City manager previews wider menu of street cross sections as part of Transportation System Plan update

City Manager Worthy told the Newberg City Council on Oct. 20 that staff is proposing a set of additional “typical cross sections” to add to the city’s Transportation System Plan, saying the expanded options could reduce construction costs and offer safer, more context-sensitive streets.

Worthy said the package is a preview, not a final decision, and that the next step will be review by the planning commission followed by a return to the council for deliberation and possible adoption. "The next step would be for it to go to the planning commission and that's so that it gets public review," he said.

The cross sections shown to the council add alternatives for major and minor collectors and some multimodal options for riverfront and new-growth areas. Worthy described existing and proposed profiles by right-of-way width: major arterials already in the plan have roughly an 89-foot right-of-way; a minor arterial option sits near 63 feet; the city’s current major-collector profile is about 57 feet. New alternatives presented include a 64-foot collector with a 3-foot buffer and multiuse paths for recreation areas, a 58-foot option with built-in bike lanes, and several minor-collector options ranging from about 61 to 65 feet that provide separated bike and pedestrian facilities where right-of-way allows.

Worthy framed the effort as expanding the city’s “toolkit” so designers and developers can pick a cross section that fits local context rather than forcing a single design everywhere. "We have a sad little collection of cross sections and I would like there to be better cross sections," he said.

Council members asked about process and site-specific use. Mayor Rosacker asked whether the proposal was final or would go through public input; Worthy reiterated the planning commission review and the council's subsequent deliberation. On questions about River Street and on-street parking, Worthy said the designs are not targeted at any single street and that adding parking where none exists would often require costly right-of-way purchases; he noted right-of-way acquisition can add substantially to project cost.

The presentation referenced development pressures elsewhere in the city: Worthy noted a medium-term horizon that includes about 11 housing units in the near term and a theoretical 700 housing units tied to the Kalina phase when fully built out. He said that traffic, parking needs and recreational corridors such as a possible riverfront path were among the use cases that motivated the wider menu of cross sections.

Planning staff indicated this preview will be followed by a technical package to the planning commission and then a formal council hearing if the commission recommends adopting any of the new cross sections.

If adopted after the planning commission review, the new cross-section options would amend the Transportation System Plan's list of acceptable designs and be used by engineers and developers as the city issues public-improvement or development requirements.

Proponents say more targeted sections can lower construction costs and improve safety by using narrower traveled ways where appropriate and adding separated bike/ped facilities where space permits. Opponents or cost-constrained constituencies were not part of this meeting’s debate, but council discussion focused on implementation cost when acquiring additional right-of-way and ensuring any new section suits local site conditions.