Bend council signals support for speeding up Bond and Reed Market roundabout project

Bend City Council members on Tuesday signaled preliminary support for bringing forward design and construction of the Bond and Reed Market roundabout after a work-session briefing on congestion, evacuation concerns and potential design alternatives.

City Engineer Brian Oster and consultant Scott Barrett of Kittles and Associates described a concept for converting the existing single‑lane roundabout into a partial multi‑lane configuration, explained tradeoffs for pedestrians and cyclists, and outlined a schedule that could move design from 2028 to 2026 and construction from 2029 to 2027 if council elects to reprioritize projects in the capital improvement plan.

The proposal would create dual‑entry/ single‑exit legs at some approaches to the roundabout — similar to the Fifteenth and Reed configuration — to prioritize heavier turning movements and reduce queued backups. Barrett said the concept is preliminary and not a refined 30% design. “Today, it functions as a standard single‑lane roundabout… What we landed on for a concept is a lot like what Fifteenth and Reed is today,” he said.

Why it matters: Reed Market is one of only eight river crossings in Bend and the southernmost crossing across the Deschutes River near the Bill Healey Bridge. City staff and consultants said backups at the roundabout already cause cut‑through traffic in nearby Wood River Village and can extend to upstream intersections during peak hours. Council members expressed concern that future development could worsen the situation and noted the site’s role in evacuation routes for wildfires.

What staff presented: Oster reviewed prior studies, including a 2020 metering pilot that tested signal metering of roundabout entries and a corridor study done with ODOT. Staff also showed a preliminary concept with a “hurricane‑shaped” central island and explained the cost drivers: retaining walls, steep slopes, nearby townhomes and impacts to the Old Mill monument area. The city’s preliminary cost estimate for a single‑unit supplemental concept was discussed in the meeting as roughly in the low millions; more complex dual‑entry/dual‑exit layouts would be more expensive.

Safety and equity tradeoffs: Staff said partial or full multi‑lane roundabouts have higher pedestrian crossing distances than single‑lane roundabouts and are “undoubtedly” less safe for people walking or biking than single‑lane designs, though still safer than signalized intersections in many comparisons. Staff pledged to study pedestrian and bicycle mitigation — including push buttons, raised crossings, refuge islands and other treatments — if the project moves ahead sooner.

Evacuation and the southern river crossing: Council members asked whether widening the roundabout would materially improve wildfire evacuation. Staff and consultants said widening the node could let more vehicles through that point, but the approaches on Reid Market and the Bill Healey Bridge remain single‑lane for long stretches; a widened node would not alone solve regional evacuation constraints. Several members urged parallel study of a potential southern river crossing and suggested council pursue both short‑term node improvements and longer‑term crossing planning together.

Next steps and council direction: Council members asked staff to return with a refined set of alternatives, cost ranges (including dual‑entry/dual‑exit vs. partial multi‑lane), pedestrian/cyclist safety measures and a proposal to move the project earlier in the CIP. Oster said staff will present the concept as an alternative in the October capital program review and again at a comprehensive transportation work session on Oct. 8. Councilors also suggested pairing the decision with a study of a southern river crossing and asked for analysis of the model assumptions (mode split, growth assumptions) used in the 2040 projections.

Context and history: City staff noted the roundabout has reached the life expectancy anticipated when it was built, and that earlier corridor work assumed ODOT would implement larger interchange changes that now appear unlikely. The city previously considered metering the roundabout to manage queues but found mixed results; that option remains on the table.

What was not decided: Councilors were clear that no construction authorization or final design choice was required tonight. The action requested was a “head nod” to study moving the project up and to return with alternatives and refined costs. Staff will present an alternative for the CIP in October and bring a fuller package to council before any final decision to accelerate the schedule.