It has been a long road since Bend Bikes endorsed the GO bond over a year ago. We had a lot of complicated feelings about the package of projects, but ultimately could not turn down:
- $36.2 million for projects specifically for people who walk and bike;
- $8 million for neighborhood safety projects, which includes improvements for people who walk and bike; and
- $8 million for transit.
We knew at that time “our best hope for any meaningful change in our transportation system is for the transportation bond to pass and to ensure the voices of people who bike are on the oversight committee.” Whelp, here we are!
The final 5 year project sequencing package that Council will vote to adopt at the December 15th meeting promises a lot of improvements on the ground for people who walk, bike, roll, and take transit in all parts of town. We are excited that of the approximately $77 million in this package, about $37.8 million will go to multimodal projects and $3.8 million will go to citywide safety projects.
The Nitty Gritty
[Photo: City of Bend] TBOC’s recommendation will move forward for the Council to approve with one addition — about $2 million dollars allocated in 2026 to start the design for phase two of the Reed Market Corridor projects. For full project details, check out the project cut sheets.
We are making one last push to let City Council know our community is in full support of the TBOC recommendations as modified at the Council work session on December 1st! We are not in the clear until Council votes to adopt the five year plan on December 15th, so let’s get across the finish line! Feel free to use our talking points and make them your own, or draft your own. If you need support in understanding the draft project list better, feel free to reach out to [email protected].
- I fully support the TBOC recommendations for the project package and sequencing for the first five years of the GO bond as modified at the December 1st City Council work session.
- I voted for the GO bond because of the promises made about infrastructure for people who walk/bike/roll and take transit. This package and sequencing also reflects my priorities as a voter around safety and equity for all users of our transportation system.
- It is important to approve this package and sequencing now so we can get projects started as soon as possible and trust the TBOC to reassess its recommendation as new information about other factors like the sewer plans, feasibility studies, new funding, and future project costs become available.
All written comments should be sent to [email protected] or you can provide your comment at the City Council meeting at 7:00 pm on December 15th.
Bonus Opportunity: Wilson Avenue Improvements Design Input!
[Photo: City of Bend]
As the GO bond projects start rolling out, City staff are providing the public the opportunity to talk to the project engineers, learn about each project, and provide feedback on the project design. We’ve already seen some great success with the first open house for the Wilson Avenue Improvements this summer and if all goes to plan, we may get a protected intersection at 3rd and Wilson with protected bike lanes along parts of Wilson.
It’s time for the second open house on December 9th from 4 – 6 pm at Vince Genna Stadium. If you can’t make it in person, the online open house will run from December 9th – December 23 at www.bendoregon.gov/wilson. We hope to see folks at each and every one of these open houses to make sure our GO bond dollars are being spent in a way that keeps people who walk, bike, and roll safe and follows best practices!