Project Addresses Gaps in the Deschutes River Trail

The City of Bend is partnering with Bend Park and Recreation District to improve gaps in the Deschutes River Trail through downtown. On Jan. 17, Bend City Council authorized a contract for a consulting service to design the project on Riverfront Street.

The project aims to improve the area along the Deschutes River Trail, between Miller’s Landing Park and Drake Park, fixing the missing trail connection along NW Riverfront Street. “Currently, there’s no consistency with the trail. That area basically comes to an abrupt stop, which is less than ideal,” said Brad Tower, a project engineer for the City of Bend. Current plans for the trail have it extending onto Riverfront Street — not hugging the river as much of the trail does elsewhere in the Old Mill and Drake Park.

Riverfront Street needs work on its sidewalks and roads. According to Tower, the two-way street has pavement in need of repair and a damaged sidewalk that isn’t compliant with current City standards, reducing safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

The project will continue the trail while addressing other project objectives like improving the transitions at Miller’s Landing Park and Gilchrist Avenue and providing parking on one side of the street. It also gives the City an opportunity to replace and repair existing utilities.

BPRD has had interest in filling this gap in the trail for a long time. According to a document outlining the project, the Deschutes River Trail is the most heavily used trail in Bend with more than 1,200 users per day. In 2014, BPRD looked at the feasibility of getting a trail installed along Riverfront Street but postponed the improvement project in 2017 due to the complexity of the project and funding limitations.

“Fast forward to now, we’ve identified an opportunity within BPRD because we both have an interest in that area,” said Tower. Both entities will contribute equal funds for the design, totaling $683,684. The City is taking the lead on the project due to infrastructure and utility needs in the area.

The project is in its first phase, which involves a survey team collecting data before producing three different design concepts. The final design will then be chosen based on feedback from the City, BPRD and a public involvement process.

Tower said the street is very narrow, which will likely make finding a solution that addresses all of the project objectives more complicated. This is why the consulting service will produce multiple design alternatives.

“If there was the perfect design that was just readily apparent from the very get go, we probably wouldn’t even do an Alternatives Analysis because we could fit the ideal solution in there, but that’s not the case. With such a narrow right of way, there’s going to be challenges and tradeoffs between the various design alternatives,” said Tower. “There’s going to be pros and cons and that’s why it’s important for us to get feedback from local residents.”

The City will engage with the public to get feedback before finalizing the design, expected to occur in summer 2025.

This article appears in Source Weekly January 25, 2024.