • Option 2: Medium Impact and Cost (within budget) - Click to open/close 

    • Wall Street to 1st Street:

      • Install buffered bike lanes by making the center median smaller
      • Construct a shared-use path along the South side of Olney for bicycle and pedestrian traffic

      2nd Street/Olney Ave Intersection:

      • Construct a center median for a protected pedestrian crossing to the east of 2nd Street
      • Add lighting for visibility

      1st Street to 2nd Street:

      • Install buffered bike lanes

      Take a look at an aerial map for this option (also called a roll plot) to learn more.

    • Graphic of option two lane changes

      Cross section (Click the image to enlarge in a new tab)

    • Technial map displaying the contruction for option 2

      Click the image to enlarge in a new tab

    • Option 3: High Impact and Cost (over budget) - Click to open/close 

    • Wall Street/Olney Ave Intersection:

      • Modifications to the pedestrian and bike intersection protections and crosswalks

      Wall Street to 1st Street:

      • Install buffered bike lanes by removing and/or making the center median smaller
      • Construct a shared-use path along the South side of Olney for bicycle and pedestrian traffic

      2nd Street/Olney Ave Intersection:

      • Construct a center median for a protected pedestrian and bicycle crossing on the east and west legs of 2nd Street
      • Install curb extensions and reconstruct curb ramps to decrease crossing distances and slow vehicles
      • Install bike ramps
      • Add lighting for visibility

      1st Street to 2nd Street:

      • Install buffered bike lanes

      Take a look at an aerial map for this option (also called a roll plot) to learn more.

    • Graphic of option three lane changes

      Cross section (Click the image to enlarge in a new tab)

    • Technial map displaying the contruction for option 3

      Click the image to enlarge in a new tab

    •  

    • Questions

      ______________

  • Next Steps

  • Thank you for participating in the Olney Pedestrian and Bike Improvements online open house!

    Your feedback will help us develop the final design for improving Olney Avenue. When the final design is ready, we'll share it with you and ask if we got it right!

  • Please don't forget to submit your answers below!

  • Demographics: These questions are optional and completely confidential. We do not share this information with any other entity.

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