Bend councilors OK funding for 2023 neighborhood street safety projects; 8 complete, 17 to go
(Update: Comments from city engineer, residents)
Funding comes from $8 million general obligation bond
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Eight of 25 capital improvement projects have been completed to improve street safety in near Bend's schools, parks and in neighborhoods.
The city of Bend's Neighborhood Street Safety Program is a list of capital projects that the community helped select for improvements.
"We have a lot of people who are concerned about the volume of cars going through those areas and the speed at which they're going through those areas," City of Bend Project Engineer Christian Williams said Tuesday.
The construction includes sidewalks, lighting, and supporting safe routes to school.
For example, crosswalks are coming to Parrell Road at the intersection of Calvin way and Haley Creek.
A nearby resident said, “There's no doubt Parrell is one of the worst."
"A lot of people are going 45, 50 (mph) down here," the resident said. "The safety is more a concern of bicyclists and walkers."
Bend resident Betty Lou Lawrsen thinks the city is being very proactive about safety, given the growing population.
"I would say they're safer," Lawrsen said. "You know, we've got the mountain and the skiing -- it's what draws us here and what we love."
Last week, the Bend City Council approved awarding Knife River a $942,544 contract for this year's projects.
They include two improved crossings of Parrell Road, sidewalk infill on NE Seward Avenue, a curb extension at NW Columbia Street and Cumberland Avenue, a lane divider on NE Bear Creek Road at the Larkspur Trail intersection and 1,200 feet of sidewalks on Woodriver drive near Woodriver Park.
The council approved a $476,607 contract with AKS Engineering & Forestry for design work on eight projects slated for next year, including safety work on the S-curves on Boyd Acres and Archie Briggs roads, a crossing by Summit High School, a crosswalk across Century Drive and more.
Funds for the projects come from $8 million in the General Obligation (GO) Bond Capital Improvement Program.
Williams said, "This was a project that was entirely driven by what people want to see done in their neighborhood. We're doing things that might not necessarily been constructed or built, just by way of, people asked for it."
