What is a key route?

“Key Route” is a term from the Bend Transportation System Plan that means the route is designed to be “low stress” for pedestrians and bicyclists, to provide safe and appealing connections to schools, parks, and other destinations, as well as for cross-City travel. Examples include off street multi-use paths, buffered, separated, raised and/or painted bike lanes, and widened sidewalks. Creating key routes is one of many projects being supported by the $190 million voter approved general obligation transportation bond voters passed in November 2020.

Building out key routes will happen over several years. 

To encourage more walking and biking sooner, City staff are working on a project to install additional signing, striping, and wayfinding to link one cross-town north south and one east west key route. This project is tentatively scheduled to be completed in fall of 2024.

The City of Bend is working with the Oregon Department of Transportation, Bend Park & Recreation District and Deschutes County to develop a coordinated wayfinding plan by installing signing, striping and minor improvements to connect our existing neighborhood greenways, trails, shared use paths and enhanced crossings.

These initial routes aim to be comfortable for most people including older children but will have some sections that are less comfortable until full key routes systems are complete.

Link to a map that shows future key routes planned in Bend.

Key routes construction projects on the horizon

• Butler Market Road Key Route
• Bear Creek Road and 27th Street Improvements
• Midtown Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossings
• Olney Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements
  

Related Terms and Definitions

Below are some term definitions from an upcoming Complete Streets Manual.

Bicycle low stress network

A system of bicycle routes identified on the adopted Transportation System Plan Figure 5-1 that are required to be built or reconstructed to provide Level of Traffic Stress 1 or 2. It includes the route and the crossing of arterial and collector streets.

Level of traffic stress (LTS)

A rating for the level of comfort a facility provides for people biking or walking that ranges from LTS 1 (low stress) to LTS 4 (high stress).

Neighborhood greenway

A specific type of low stress bicycle facility that is a shared lane local street with signs, pavement markings and may have additional traffic calming to foster slower speeds. If the street lacks sidewalks on one or both sides, the shared lane may serve as a pedestrian facility as well.

• Link to more information about neighborhood greenway projects in Bend.

Shared use path

A shared use path provides a travel area separate from motorized traffic for bicyclists, pedestrians, skaters, wheelchair users, joggers and other users. Shared use paths can provide a low-stress experience for a variety of users using the network for transportation or recreation. A shared use path can be part of a key route.