A long-awaited street renovation project on a beloved — and busy — commercial corridor in west Bend is expected to commence this summer.
Speed bump-like pedestrian crossings, concrete islands and new pavement are some of the changes slated for Galveston Avenue, stretching from the Deschutes River west to 17th Street. The City of Bend hopes to keep two-way traffic open throughout most of the project and limit full closures to a few days for paving. The three-phase project is expected to wrap up in the spring of 2027.
The project is designed to slow vehicles down and aid pedestrians across Galveston, which serves as both a bustling vehicle thoroughfare traffic and a walkable business hub, as the area grows denser with new commercial developments.
“We recognize that it is a very unique stretch of road,” City Engineer Ryan Oster told the Source.
The City first eyed a Galveston redesign about 10 years ago but never pulled the trigger after a decade of stops and starts that created uncertainty for neighbors and business owners. Oster told attendees at a neighborhood meeting last night he was almost certain the project would start this summer, barring a major funding breakdown.
Previously, the City created plans to make stormwater infrastructure upgrades and traffic safety improvements to the tune of $8 million to $9 million. Those stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the City has focused on a blitz of transportation projects funded by a $190 million taxpayer bond passed in 2020. Galveston wasn’t included in the project list. The City opted not to move forward with the pre-COVID plans for Galveston, opting instead to scale back infrastructure work and emphasize safety features amid the City Council’s shifting transportation priorities and concern from businesses about the affects of an extended road closure, according to Oster.
The project at hand is expected to cost about $2 million, funded with transportation System Development Charges.
“We had originally showed utility work going down Galveston,” Oster said. “We found ways to do that on adjacent streets to not have to tear up Galveston.”
Meanwhile, developers have sprung into action. After buying four lots at the northeast corner of Galveston and 12th Street 30 years ago, Sally Russell — a former Bend mayor and council member — is now in the early stages of planning a new development there. Russell envisions multifamily homes on the rear lots, which are zoned residential, and two-story commercial buildings fronting Galveston.
The lots are currently home to a garden, a house, a vacant lot and a wine bar, Olvi.
“The vision is for it to be functional to fit in today, but also be aspirational to fit into whatever the future looks like,” Russell told the Source by phone on Wednesday.
Russell’s development could be part of several developments adding density to the area. Across the street and one block over, construction is underway on a new two-story commercial and office building, after the demolition of the single-story building formerly home to Boss Rambler, a coffee and beer bar.
According to the City of Bend, Galveston Avenue is home to 36 businesses, including restaurants, bars, gas stations, gift shops and clothing stores.
Slower speeds, added safety
This summer, the project will begin with the City repairing alleys and driveways. Work in the roadway won’t start until the fall.
Oster said the most disruptive part of the project will occur in the third phase in winter and spring of 2027, when the City will grind and repave Galveston. That may only take a few days, and it’s possible the work could occur at night, City officials said.
Other upgrades planned include concrete median islands for crosswalks, new striping, street lighting, a 2-foot buffered bike lane, repairing missing or hazardous sidewalks and an elevated crosswalk at 12th Street.
For Bend, “raised crossings” are an emerging tool for calming speeding cars. They function like a wide, flat speed bump with a crosswalk on top.
Another raised crossing will go in at Galveston and 17th Street, just west of the commercial corridor where homes line the street.
Laurel Porcari, whose driveway connects to Galveston near 16th Street, said neighbors have watched the street become busier and more unsafe with growth over the years. She feels the raised crossing will be a big help, especially for cars speeding downhill off Skyliners Road.
“Our phrase is, ‘we take our lives in our hands when we exit our driveways,’” Porcari told the Source. “It’s very difficult to tell whether someone two blocks away is doing the speed limit or double the speed limit.”
Back in the commercial area, new pedestrian medians will block vehicles from turning left at some intersections, while curb extensions will shorten the crossing distance and tighten entry widths on side streets.
Oster said during the neighborhood meeting the City will explore installing flashing beacons for crosswalks, although those aren’t part of the current plans.
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