Monroe Avenue Concept Plan

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The City of Corvallis and Oregon State University (OSU) are partnering to develop a vision for how Monroe Avenue could better accommodate travelers by all modes while enhancing opportunities for stronger connections between the community and the university.

Monroe Avenue, between 14th Street and 26th Street, is a unique place within the Corvallis community. A mixture of businesses and faith-based houses share street frontage with OSU. It is the city’s busiest transit corridor and, when OSU is in regular session, experiences a remarkable amount of pedestrian and bicycle activity. Cafes, pubs, convenience stores, and restaurants activate the street with deliveries in the mornings and customers throughout the day. The large exchange of students, faculty, and staff from the university and residents from surrounding neighborhoods to the campus every day adds to the vibrancy of the area.

Over the past year, the City and OSU have developed, discussed, and evaluated a number of possible corridor improvement concepts. Several of the more promising concepts have been shared with stakeholders and members of the general public through engagement efforts that included an online mapping tool, a project survey, a stakeholder briefing meeting, and a community open house.

Primary objectives for the vision have evolved in response to the input and feedback received to date. They include:

• Increasing the sense of safety and comfort of all users, particularly pedestrians, transit users, and bicyclists.
  • Managing motor speeds
  • Enhancing and delineating pedestrian and bicycle crossings
  • Separating bicycles from motor vehicles
  • Widening sidewalks and improving pedestrian lighting
  • Improving and providing signage, benches, and shelters for transit users
  • Providing such amenities as planted buffers, benches, bike parking, café zones, and areas to gather and socialize
• Accommodating delivery services that support local businesses along the corridor.
• Accommodating motorists with destinations in the area, while prioritizing pedestrians.
• Optimizing the community benefits of public right-of-way by allocating space appropriately.

PREFERRED CONCEPT

A preferred concept has been selected for the Monroe Avenue Concept Plan! Features of the concept include:

• A two-way protected cycle track on the south side of the street
• Wide sidewalks on both sides of the street
• Enhanced pedestrian and bike crossings
• Bus stop enhancements
• Opportunities for more street trees and other landscaping
• Opportunities for more outdoor seating (café zones)
• Streetscape elements (pedestrian lighting, trash bins, benches, bike parking)
• Speed management treatments, including raised crossings and intersections
• Delivery truck loading zones
• Reduction of parking on Monroe in support of wider sidewalks and café zones

The team is working to refine elements of the concept, particularly on the north side of the street. As a corridor property owner, business owner, or nearby resident, we want to hear from you about priorities/challenges/concerns. After reviewing the information below, please fill out the survey to share your feedback!

Below are examples of how segments of the corridor may look. This concept is not final, rather it demonstrates flexibility for how the frontage on the north side of Monroe could be treated. Included in this packet are illustrations of the concept along three unique blocks. Again, these are just examples of what could be done on the north side of Monroe, if this concept was to be selected.

Click to Enlarge

By changing the way bicycles are accommodated on Monroe and repurposing space devoted to on-street parking, there are opportunities to improve the pedestrian area on the north side of the street. This can result in a wider sidewalk for the length of Monroe between 14th Street and 26th Street. In addition, space could be available for better landscaping, as well as benches, café zones, delivery vehicle zones, and other amenities that encourage a vibrant street.

Today, there are 48 parking spaces along this segment of Monroe. There are an additional 137 on the immediately adjacent side streets that connect to the north of Monroe. Based on peak parking demand measured on a weekday and a weekend, there appears to be more than sufficient on-street parking in the area to support a conversion of most Monroe on-street parking to better serve pedestrians and the adjacent businesses. According to the data, even if all vehicles parked along Monroe were to park in available spaces on the adjacent side streets, there would still be more than 20 spaces vacant and available to accommodate future increases in parking demand during peak times on weekdays and weekends.

TAKE THE SURVEY

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We are asking for your feedback on this concept. As the owner or operator of a business, organization, or property along Monroe, we especially want to hear your thoughts. PLEASE SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK BY FILLING OUT THIS SURVEY.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The project team will be hosting a stakeholder meeting to hear your feedback and answer questions about the concept. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 10, at 2:30 PM, at the Madison Avenue Meeting Room (across the street from City Hall), located at 500 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR.

If you are unable to attend, please email monroeave@corvallisoregon.gov with your feedback, or with any questions. Please let us know if you would like us to hold a meeting with you and other property/business owners to discuss this concept in greater detail.

With your feedback, the team will refine the concept and develop the final Monroe Avenue Concept Plan. This plan will be reviewed by Corvallis City Council and, if accepted, adopted into the City’s Transportation System Plan.