Ashland, ODOT Address Downtown Construction Concerns

The City of Ashland and Ashland Chamber of Commerce raised concerns about downtown curb construction impacts on small businesses, leading to immediate coordination with ODOT.

ASHLAND, Ore. – The City of Ashland and Ashland Chamber of Commerce say they are working with the Oregon Department of Transportation to address concerns about the flow of a downtown curb construction project and its impact on local small businesses.

According to the City of Ashland, the city and chamber wrote a joint letter to ODOT on behalf of business and community members, expressing concerns about how the project was affecting the downtown business community.

Local ODOT leaders responded quickly, and representatives from the city, chamber and ODOT met to discuss current challenges and identify changes that could be made immediately, as well as improvements for future phases of the project.

As a result of the meeting, ODOT agreed not to use on-street parking for equipment and traffic control staging. If on-street parking is needed, ODOT will work directly with the impacted business.

ODOT also agreed to ensure temporary detours and walkways are safe for all users, create better “Business Open” signage near impacted areas, review the current project layout to minimize overlapping work zones and lane closures, expedite the project timeframe and communicate regularly with the city and chamber as the project moves forward.

City officials said they value the importance of accessibility ramps for the community, while also appreciating that ODOT heard concerns about how the project flow was affecting local businesses.

The city said residents and visitors should already be seeing the impact of those conversations in action, and officials said they are optimistic about future communication between ODOT, the City of Ashland and the Ashland Chamber of Commerce.

The City of Ashland and Ashland Chamber of Commerce said they have a long-standing relationship focused on supporting Ashland’s economy and small business community.

Cover image: An ODOT construction worker builds a curb along a street in Ashland as part of an accessibility improvement project downtown. Image provided by ODOT.

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