Setting up easels...

Printing nametags...

Making coffee...

Printing sign-in sheets...

Features on this site may be easier to use if you rotate your screen.

Oregon Department of Transportation Logo

Cottage Grove Urban Design Verification Study

Welcome to our online open house, thank you for joining us!

We're looking at how people ride, walk and roll through Cottage Grove.

Project area map highlighting sections of OR 99 in Cottage Grove between E Harrison Avenue and W Main Street

We appreciate you taking the time to learn about our study.

At this open house, you can:

  • Learn more about our Urban Design Verification (UDV) study.

  • Find out why we're doing this work.

  • Check out the locations we're looking at.

  • Learn how you can be involved.


Stations

Learn more about this UDV study.
Find out what's in the study area now.
Learn what improvement ideas we have in the study area!
Share your thoughts and sign up to stay connected!
Check out our map to see what we're planning in your community.

About the Study

icon showing a city with three pedestrians

This study will identify improvement ideas that would make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists to use OR 99 in Cottage Grove.

We're looking at ways people travel along the corridor, whether walking, using mobility devices like a wheelchair or walker, biking, riding the bus or driving.

Your feedback matters – tell us about the challenges you have as you move through Cottage Grove.
Sharing your experience will help us develop solutions that work for how you and your neighbors use the area.


Click the "+" or the title below to view the information in each section.

This effort, also known as an “urban design verification” (UDV) study, will identify lower-cost improvements that can be made for people biking and walking.

Improvements might include new signs, marked crossings, pedestrian-activated signals, sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes and more.

We need to define these desired improvements now as part of the UDV study so they are ready to go as we have funding or construction projects in the area.

We're studying the highway now so we can have improvements identified before future maintenance or other road improvement projects are planned.

Once we have an idea of potential improvements, we can look for opportunities to include or bundle them with other construction projects to make the best use of our limited resources.

The completed study can be used to help find funding for future projects through grants or other opportunities.

Identifying desired improvements now will make it easier to implement them as opportunities arise.

For example, if we have a project to update sidewalk curb ramps, we could also improve pedestrian crossings with new striping and signs that make it safer to cross the street.

We may be able to add improvements from the study to projects like:

  • Safe Routes to School.

  • Maintenance activities.

  • ADA curb ramp improvements – add sidewalks, ramps, or paving.

We're studying OR 99 between E Main Street and Harrison Avenue. Our goal is to provide bike connections from just south of Harrison Avenue to north of E Main Street.

OR 99 also acts as a barrier for people looking to cross in the east/west direction. Four intersections are being considered as part of this study for new, enhanced crossing improvements to help pedestrians and cyclists cross OR 99 more safely.

We picked this area for the study because with parks, schools, and neighborhoods nearby it is especially important to make it safer to walk, bike, and roll. OR 99 is wide and can be hard to cross.

We also already have projects planned nearby and there are possible grant opportunities available that could help us secure funding for future projects.

Timeline graphic

  • The study began looking at existing conditions and needs in the winter of 2023.

  • This online open house will run from March 25 through April 8, 2024.

  • The study is expected to be completed in June 2024.

Project area map highlighting sections of Cottage Grove

Study Area Map
Click to enlarge the image.


33% Complete

Existing Conditions

icon showing people waiting to cross the street, someone riding a bike and two people in a car

The study area is about a half-mile section of OR 99 between E Main Street and E Harrison Avenue.

In most places, the corridor is a four-lane highway with no dedicated bike facilities and few crossing opportunities.

Click the circles above to view each image.

About the Study Area

There is only one block in the study area with a dedicated bike lane, it runs between E Main Street and E Washington Avenue.

Riders must share the roadway with traffic for the stretch between E Washington Avenue and E Harrison Avenue.


Click the "+" or the title below to view the information in each section.

There are no dedicated bike facilities for most of the corridor.

S 6th Street is the only existing crossing location with a signal between E Main Street and E Harrison Avenue.

Ideally, there should be more locations for pedestrians to cross this busy highway. We recommend a crossing every 250 - 550 feet. Currently, the distance between the two existing crossings with traffic signals is around 1,500 feet.

