Chase Gardens Nodal Development Plan Page 14 <br />Final Report - June 29, 2001 <br />neighborhood park is Marche Chase Park, located in the Chevy Chase neighborhood directly south <br />of the project area. However, the Chase Gardens node will soon have its own public park. The City <br />of Eugene is planning to develop a four acre neighborhood park north of the Q Street Channel, <br />south and east of Commons Drive in an effort to improve <br />the livability of the Chase Gardens area. <br />The nearest public school is the Eugene 4J District’s <br />Washington Elementary School, located at the northwest <br />corner of Harlow Road and Monroe Street, about three- <br />quarters of a mile north of the study area. The area is also <br />served by Monroe Middle School and Sheldon High <br />School, which are 2.4 and 2.9 miles north respectively. <br />Transportation System <br />Primary access to the study area is provided by Centennial <br />Boulevard, a Minor Arterial, and Garden Way, a Major <br />Collector. There is no access to I-5 or I-105 from the study <br />area. The internal public road network is limited to <br />Kinsrow and Commons Drive, both Neighborhood <br />Collectors, and Marche Chase, a Local Street providing <br />access to the Chase Village apartments. From these streets, <br />access to each apartment complex is provided by private <br />driveways and parking courts. <br />Garden Way has been the subject of study for several years <br />due to the marked increase in traffic along this formerly <br />rural road. This plan includes a road design that will <br />improve safety for automobile traffic and pedestrians, and <br />provide better options for transit. Garden Way <br />Centennial Boulevard carried an average of 11,700 cars per day on 1998. Figures for Garden Way <br />north of Commons Drive were gathered in February 2000 and amount to 6,200 cars per day. South <br />of Commons Drive averages 4,800 cars per day (1998 data). The daily traffic count on Commons <br />Drive west of Garden Way was 1,600 in February 2000. The City expects the average weekday <br />traffic volume on Garden Way and Centennial Boulevard to increase more than 50% by the year <br />2015. As new street connections are made through the study area, some of the pressure on existing <br />streets will be relieved. The temporary signal at Centennial Boulevard and Garden Way was <br />installed due to increasing accidents along Centennial; the plan calls for keeping the signal and <br />improving the intersection. <br />There is adequate public transportation service currently in place within the study area. Lane <br />Transit District runs bus #79 once per hour to the downtown Eugene Station. The #79x runs four <br />times per hour to the University of Oregon. Route #13 provides transit service along Centennial <br />Boulevard. In addition, the current draft of the TransPlan update foresees a Bus Rapid Transit line <br />running along Centennial Boulevard. Possible station locations include Garden Way and Autzen <br />Stadium. <br />Pedestrian and bicycle access within the study area is not comprehensive. However, routes are <br />available to the trail system within Alton Baker Park via the Garden Way path, and the University <br />via Leo Harris Parkway and Autzen footbridge. Bikes share a wide sidewalk with pedestrians along <br />Centennial Boulevard, and a bike path is currently planned along the Q Street Channel. Sidewalk <br />construction has been required concurrent with development in the area and will be tied together by <br />the improvements proposed in this plan.