Buchanan Avenue Modifications at Corvallis High School
August 15, 2024 UPDATE
After the City paused the project, additional communications between the City and the School District took place. The School District, Facilities staff specifically, want to implement operational changes to the front entrance of Corvallis High School along Buchanan Avenue with the start of this coming school year. The School District intends to provide additional communication to parents and students that drop-off and pickup of students should not take place on Buchanan Avenue or within the front loop. The School will provide staff in the morning and afternoon to monitor Buchanan Avenue and ask parents to drive to appropriate locations for drop-off and pickup. Optionally, the School may place sings, cones, or barricades to remind parents of the appropriate drop-off and pickup locations.
The City will continue to work with the School District to evaluate the changes that they implement. If changes to City signs, parking, or striping are still warranted after the School District’s operational changes, we will work with the School District and community to scope a project that fits within our available budget and communicate this to the community.
Please contact me with any questions.
Ted Reese, P.E., Transportation Engineering Supervisor
Ted.Reese@corvallisoregon.gov 541-766-6916
August 1, 2024 UPDATE
A community meeting has been scheduled on August 13th at 6 p.m. It will be held at Corvallis High School in the Commons. The entrance to the Commons is available behind the school (gym side). Staff from both the Corvallis School District and the City of Corvallis will be present to provide updates and answer questions.
July 2024 UPDATE
The proposed work described below is being paused. While achieving unanimous support or consensus is not a requirement for the City to implement changes in the transportation system, after hearing wide-ranging concerns from competing interests related to this location, City staff believes a pause and further engaging these groups would be worthwhile.
The work, as originally proposed, was a compromise for the various users of Buchanan Avenue in the vicinity of Corvallis High School and was trying to balance limited available funds, street space, travel patterns, and more. Depending on the outcome of the additional engagement, any changes to the street may no longer be able to move forward this year or additional funds may need to be requested by staff in the City’s next budget. City staff plan to schedule a community meeting that will be open to all that are interested in order to discuss and review the existing conditions at this location and possible changes to address concerns.
[Scroll down for a slideshow of planned changes.]
What is this project?
During the summer of 2024 the City will be reconfiguring the existing parking, bike lanes, and vehicle lanes along Buchanan Avenue from 13th Street to 19th Street. On-street parking will be moved from the north side of the street to the south side of the street. Additionally, a time of day restriction will be added to this portion of Buchanan’s on-street parking. Please see the planned changes in the graphics below.
Why this section of street?
The City and Corvallis High School have received numerous complaints stemming from people stopping their vehicles and/or driving in the bike lane on Buchanan to drop off or pick up students. This has been especially problematic during the afternoon pick up from school when people are stopped in and blocking the bike lane for an extended period.
Drivers stopped in the bike lane force people riding bikes into the adjacent busy street. This leads to conflicts with through traffic as well as people turning into and out of the school’s driveways that may not expect people riding bikes in the middle of Buchanan.
How will moving the on-street parking to the south side of the street help?
Moving the on-street parking to the south side of Buchanan allows for an opportunity to utilize the limited street space in a different way and reduce conflicts between users. The City plans to accomplish this by simultaneously implementing a time-of-day restriction with no parking allowed on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This will allow the relocated curbside parking area to be utilized as a queuing area for drivers moving into and out of the drop off and pick up area of the school in the morning and afternoon.
Observation of the existing on-street parking show high utilization during school hours but minimal occupancy during the evening and overnight. This would indicate most parked cars are school staff or students. Conversations with the school appear to confirm this. Moving the parking to the south side of the street will also reduce the number of people making a mid-block crossing between parked vehicles and the school.
Why not just post signs saying No Parking in the bike lane?
Discussions with the school district reveal that the entrance on Buchanan must remain open during school hours and therefore drop off and pick up is likely to still occur at this location due to its convenience regardless of signs indicating this is not allowed. Additionally, frequent, and ongoing enforcement by Police is difficult to sustain due to limited resources and competing priorities across the community. Therefore, an engineering solution like the one planned that balances available street space while accommodating travel patterns likely to continue for the foreseeable future has the best chance of reducing the conflicts currently occurring.
Will on-street parking still be available to residents?
Outside of the restricted hours on weekdays, parking will remain available for residents and guests such as in the evenings and on weekends.
What about the side streets and surrounding neighborhood?
Parking Services will be conducting a review of parking restriction signs within the surrounding neighborhoods. To suggest a location for review, contact Parking Services at (541)766-6725, or by email to Maya.ONeal@corvallisoregon.gov
