Transportation System Plan 2018-2038

The projects listed above will help elim inate gaps in the existing bicy cle network. The addition of bicy cle lanes on streets such as North Biddle Road, Jackson Street and Highland Drive will provide m ore seam less connections for bicy cle travel while im proving safety . As m any gaps are found in the outer neighborhoods and business areas of the City , com pleting these m issing links will also improve general connectivity . The im provem ents in Table 10-5 will also increase access to m any of the potentially significant bicycle trip attractors in the Medford UGB including schools, parks, com mercial em ployment centers, neighborhood shopping centers and other locations. These activity centers are illustrated in Figure 10-1. With the improvem ents, access to many of Medford’ s schools is expected to im prove. Bicy cle facilities on roads including Diam ond Street, Jackson Street and Juanipero Way will increase safety for students traveling via bicycle. Adding bicy cle facilities to Colum bus Avenue, Roy al Avenue and several other streets will improve connections to activity centers throughout the City . This will provide m ore travel options to em ployment and retail destinations lik e downtown Medford and th e Rogue Valley Mall while reducing reliance on the autom obile. Of particular im portance in the list of projects included in Table 10-5 are the two streets identified as “other corridors”. Due to lim ited available right-of-w ay and high cost associated with widening these two streets to add bicy cle lanes, other strategies need to be developed to provide bicy cle connectivity through these important north/south and east/west corridors. This need should be addressed by the City ’s Bicy cle Advisory Com mittee. Retrofitting of the existing street sy stem for bicy cle facilities can be accom plished in a num ber of way s that are dependent on the conditions associated with each im provem ent project. These include, but are not lim ited to: • Utilize all opportunities to add bike lanes duri ng reconstruction or re-striping projects. • Where existing street width is adequate, narrow ex isting travel lanes or rem ove on-street parking to stripe pavem ent for bike lanes • Where curb-to-curb street width is inadequate c onsider street widening to add bike lanes where costs and im pacts to adjacent properties are not prohibitive • Where right-of-way is lim ited or very expensive and roadway widening is not realistic, consider developing bike facilities along parallel streets or along creek, railroad or other corridor that serves the sam e travel need. On-s treet “bicy cle boulevard” treatm ents that give travel preference to bicy clists should be considered. Use of easem ents along private streets or construction of narrow pathway s adjacent to streets (e.g., behind drainage ditches, along the edge of street without curbs, or setback from the edge of street if possible) should also be considered. Overcome Barriers to Bicycle Circulation The City of Medford should also work to overcom e “ba rriers” in the bicy cle sy stem that interrupt travel continuity and/or require significant out-of-direction travel to reach popular attractors. Significant barriers include Interstate 5 and Bear Creek. Fo r instance, Rogue Valley Mall (a generator of high bicycle traffic) lies within close proxim ity to a si zeable residential area and the Biddle Road com mercial corridor, yet they are separated by Interstate 5. Connections exist only in a few locations and existing facilities for both bicy cle and pedestrian circulation ar e sub-standard. Rather than establish full street connections through these barriers, the City shoul d explore creating multi-use paths to reduce land- acquisition and construction costs. Direct passages through natural and construc ted barriers will prom ote increased bicy cle travel while reducing dependence on the autom obile. Developm ent of accessway s to Medford Transportatio n System Plan 10-11 Non-M otorized Transportation Plan