Complete Street Design Standards

Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Access Ways

Introduction

Currently, streets are designed using The Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways, and Accessways which was completed in 1999. The updated document, referred to as the “City of Eugene Complete Street Design Guide”, will update and replace the 1999 document.


Complete Street Vision

Streets are vital to the health, mobility, and accessibility of Eugene’s residents, workers, and visitors. Eugene aspires to have a complete, comprehensive, and integrated transportation network, designed to allow safe and convenient travel for people of all ages and abilities, and to incorporate green infrastructure to enhance the City’s environmental quality. In addition to fulfilling a street’s basic transportation functions and providing access to properties, streets and sidewalks should be designed to be attractive, safe, accessible, sustainable, and healthy components of the City’s environment.


Goals for the Complete Street Design Guide

  • Enhance Livability
  • Ensure Health and Safety for All Users
  • Accommodate All Modes of Travel
  • Support Neighborhood and Economic Vitality
  • Be Designed Sustainably

Draft - In Review

Cover

Modal Hierarchy

Designing complete streets means creating a network to accommodate all of its users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, emergency responders, transit users, motorists, and freight. In order to create a transportation system that works for all, individual streets within the network will prioritize different modes, depending on their context and purpose.

Graphic of Modal Hierarchy

To safely and effectively accommodate all modes of travel, streets must be designed for the most vulnerable users first. Each street type classification defines a modal hierarchy and in some cases, is different than the default prioritization. Taken as a whole, Eugene’s transportation system begins by prioritizing the people walking and is generally prioritized as follows:


  1. People walking
  2. People biking
  3. People riding transit
  4. People driving


Using the Guide

Eugene’s Complete Street Design Guide is a tool for city staff, developers, and other members of the community to understand the components of Eugene’s streets.  The guide will be used for the construction of new streets and when existing streets are redeveloped or retrofitted to better meet transportation needs.


Components of the Guide include:

  • Street Typology.  There are ten street typologies that set a vision for how Eugene’s streets should look and function based on context (downtown, neighborhood, etc.) and purpose (local street, highway, etc.).  These include: Commercial Main Street, Commercial Suburban, Industrial, Mixed-Use Neighborhood, Residential Connector, Neighborhood Residential, Neighborhood Residential Curbless, Neighborhood Greenway, Shared Street, Alley.  Draft maps identifying City of Eugene streets by typology are linked below.
  • Design Guidance. Each street typology contains elements such as travel lanes and sidewalks.  Dimensions for each street element are provided as are target speeds and standard/optional street treatments.

Example Street Typology

Commercial Main Street

Example image of a commercial main street

Residential Connector

Example image of a Residential Connector

Neighborhood Greenway

Example image of a Neighborhood Greenway

Example Design Elements

Pedestrian Realm

Pedestrians walking along sidewalks and building entrances with street trees

Street Design

Street image with shared bike and bus lane with car lanes between

Intersection Design

four-way intersection design example

Updating the Complete Street Design Guide

The City of Eugene hired Toole Design Group to produce standards and graphics based on national best practices and local context.  A staff team reviewed drafts and discussed additions and changes to existing standards.  The review process also included focus group meetings with public and private entities charged with development and maintenance of Eugene streets.  Due to changes in street dimensions, interdepartmental meetings also focused on the needs of emergency response vehicles as well as maintenance and utility access requirements.


Timeline for Adoption of the Complete Street Design Guide

Internally, the City of Eugene has been using the draft guide when designing and retrofitting city streets.  However, the guidelines have not yet been formally adopted.  Adoption is anticipated to occur in late 2021. 


Review the Draft Complete Street Guide

Complete Streets Design Standards (draft)

Complete Streets Reference Guide (draft)


City Staff Contact

If you would like more information about the complete street guide please contact the following city staff.

  • Reed Dunbar, Senior Transportation Planner, Assistant Project Manager