The Transportation Bond Oversight Committee presented its 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) recommendation to the Bend City Council during a work session Wednesday. The oversight committee’s role is to advise on the implementation and progress of the $190 million transportation general obligation (GO) bond approved by voters in November 2020.
More than 21 projects are included in the recommendation and will address traffic flow, east-west connections, and neighborhood safety improvement projects citywide. Some key priority projects include the Wilson Avenue Improvement Project, Midtown Pedestrian and Bike Crossings, and Butler Market Road and Boyd Acres Road Improvements.
The 2020 transportation GO bond projects list was based on two years of community involvement, including a 25-member Citywide Transportation Advisory Committee that developed a list of critical projects to improve travel safety and traffic flow across the city.
The projects include better east-west connections that will reduce drivers’ time behind the wheel and improve Bend’s livability and safety. Priority routes targeted for traffic flow improvements include Reed Market Road, U.S. 97/Parkway, Third Street intersections, Empire Avenue near U.S. Highway 97, Wilson Avenue, Butler Market Road and other key routes. The project list also includes neighborhood traffic safety improvements:
- Safer crossings to access schools, parks and jobs
- A network of cross-town bicycle routes
- Completing missing sidewalks along priority routes
The Transportation Bond Oversight Committee was appointed by City Council to provide transparency and accountability on the progress of projects funded by the transportation GO bond. The committee began meeting in May 2021. The committee established evaluation criteria for prioritizing Bond projects, received public comments and developed the 5-year CIP recommendation to City Council.
The committee’s recommendations can be found at bendoregon.gov/tboc.
The committee will continue working in its oversight and advisory role to the City Council by evaluating project progress and costs. The oversight committee will review progress reports and benchmarks and recommend any changes or adjustments in project scheduling or sequencing.
City Council will consider the recommendation and make the final decision on the first 5-year transportation GO bond project schedule at the December 15, 2021 City Council meeting. Find more information about the 2020 transportation GO bond projects at bendoregon.gov/gobond.