MLK Jr. Blvd. undergoing lane changes for safety

The City of Eugene is starting construction on a Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard project that will address concerns related to the current five-lane, high-speed configuration that has resulted in risky behaviors, severe crashes, injuries and fatalities.

The MLK Jr. Blvd Transit and Safety project, scheduled for construction this spring and summer, will repurpose the outside travel lanes as dedicated Bus and Turn lanes, add a crosswalk at Chevy Chase Street, and enhance the bikeways with green color at driveways and intersections. Costing just $550,000, these changes are a low-cost infrastructure option that the City expects to have a high safety return. Primarily a paint-only project, the City will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the Bus and Turn Lanes and their effect on safety and congestion. If the outcomes do not alleviate the safety concerns, the City will be able to make changes to the design without high costs to tax payers.

The MLK project area, identified as a high crash corridor, has experienced a significant number of severe crashes, resulting in four fatalities and 26 life-changing injuries between 2007 to 2021. BAT lanes, like those seen in the EmX system, are designed to optimize bus operations while visually narrowing streets to reduce drivers' speeds. Resizing MLK to match the actual vehicle capacity needed will contribute to safer conditions. Similar "road diet" projects in other communities have shown up to a 47% reduction in total crashes.

In addition to a decrease in the overall number of crashes, the project has the potential to reduce the severity of injuries. The project's focus on right-sizing general travel lanes aims to decrease vehicle speeds. Discussions with Oregon Department of Transportation are underway to coordinate speed limit reductions for additional safety measures.

The City of Eugene is committed to creating safer streets and fostering active transportation choices. The MLK Jr. Blvd Transit and Safety Project is another step towards achieving these goals.

Visit the City's webpage to learn more about high crash corridors and Vision Zero.

For more City updates visit our City Newsroom webpage.