Transportation System Plan 2018-2038

• In cooperation with RVMPO, Jackson County and ODOT, identify street im provem ents that enhance freight m obility . Table 6-1 provides insight into a prelim inary list of these improvem ents including locations where the City ’s LOS Study identifies specific improvem ent needs. Establish a priority list of im provem ents for im plem entation and secure funding. • Address deficient bridges along freight routes, in particular, McAndrews Road over Bear Creek including assigning weight restrictions as necessary . Evaluate and develop improvem ent projects to address these deficiencies, secure necessary funding, and m anage freight traffic during construction to m inimize adverse im pacts on both freight mobility and local m ulti-m odal traffic circulation. • Work cooperatively with freight pr oviders and other jurisdictions to balance freight m obility with community livability including: o Increase freight transport safety awareness o Reduce the num ber and severity of com mercial transport-related accidents o Enforce regulations related to safe transport of hazardous m aterials o Address issue of com mercial vehicles blocking travel lanes on arterial and collector streets while loading or unloading during peak travel periods o Reduce through truck traffic on residential streets The freight sy stem also includes air freight (which is discussed under Air Transportation Plan), freight rail (which is discussed under Rail Plan), pipelines and wa ter transportation. As there are no navigable waterway s in the Medford UGB, this m ode is not addressed in the Medford TSP. Pipeline strategies include: • That the City establish policy to prom ote accessibility to, protection of and siting of appropriate locations for regional pipeline sy stem s within the City . Public Transit Plan Public Transit Needs and Deficiencies The Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) currently provides public transportation in the Medford area, and between Medford and its surrounding com munities in Jackson County . Service includes nearly 300 m iles of fixed route and paratransit service. Over 2.7 m illion passenger miles are traveled annually with approxim ately 848,000 fixe d route passengers and nearly 70,000 paratransit passengers carried in 2001-2002. RVTD also prom otes alternative transportation through various travel demand m anagem ent (TDM) strategies such as rid esharing, a “bikes on buses” program , telecom muting, and other activities. RVTD works with m ajor em ployers in the area to provide a variety of different incentives, including a guaranteed ride hom e program to increase the use of fixed route bus service by employees. RVTD’s fixed route service ty pically radiates outwa rd from downtown Medford, connecting this portion of the city to a variety of other destinations. With the exception of the east/west service within Medford that is currently provided by Routes 2 and 4, fixed r oute service is prim arily designed to provide intercity service that connects central Medford to the com munities of Ashland, Phoenix, Central Point, Jacksonville, Talent and White City . The existing route structure generally provides very good coverage within 1/4 m ile of m ost activity centers in the gr eater Medford area. However, connections between activity centers are not easily made and there is lim ited or no service in m uch of the eastern (and largely residential) portion of the city , including the SE Me dford TOD and in the southwestern portion of the urban area. Additionally , little or no service is provided to the northwest industrial portion of the city and to the southwest, largely residential area. Service to the Rogue Valley Interna tional-Medford Airport is Medford Transportation System Plan 1-13 Introduction and Executive Summary