Options include minor tweaks to $10M grand design with center island and trees, benches; traffic could be reduced to one lane in both directions 

A polarizing Main Street re-striping project prompted Medford City Council this week to look at other roadway options that could cost as much as $10 million.

The council, during a study session Wednesday, picked three out of more than a dozen options offered by transportation staff to improve the downtown one-way street.

Councilors gave staff direction to look at turning Main Street into a two-way street with bike lanes on either side and other features that could carry a price tag in the $10 million range. 

A different option would create a westbound bike lane on Main and an eastbound bike lane on Eighth Street to the south, costing an estimated $750,000. 

A third option would be to not have a bike lane on Eighth, with only a westbound bike lane on Main, an option that also costs about $750,000.

In 2023, after years of study, the city paved and then re-striped Main Street, from just east of Bear Creek to Oakdale Avenue, to create a dedicated bike lane, which reduced the number of travel lanes from three to two.

Vehicles still park on both sides of the street, but on the south side, parked vehicles act as a buffer to the bike lanes.

While some residents applauded the effort, many others found the new roadway confusing and difficult to navigate.

Councilor Kevin Keating said motorists trying to cross Main Street have a difficult time seeing beyond vehicles parked out in the street. At the same time, motorists have to be aware of cyclists who travel against the flow of traffic in the bike lane.

Out of more than a dozen options being considered, some were as little as $10,000 to do minor tweaks, while others that have sidewalk extensions and center islands would be in the $10 million range.

Councilor Nick Card said an option to have one travel lane in each direction separated in the middle of the road with tree-lined diagonal parking and benches, and with bike lanes next to the sidewalk, was the most “beautiful.”

“It would require a very huge capital outlay,” he said. This option is estimated to be in the $10 million range.

Card said this option likely wouldn’t be as “fancy” as the illustration presented to the council.

Councilor Mike Kerlinger said he wasn’t sure about changing Main Street to have only one travel lane in each direction.

“I’d be concerned about the reduction in traffic volume down Main Street,” he said.

The city would likely have to do a traffic study before this option could be pursued.

John Vial, Medford Public Works director, said any options that remove bike lanes could result in the city owing the state money for a grant that helped pay for the re-striping of Main Street.

An option that didn’t get much traction from the council was to return the street to its previous configuration with three one-way travel lanes and curbside parking at an estimated cost of $825,000.

“Grinding the (existing) striping off is very expensive,” Vial said.

Another option that didn’t get much response from the council included back-in diagonal parking, an idea that has been raised a few times over the past 20 years.

The advantage to back-in diagonal parking is it would add 30 to 40 parking spaces in the downtown area.

Councilor Kevin Stine said that whatever change the council makes will face blowback from residents.

“We’re going to have a completely new round of complaints,” he said.

Rob Field, Medford city manager, said the existing street design has made it less attractive for visitors who want to visit downtown.

“It’s not inviting for people to stop,” he said. “It has not stimulated additional business opportunities.”

Vial said one of the reasons for any redesign is to make downtown a more desirable destination.

“Do you want your downtown as a place to drive to or a place you want to drive through,” he said.

Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at dmannnews@gmail.com

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to identify City Manager Rob Field.