As part of the 2020 Transportation Go Bond, the City of Bend will extend Purcell Blvd from Courtney to Holiday, effectively making a through connector from Butler Mkt to Neff and beyond. The City of Bend classifies Purcell as a “collector” which, by definition, means it is designed for higher traffic volumes than residential streets.
Multiple community groups have given input into the Purcell Connector project, to ensure it is bicyclist, pedestrian, and driver friendly. Purcell has effectively been two dead-end streets, with a curvy work-around for those trying to get through to Butler Mkt or Neff Rds.
However, when these two dead-end sections are connected, the Purcell Blvd will direct traffic through older, residential neighborhoods that were not designed for the volume and speed of traffic on a through road.
The current sections of Purcell are narrow, often curvy, and have no bike lanes or marked pedestrian crossings. Residents park on both sides of the road, further narrowing it.
The current sections of Purcell on either side of the proposed extension already see drivers going well over the 25 mph speed limit.
Residents living on or near Purcell are concerned that increased traffic volume will place cars in direct conflict with children who commute to nearby schools, elders and others who struggle to cross the street to retrieve mail, and bicycle commuters who live in or pass through the neighborhood.
In our communication with the City of Bend about these concerns, city employees note that Purcell will have increased traffic, but there are no plans to proactively address the problems inherent with increased traffic on this road. Instead, there is a “wait and see” approach.
The residents of Mountain View Neighborhood Association recognize the value of the Purcell Connector project. We have been waiting a long time, and are grateful to see this needed road being built to relieve pressure on other residential streets. At this time, we want the City of Bend to incorporate traffic calming measures along this section of Purcell during completion of the Transportation Go Bond project. These measures could include speed humps, pedestrian crossing and signage, bike lanes, creation of greenways in other parts of the Mountain View Neighborhood, speed limit signs, and “blind curve/blind driveway” signs.
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