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Eugene staff say bond-funded street repairs reduced backlog and built bike, pedestrian improvements; small shortfall remains
Summary
City staff told the Eugene City Council work session that the 2017 voter-approved street bond produced measurable pavement improvements and accessibility upgrades, that the city is transitioning into the 2022 bond, and that a projected $1.9 million shortfall (about 4% of the bond total) remains to fully complete the original program.
Eugene public works staff on May 28 reported progress on the voter-approved street bond program and presented the city's pavement management outlook, saying the work has improved average pavement condition while creating a pathway into projects under the 2022 bond measure.
The city's principal civil engineer, Katie Marwitz, told the City Council that the 2017 street bond funded work on the bond's 91 listed streets and about $5 million set aside for active-transportation projects. She said the program upgraded more than 1,800 sidewalk ramps during the bond period and that the city's overall Pavement Condition Index, or PCI, is currently 73 — a score industry guidance considers "very good." "We believe the community is getting a good return for its investment in street repairs," Marwitz said, reading the Street Repair Review Panel's assessment of the bond report.
Marwitz said the city's independent auditor found no variances between expenditures and supporting documentation and that each expenditure reviewed was an eligible cost. The city also highlighted recent before-and-after work at Coburg Road, High Street and Eighth Avenue at Pearl that included bike and pedestrian elements paid in part with bond funds.
Why it matters: the bond work reduced visible pavement deterioration, improved accessibility and funded bike-ped safety elements that staff say help long-term safety and system resilience. City staff also emphasized that the 2017 bond work is concluding and that 2024 was the last full year focused on that measure as the city transitions to the 2022 bond.
Key numbers and program details: Marwitz told council members that the 2017 bond totaled about $51.2 million, listed 91 primary streets, and included roughly $5 million for active-transportation improvements (about $1 million per year). The 2022 bond, she said, totals roughly $61.2 million and earmarks about $15 million for walking, biking and street-tree projects across 402 listed streets. Over the life of the 2017 bond, staff estimate a remaining overrun has been reduced to about $1.9 million (about 4% of the bond total). The city reports more than 1,400 lane miles of streets and nearly 50 centerline miles of off-street shared-use paths.
Councilors asked for public-facing ways for residents to find street classification and project schedules. Marwitz said the city maintains online street-classification maps and that staff send three pre-construction postcards to affected neighborhoods (an initial notice 18 months out, a 6–9 month reminder and a final postcard when the contract is awarded). She also said the city places signs at construction ends identifying bond-funded projects and publishes a weekly road report listing short-term impacts.
Council questions also touched on project selection, backlog trends and visibility of downtown improvements. Marwitz said the backlog has declined from the historic high but has leveled and is again showing a modest increase as older bond-era streets need rehabilitation, construction costs have risen and bond funds are now also supporting walking, biking and safety projects. Specific backlog figures were shown in the bond report and staff said the report contains a precise number; Marwitz described the backlog range as being in the "low hundreds" and pointed councilmembers to the detailed report for the exact figure.
What comes next: Marwitz said construction for 2025 includes seven street paving projects and five smaller bike-ped-safety projects. She listed expected 2025 paving work including the first phase of Broadway, grouped work on Grant, Hay and Pierce streets, Westlake and Plumtree in southwest Eugene, a repave of McLean Boulevard, and Commerce Street south of West 11th. Planned pedestrian work includes sidewalk infill on Bertelsen and a connection near Empire Park Drive; lighting is planned for Bailey Hill Road as part of the Westland-Plumtree work.
The council and staff also discussed the Street Repair Review Panel (SRRP) and the auditor's role as two layers of accountability built into the bond program. Marwitz said staff plan to align the SRRP process with new elements of the 2022 bond during the next reporting cycle.
The work session did not include any formal votes on the street program; staff said they will return with sidewalk and Franklin Boulevard updates later this year.
