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Grants Pass Urban Growth Boundary
Why is this important?
TSPs are required by state law and help decide which new transportation projects are most likely to get funding. The Grants Pass TSP was originally adopted in 1997 and most recently updated in 2008. It is time to revisit the plan and make changes so that it reflects the needs of residents and businesses.
Interchange Area Management Plans
The City of Grants Pass contains two Interstate 5 interchanges (Exit 55 and Exit 58). As a part of this process, two Interchange Area Management Plans (IAMPs) will look at how well these interchanges are meeting current travel needs and describe possible changes. The IAMPs will:
- Examine existing multimodal system facilities, operations and safety.
- Consider the size and type of future development near the interchanges.
- Identify any needed long-range interchange and street system improvements or land use policy actions necessary to protect the function of the interchanges and support the local street network.
Goals
The TSP will be informed by a set of Goals. These goals will provide the project team with direction throughout the project and guide the City after plans are adopted. The project team will use your feedback to refine these draft Goals and to develop performance measures that will be used to evaluate future transportation improvements and projects. A summary of the 1997 TSP Goals are below, along with a suggested new goal: #8 enhancing public health.
- Provide for the safe and efficient accommodation of travel through a variety of transportation modes, including private vehicles, public transportation, bicycles, and walking.
- A well-coordinated plan between the City of Grants Pass, Josephine County and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
- Provide continued funding to invest in the maintenance and operations of the Grants Pass transportation network.
- Provide a transportation network with acceptable levels of traffic congestion, accessibility to jobs and adequate movement of goods to support economic development.
- A transportation plan that helps preserve and enhance the city's physical surroundings and maintains a high quality of life.
- A plan that ensures stable financing sources to fund new transportation improvements and conduct ongoing maintenance and operations.
- A plan with effective strategies to systematically implement the city’s planned transportation improvements.
- Provide a transportation system that enhances the health and safety of Grants Pass' residents.
(Click to enlarge.) The decisions we make today will directly impact how the city can grow in the future. There are currently 143 miles of city streets in the Grants Pass transportation system, as well as over 190 miles of sidewalks and trails. All of this infrastructure requires money to maintain, so we have to choose new investments carefully.
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- The ‘Y’ Junction and US 199: The ‘Y’ and US 199 are heavily congested during peak times.
- The OR 99 and US 199 Rogue River Crossings: The Rogue River bridges are heavily congested during peak times.. The Rogue River and highways OR 99 (north of A Street) and US 199 are barriers to pedestrian (and bicycle) travel.
- Exit 55 IAMP: Existing and future traffic volumes make it difficult for southbound I-5 off-ramp motorists to cross US 199 and turn south onto Agness Avenue.
- Exit 58 IAMP: Truck turning issues were identified in ODOT’s 2013 Road Safety Audit.
- Downtown: The high density of local businesses and inviting streetscape in downtown make this area an attractive destination to explore on foot – for city resident and visitors alike. The crash history in this area, however, suggests that improvements can be made to enhance pedestrian safety at intersections.
- Bridge Street/‘M’ Street: Bridge Street/‘M’ Street is highly congested during peak times. It is a major east-west connection for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
- Lincoln Road, Lower River Road, and Upper River Road: These routes and their intersections are located at a key transition area where higher speed vehicles leave rural lands and enter the Grants Pass urban area. At these locations, gateway and traffic calming improvements may help reduce vehicle speeds and enhance safety.
- Grandview Avenue: South of the Rogue River, the city’s local street alternatives to US 199 for east-west travel are discontinuous and incomplete.
- Southwestern Grants Pass: As described above, additional east-west local street connections may help alleviate congestion on US 199 south of the Rogue River.
- Allen Creek Road Connection: Connecting Allen Creek Road at Denton Trail, and improving Allen Creek Road between Harbeck Road and Denton Trail to meet urban street standards will provide improved local connectivity and enhance cyclist and pedestrian safety.
Problem Areas in Grants Pass
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Questions
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Recommendations
High Priority
High priority street improvements include upgrades to several streets to meet the City’s urban street design standards (including full bike lane and sidewalk enhancements), including Willow Lane (scheduled for construction in 2019), Lincoln Road, G Street and Allen Creek Road. New roundabout improvements are needed on Lincoln Road at Bridge Street and G Street. These improvements will help facilitate and manage vehicle traffic for improved vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
Either a new traffic signal or roundabout is needed at the junction of US 199 and I-5 southbound off-ramp. The final extension of Grandview Avenue to OR 238 is identified as a high priority improvement, coupled with new traffic signal improvements.
