Main Street Public Feedback Presented to Council
Published on December 16, 2025
City staff presented the results of the Main Street open house and online survey to the Medford City Council at its Dec. 10 study session. Community members were asked to rank four design options identified during a July 2025 study session:
- Revert Main Street to its previous configuration
- Keep the current layout as is
- Standard bike lane (one-way bike lane on the right)
- Two-way travel with bike lanes
Reverting the street to the previous configuration was ranked highest both in-person and online. Keeping the current configuration was the second-highest option among online respondents, while the buffered bike lane ranked second among open house attendees. The two-way travel option received the least support.
A total of 4,041 surveys were submitted, resulting in 3,102 unique responses after duplicates were removed. Residents also submitted 30 comment cards at the open house, 19 of which indicated a preference for a specific design. General comments touched on issues including parking, bike safety, lane configurations, and aesthetics.
During the study session, most councilors expressed support for the buffered bike lane, while one councilor favored the two-way travel option. The Council directed staff to return with more information on potential state grant repayment, design considerations beneath the viaduct, possible buffers to protect the left-side car-door zones, future traffic capacity, and a project timeline.
Background
The current Main Street restriping, implemented in October 2023 to improve bicycle access, cost approximately $515,000, with more than 90% funded through an Oregon Department of Transportation grant. Following community feedback in late 2024, Council requested additional evaluation of alternative configurations.
In March 2025, the Council reviewed multiple alternatives, leading to further engineering and analysis. In July 2025, the Council narrowed the choices to four design options. The City launched a public outreach effort in November 2025—including an in-person open house and an online survey—to gather feedback on the proposed designs.
The Council is expected to make a decision on Main Street's future layout at its Jan. 21 meeting.