Transportation Team
Friendly June Prune
Sidewalk Vegetation Trimming in Friendly Neighborhood Saturday, June 18, 9:00 AM–noon Volunteers meet at the Eugene ToolBox Project at 8:45 AM 2235 Adams Street (the ToolBox Project is open 9:00 a.m.–noon on Saturdays) We encourage neighbors to continue the June Prune in the afternoon after the coordinated event is over. We will be meeting at the Friendly Garden food carts for a lunch break after the morning event. Sign up to request trimming help and to offer a helping hand. Purpose of Event Do you need help trimming and clearing vegetation from the sidewalk in front of your home or property in the Friendly Area Neighbors (FAN) neighborhood association? Would you enjoy clearing sidewalk vegetation throughout the neighborhood to provide safe, unobstructed access for passersby, wheelchair users, stroller pushers, and others? Volunteers will trim vegetation from the public sidewalk rights of way during the first ever Friendly June Prune. Many neighbors may be unaware, need help—or both—regarding vegetation trimming from sidewalks, which is the responsibility of the property owner. This project will concentrate efforts on:
Note: We will not be trimming street trees, but will instead identify problem and low-hanging branches to alert the City of Eugene. Other problem areas, such as visibility obstructions, can also be noted and brought to the attention of city staff to resolve if we do not have property owner collaboration during the June Prune event. The ToolBox Project will provide many loppers, trimmers, and other tools helpful for the event. Friends of Trees will provide safety vests and gloves. Volunteers are needed to bring more tools, haul off trimmings, reach out to neighbors, and trim and prune on event day. Read more information about sidewalk maintenance and street trees at the City of Eugene. Learn more about our partners! FAN Transportation Team The Friendly Area Neighbors Transportation Team works with neighbors, City of Eugene staff, leadership, and committees, and local organizations to improve transportation safety, mobility, and equity. The FAN Transportation Team collaborates with organizations like BEST (Better Eugene Springfield Transit) to leverage existing programs, funding, and issues that are better pursued at a regional scale while the Team focuses on specific interests within FAN. In 2020, FAN Transportation Team was a finalist for an annual BESTie Award in the Transportation Heroes category (yay Team!). In 2020 we drafted a Purpose & Mission Statement to help guide efforts we put in as volunteers to support four key pillars of transportation: Equity, Health, Safety, and Sustainability. We adopted the current version in January 2021. The full Purpose & Mission Statement can be viewed on Google Drive. FAN Transportation Team Meetings First Tuesday of the month, except holidays. 6:30–8:00 PM The Transportation Team meetings are open to the public. Meetings are currently held via Zoom due to the pandemic. We traditionally meet at Billy Mac's Bar & Grill located at 19th & Jefferson See calendar listing for details. For information on other transportation related events and issues, see the BEST website. Minutes and notes of meetings are stored publicly on Google Drive. Contact The FAN Transportation team has a Google Group for discussion of transportation issues in the Friendly neighborhood. Contact the owner of the group to participate. You can also email Transportation Team at friendlyareaneighbors@gmail.com. Current priorities
The FAN Transportation team is exploring Eugene transportation policies and programs for alignment with FAN needs. For example, Vision Zero (a program founded upon the perspective that deaths and serious injuries in transportation are preventable) presents a clear mission supporting traffic safety improvements for known safety hazards. 
Every Intersection Is A Crosswalk Yard Signs
The FAN Transportation Team distributed a limited number of "Oregonian Crossing / Every Intersection is a Crosswalk" lawn signs from the City of Eugene. These attention grabbing lawn signs feature silhouettes of Sasquatch walking a dog, a woman pushing a baby in a stroller, and a bagel munching person. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) provides these signs as part of its "Oregonian Crossing" campaign. The campaign emphasizes Oregon law that every intersection, whether or not it is marked, is a legal crosswalk. Drivers must stop and yield for pedestrians trying to cross at any intersection or marked mid-block crosswalk. Drivers may be cited and fined at least $250 for failing to stop for a pedestrian. Read more about the "Oregonian Crossing" campaign and pedestrian safety in Oregon. Watch this public service announcement from the ODOT. Report a problem
The Eugene Police Department has an online form to report incidents, including speeding and reckless driving. Start a Report. City of Eugene staff appreciates being notified of problems with transportation, including vegetation encroaching on sidewalks and bike lanes, debris in the public rights of way, and signal and signage maintenance. You can submit a Request for Service online, or call Eugene Public Works Department at (541) 682-4800. The city has a nuisance vegetation program where property owners may be charged at least $175 for clearing vegetation from their property if they fail to properly maintain it. With the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit (and Leader Guide), a resident, group, or community leader can survey and report on the safety and walkability of a street, intersection, or neighborhood. Transportation Data The Central Lane Metropolitan Planning Organization has online tools for searching and viewing transportation data. Data sets include: The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) compiles crash data and releases provisional raw data sets without maps that include one year more recent than the Central Lane MPO. To reach the data, you must:
An interactive map was created on the MPO website and is embedded below. It maps motor vehicle crashes that have occurred within the Friendly Neighborhood between 2007 and 2016 where a police report was filed. It does not include near misses or unreported crashes and injuries. Note that the streets with the highest speeds and greatest motor vehicle traffic volumes tend to have greater numbers of crashes and more severe injuries and fatalities. 18th Avenue, Chambers Street, Willamette Avenue, and 28th and 29th Avenues have the most collisions.  |