In preparation of fire season, the City of Medford will conduct a Citizen Alert notification test for each evacuation zone on Thursday, May 19 starting at 10 a.m.The test will only be sent to individuals who have registered in the system. The notification will include specific evacuation zone information for each registered user.
The Medford Transportation System Plan adopted in 2003, identified completion of the Larson Creek Multi-Use Path as a priority project to serve as a safe, off-street alternative for bicyclists and pedestrians to the high volume of traffic (and absence of bicycle lanes) on Barnett Road. The proposed two-mile Larson Creek Multi-Use Path parallels Barnett Road and extends east from the Bear Creek Greenway through primarily residential neighborhoods to North Phoenix Road where it will connect with the trail system under development in Southeast Medford.
In the fall of 2006 the City of Medford retained Alta Planning + Design to prepare the Larson Creek Multi-Use Path Master Plan. Completed in July of 2007, the Larson Creek Multi-Use Path Route Assessment(PDF, 58MB) serves as this Master Plan and included assessment of existing conditions, and public participation. The Plan analyzed two alternative trail alignments, indicated by the blue and yellow lines on the maps. The Blue Route was found to provide a more direct route that better serves the transportation goals of the project as it follows Larson Creek more closely, but requires more right-of-way acquisition. The Yellow Route was found to be a less direct route, with more on-street segments and less property acquisition.
The western-most segment from the Bear Creek Greenway to Ellendale Avenue was completed in 2014. The 2/3 mile segment from Ellendale Avenue to Black Oak Drive was completed in 2019. The 1/3 mile segment of the trail from Black Oak Drive to Murphy Road is planned to get a major overhaul with new pavement in 2023.