A partial re-alignment of Redwood Avenue at Allen Creek Road is identified as high priority, and is assumed to be coordinated with access revisions on OR 199 as identified in the OR 199 Corridor Plan. The OR 199 Plan involves the removal of eastbound access on Redwood Avenue at OR 199 and removal of the OR 199/Redwood Avenue traffic signal. Eastbound Redwood Avenue access to OR 199 would be restricted to Allen Creek Road.
Medium Priority
- Medium priority street improvements include upgrades to a number of streets to meet the City’s urban street design standards, including Highland Avenue, Beacon Drive, Savage Street, Fruitdale Drive, Leonard Road, Park Street and Highway 99 (east of Hamilton Lane). New roundabout improvements are needed on Lincoln Road at Bridge Street and G Street. These improvements will help facilitate and manage vehicle traffic for improved vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
- The extension of Dimmick Street across the railroad tracks to G Street will provide more direct and improved north-south connectivity in west Grants Pass. The project will likely include the closure of the existing Booth Street railroad crossing.
Proposed Roadway Projects
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Low Priority
- Low priority street improvements include upgrades to a number of streets to meet the City’s urban street design standards, including Hillcrest Drive, 10th Street, Cloverdale Drive, Hamilton Lane, Wolf Lane, Dowell Road and Highway 238. New roundabout improvements are needed along Wolf Lane to help facilitate and manage vehicle traffic for improved vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
What about the “Y”?
Early in the study, Grants Pass citizens commented on the problems of traffic congestion at the “Y” (junction of highways 199, 99 and 238). ODOT will commission a more detailed study of the “Y” in the future. The Grants Pass TSP is more focused on circulation, safety, capacity and bicycle-pedestrian system improvements to city streets and state highways.
What about a fourth bridge?
The City’s current TSP calls for a fourth Bridge across the Rogue River that would link Lincoln Road (north) and Allen Creek Road (south). The TSP Update has included more examination of future traffic impacts of a fourth bridge while considering multiple bridge location options. The adopted TSP option in the Lincoln Road corridor is found to have the greatest relief to existing river crossings (and the Y Junction).
Further study of potential capacity improvements at the Y Junction and more detailed assessment of the environmental, neighborhood and traffic impacts of the 4th Bridge will be undertaken following the TSP Update.
Questions
Do you agree with the proposed roadway improvement priorities?
(Check one.)Relative to other transportation issues in Grants Pass, how urgent is it to address problems relate to the “Y” junction and US 199?
(Check one.)With the understanding that additional study is necessary, how urgent is the need for a fourth Rogue River bridge for addressing transportation problems in Grants Pass
(Check one.)grants-pass-tsp/ooh2/map-walking-priorities.jpg
Recommendations
New Sidewalks
Some city streets and state highways lack sidewalks today. Many of these routes provide important walking connections to local schools, bus lines and other destinations. The TSP identifies need to add sidewalks to form a comprehensive and safe, active transportation pedestrian network throughout the Grants Pass urban area. New sidewalks are identified on sections of Highways 99 and 238, and along key city streets including: Leonard Road, Dimmick Street, Beacon Drive and Hillcrest Drive.
Infill Sidewalk Improvements
Several key city streets lack continuous sidewalks or have significant gaps in the sidewalk network on one or both sides of the street. The TSP identifies important sidewalk “infill” projects to complete the pedestrian network. The projects are especially important along school access routes. Sidewalk “infill” projects are identified along Highland Avenue, B Street, E Street, F Street, Bridge Street, G Street and M Street.
New Sidewalks as part of Street Upgrades or New Streets
Several roads in the urban area have yet been upgraded to urban street standards. Important street upgrades are identified that include new and continuous sidewalks that will provide important neighborhood connections, including these routes: Lincoln Road, Allen Creek Road, Grandview Avenue, Fruitdale Drive, Cloverdale Drive and Hamilton Lane.