Not only do we look at the available safe locations to cross we also look at how far it is to cross the road. It's especially long on OR 99 at E Quincy Avenue due to the angled nature of the intersection. From one side of OR 99 to the other at this location, it's a total of 110 feet for a pedestrian to cross.

The majority of corridor curb ramps need upgrades because they are either missing or do not meet current standards.

Some intersections in this corridor are more challenging and have areas that are hard for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists to see.

Community members have reported frequent speeding along the corridor.


Example of what OR 99 currently looks like in the study area.

Photo showing OR 99 at E Washington Avenue

OR 99 at E Washington Avenue
Click to enlarge the image.

Graphic showing what the road currently looks like

Example Rendering Section of Existing OR 99
Click to enlarge the image.


50% Complete

Recommendations

icon showing someone who is visually impared waiting at a bus stop with a bus full of people

We recommend reducing the number of vehicle travel lanes along the corridor to create dedicated bike lanes and crossing improvements.

Project area map highlighting recommended improvements in the Cottage Grove study area

Map Showing Improvement Recommendations
Click to enlarge the image.

Recommendations

Some of our ideas for potential improvements are to:

  • Include bike lanes in both directions.

  • Add left-turn lanes where needed.

  • Have crosswalks with ADA-compliant ramps and curb extensions to shorten crossing distances.

  • Preserve as much on-street parking as we can for most of the corridor.

  • Keep the center medians largely unchanged.

Graphic showing what the road could look like with our recommended improvements

Example Rendering Section of Recommended OR 99
Click to enlarge the image.


Crossing Improvement Ideas

The project team has prioritized four crossing locations at E Washington Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, Madison Avenue and E Quincy Avenue. These crossing improvements will provide key connections between neighborhood destinations.

Check out a before and after drawing by clicking and dragging the arrows on the image.

Please note, this is a rendering.

Check out a before and after drawing by clicking and dragging the arrows on the image.

Please note, this is a rendering.

Check out a before and after drawing by clicking and dragging the arrows on the image.

Please note, this is a rendering.

Check out a before and after drawing by clicking and dragging the arrows on the image.

Please note, this is a rendering.

Recent Construction in the Area

These recommendations are consistent with recent changes to OR 99 just north of the UDV study area. They'd help provide a safer and more complete bike and pedestrian network.

Before

Photo of OR 99 outside of the study area before a recent construction project.

After

Photo of OR 99 outside of the study area after a recent construction project


67% Complete

Your Feedback Matters

icon of person sitting at desk on the phone with text: we want to hear from you

Thank you for stopping by our online open house to learn about the study! Your feedback is important to make sure that we're focusing on the right potential solutions for how you use the area.

We expect to complete this UDV study in June 2024.

Do you have questions or comments?
Let us know by filling out the comment form below before our online open house closes on April 8!

Stay Connected

Project webpage iconYou can always learn more about the project, find out about upcoming events and stay connected by visiting the project webpage.

Project alert iconIf you have not already, sign up to receive future updates about this project and other work we're doing in Cottage Grove.

Contact

Jenna Berman

Active Transportation Liaison
971-719-6024
jenna.berman@odot.oregon.gov


Please help us spread the word about this online open house.
Feel free to share this with your friends and neighbors so that we can get their feedback.

Thank you for participating!

Community icon


83% Complete

See What We're Constructing in 2024

work zone icon

We're working on the roads in and around your community – check out what we're planning to do in 2024 by looking at the interactive construction map below.

As you're going through work zones pay attention, slow down and move over – imagine this is where you work! Always drive safely, watch for construction signs and workers.

Remember that fines double in all Oregon work zones, whether workers and signs are present or not.

Learn more about these projects, and what else we're constructing, by checking out our construction map.

If you're not seeing the map below, please try using a different browser like Google Chrome.

To see where the work is located, view our interactive map. Zoom in or out and click on the dots or lines to learn more.

Click and drag to explore the interactive map.
Click lines and dots to open a pop-up to learn about the project, view the comment form link, sign up to receive project updates or visit the project webpage.
Map lines and dots are provided for reference only, precise locations may vary.

100% Complete