Clayton Franke covers growth, development and transportation for
The ÅÝֱܽ²¥. A graduate of the University of Oregon's School of
Journalism and Communication, Clayton joined The ÅÝֱܽ²¥ in 2024.
He was born and raised in Missoula, Montana.Â
An upcoming open house will give the public another chance to learn about the city of Bend’s effort to improve traffic safety in the middle of town.
On Tuesday from 4:30Â to 6:30 p.m. at the Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave. in Bend, city staff will answer questions about two street safety projects: the Greenwood Avenue corridor and the Second Street improvements.
Those are two of four projects in the city’s Midtown Crossings Project, which aims to improve east-west travel across the Bend Parkway and Third Street, connecting downtown with the Bend Central District. Other crossings include some type of bridge on Hawthorne Avenue, which has yet to be selected, and work on the undercrossing at Franklin Avenue, which will be the topic of an open house later this summer.
Most of the transportation projects are funded through Bend’s $190 million Transportation General Obligation bond passed in 2020. The bond allocates $43 million on projects to improve walking and biking and another $58 million to improve east to west traffic corridors.
The upcoming open house is the last opportunity to provide input on the Greenwood and Second Street projects before construction begins this summer and fall.
On Greenwood Avenue, the city will start with a “quick-build†— a lower cost surface treatment, including striping — before completing the full build next summer. The full project could include eliminating one of the four lanes, adding bike lanes, a protected left turn lane and improvements to bus stops.
The city hosted an open house on the Greenwood Avenue project in April.
On Second Street, from Greenwood Avenue to Franklin Avenue, the city plans to widen sidewalks, add curb extensions and street trees, build ADA ramps and improve lighting.
The Second Street project is funded through a tax increment financing area encompassing the city’s core area. The economic development tool allows the city to capture property taxes from that core area and reinvest them in specific projects.
Clayton Franke covers growth, development and transportation for
The ÅÝֱܽ²¥. A graduate of the University of Oregon's School of
Journalism and Communication, Clayton joined The ÅÝֱܽ²¥ in 2024.
He was born and raised in Missoula, Montana.Â
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