. A RAISE Grant (USDOT) was awarded to the City of Eugene to redesign Franklin Boulevard as a complete street. Phase 1 of the project will include the conversion of two signalized intersections to multilane roundabouts, the reduction of the roadway from six to four lanes, the reallocation of space for bicycle and pedestrian facilities and improved safety at traffic lane crossings, the addition of a second bus rapid transit lane, and conduits to accommodate future fiber optic cable. The project will bring sidewalks up to accessibility compliance, provide more and better connections to activities, and add new sensory elements to help people with visual impairments. These safety investments will vastly improve access for aging populations and people with physical and mental disabilities, allowing improved walking, biking, and rolling access for all. Input from both the design team and the construction team during the project will be paramount to delivering a complete street transformation that is completed on schedule, addresses changes to project scope required by available grant funding and meets the expectations of the public. To facilitate attaining these goals, it will be advantageous to have the general contractor on board near the beginning of the project to assist the design team. The City project team believes this would be best accomplished with a CM/GC form of procurement for this construction project. The team believes that the CM/GC procurement process will allow the City to better meet the budget and scheduling requirements of this project without encouraging favoritism in the awarding of this contract or substantially diminishing competition.