Pedestrian Crossing Improvements
Several city arterial or collector streets are anticipated carrying significant vehicle traffic where pedestrian crossings will likely require additional traffic safety enhancements. New pedestrian crosswalk and pedestrian-activated signal improvements are noted in specific locations along Highland Avenue, Beacon Drive, Fruitdale Drive, Grandview Avenue, Harbeck Road and Willow Lane.
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Questions
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Recommendations
New Bike Lanes as part of Street Upgrades or New Streets
Several roads in the urban area have yet been upgraded to urban street standards. Important street upgrades are identified that include new bike lanes along important neighborhood connections, including these routes: Lincoln Road, G Street, Allen Creek Road, Fruitdale Drive, Cloverdale Drive, Hamilton Lane, Hillcrest Drive, Beacon Road and parts of Highland Avenue.
Additional Buffering Along Existing Bike Lanes
Some city streets and state highways have such high traffic volumes and higher vehicle speeds, that additional buffering space is needed between the outside travel lane and bicycle lane. The added buffering space will offer bicyclists greater comfort from adjacent traffic. Many of these routes provide the only designated facilities for bicyclists to make important connections. The TSP identifies need to add buffered bike lanes on sections of 6th and 7th Streets (Highways 99), Highway 238, a part of US 199 (between F Street and Agness Avenue), and on 9th Street.
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Cycle Tracks and Shared-Use Path Improvements
There are no continuous bicycle facilities along US 199 across the Rogue River. A combination of two-way cycle track and two-way shared use path facility improvements along US 199 will provide bicyclists with direct connections between northeast and southeast Grants Pass
New Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge
The Grants Pass TSP Update process identified the need for improved bicycle facilities along Highway 99 (6th and 7th Streets) direct connections across the Rogue River. Both 6th and 7th Streets and the existing Rogue River bridges have very limited street space making it very difficult to add new or wider bike lane improvements. The Grants Pass TSP Update process identified the need for an additional bike-pedestrian bridge across the Rogue River, located at the southern end of 4th Street and linking to Park Street, just west of 6th Street. The new bicycle-pedestrian bridge will provide a direct route and connection, linking north and south Grants Pass with the city center.
Questions
Do you agree with the proposed bicycle improvement priorities?
(Check one.)Relative to other transportation issues in Grants Pass, how urgent is the need for a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge in Grants Pass?
(Check one.)Do you agree with the proposed location for a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge?
(Check one.)grants-pass-tsp/ooh2/aerial-exit55.jpg
Recommendations
Exit 55 IAMP
Existing and future traffic volumes make it difficult for southbound I-5 off-ramp motorists to cross US 199 and turn south onto Agness Avenue. Either a new traffic signal or roundabout is needed at the junction of US 199 and the I-5 southbound off-ramp.
Exit 58 IAMP
No immediate or significant interchange improvement needs are identified in the Exit 58 IAMP area. The Grants Pass TSP Update will include recommended city code refinements that guide new east-west street connectivity (south of Morgan Lane) as part of the land development review process.
I-5 Interchanges in Grants Pass
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Questions
Existing Service
- Complete New Downtown Transit Center
- Four Local Bus Routes – 10, 20, 35 and 40
- On-Demand Paratransit Service
- Long-Distance Commuter Bus Routes: Cave Junction (50) Merlin, Hugo, Sunny Valley and Wolf Creek (80) Medford via Rogue River and Gold Hill
Near-Term Service Improvements
Step 1: Restructure and Re-number Current Bus Routes to Improve Coverage
- Route #1: 30 minute service connecting North End, Downtown, Three Rivers Hospital and Rogue Community College
- Route #2: 30 minute service connecting Downtown and east commercial, industrial and residential areas
- Route #3: Combines hourly service west of Downtown to Two-Way service on Rogue River Highway
Long-Term Service Improvements
Step 2: Provide Saturday Service
Step 3: 30-Minute Service on Route 3
Step 4: Evening Service – all three local bus routes
Step 5: New Service to Murphy and Williams
Step 6: New Service along Highland Avenue and Williams Highway
Near-Term Transit System
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Future Transit System
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Project Schedule
Stay involved
- Learn more at GrantsPassOregon.gov/1201
- Sign up for email updates below.
Timeline
Final questions
Before you leave, be sure to submit any comments you've provided.
