The stretch of Franklin Boulevard from Alder Street to the I-5 exit could be seeing some substantial changes to its traffic flow by 2028.
Planning originally began on the Franklin Transformation Project in 2019, with hopes of transforming the stretch of road from a primarily automobile focused roadway, to one that can be safely used by bikers, those who take the bus, and pedestrians alike.
"The street hasn't really been redesigned to reflect the changing nature of the area," said Rob Inerfeld, Eugene's Transportation Planning Manager. "So what we're doing here is looking at how can we redesign the street to still work for traffic flow, but to work better also for people walking, biking, taking the bus."
The project is still currently in the preliminary planning stage, with early plans seeing the addition of five roundabouts, a series of shared use paths, redesigned crosswalks and bike paths, and an additional bus lane for the EMX.
Thursday evening, the Eugene Public Works department held an open house on the project, with over one hundred people stopping by to give comment on the proposed changes.
"It was definitely mixed, there were a lot of people who that really liked the plans. They liked that we're looking to make the streets safer," Inerfeld said. "There are some changes to how people would access the businesses, and so people want to understand how it would work."
One local business owner, George Rode who owns Stadium Automotive, Euro-Asian Automotive, as well as additional property along Franklin has some significant concerns about what the project could mean for his businesses.
"When you remodel a roadway, which will probably take a year, it'll be real, real hard on businesses," Rode said. "Their proposal of wanting to take away property here at Stadium Automotive, it would close down the shop."
The current project timeline has construction beginning in 2026, with an expected completion date in 2028.
The city is still taking public comment on the current preferred alternative plan, which can be found here.