City of Bend seeks input online on planned shared-use path for Bear Creek Road, 27th Street and new roundabout

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The City of Bend is hosting an informational online open house to share the preferred design improvements being developed for the Bear Creek Road and 27th Street Improvements Project. The open house is online now through June 28.

The City received community input about the project last December and has initiated a “key route” design that includes a separated 10-foot wide shared-use path:

• On the north side of Bear Creek Road between Cessna Drive and the eastern urban growth boundary, just east of 27th Street, and
• On the west side of 27th Street between Reed Market Road and Highway 20, where there are many sidewalk gaps.

The project also includes a new single lane roundabout to make the intersection at Bear Creek Road, Pettigrew Road and Purcell Boulevard safer and more efficient for all modes of travel. The online open house offers an opportunity for community members to gain insights into the preferred designs and estimated project schedule.

The online informational open house includes:

• Preferred design planned for the Bear Creek Road and 27th Street Improvements
• Summary results from the December 2023 Community Open House Survey
• Project schedule update

Community members can access the open house online at bendoregon.gov/bearcreek27th.

The city is designing a variety of safer and more accessible bike and pedestrian routes throughout the community, including along Bear Creek Road and SE 27th Street, two of Bend’s heavily traveled corridors. Making these corridor “key routes” safer and more bike and pedestrian-friendly is part of the Transportation GO Bond approved by voters in 2020.

The Bear Creek Road and 27th Street Improvements Project provides safer connections for pedestrians and bicycles traveling between neighborhoods, schools, parks and trails. It includes a new roundabout at Bear Creek Road, Pettigrew Road and Purcell Boulevard.

Also, walking and biking improvements are planned to make a trail connection between the 15th Street and Bear Creek Road roundabout and the Coyner Trail. The project will build on other planned projects to make Bend safer and more accessible for everyone.

“Key Route” is a term from the Bend Transportation System Plan that means the route is designed to be “low stress” for pedestrians and bicyclists, to provide safe and appealing connections to schools, parks, and other destinations, as well as for cross-City travel. Examples include off street multi-use paths, buffered, separated, raised and/or painted bike lanes and widened sidewalks.

Visit the online open house and learn more about this project at bendoregon.gov/bearcreek27th.