Medford Votes to Undo Main Street Bike Lane Redesign in a Controversial Reversal Costing $1 Million

By Diane Megaw On Jan 25, 2026

Medford Oregon City Hall — Medford City Hall. Jackson County, Oregon | Credit: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives

MEDFORD, Ore. — The Medford City Council voted on Thursday to return Main Street, which was restriped in October 2023, to its previous configuration, at an estimated cost of $1 Million, almost double the original price.

Medford Main Street Restriping: Old Configuration Returns

More than 90% funded through an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) grant, the controversial current Main Street restriping was implemented in October 2023 to improve bicycle access and cost approximately $515,000.

Tidings Data Snapshot

Main Street restriping: cost and safety facts

$515k

Original cycle track restriping cost

90%+

Funded by state via ODOT Safe Routes to School grant

$1M

Estimated return to prior layout including grant repayment

19% to 47%

Crash reduction range in FHWA road diet studies

5 years

Typical crash data window to judge safety impacts

Source: City of Medford Main Street Multimodal Improvements page and Jan 22 2026 council vote release, FHWA Road Diet Informational Guide
Dailytidings.com

In March 2025, the Council considered multiple alternatives. It commissioned further engineering and analysis before narrowing the choices to four design options in 2025.

Before finalizing the design, the Medford City Council sought public input on the redesign of the Main Street bike lane. It launched a public outreach effort in November 2025, including an in-person open house and an online survey.

For the Main Street open house and online survey, 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 its previous configuration ranked highest in both in-person and online surveys. Keeping the current configuration was the second-highest option.

Following months of evaluation and a public outreach campaign, the Council had a lengthy discussion that centered on restriping the street with two travel lanes and a bike lane versus reverting the striping to its previous three-lane configuration.

Ultimately, the resolution to revert to the previous design passed in a split vote, with Mayor Michael Zarosinski casting the tie-breaking vote.

The “new” layout will include three travel lanes in one direction, with bikes sharing the right lane, and curb-tight parking on both sides.

Tidings Context

A two way protected bike lane, often called a cycle track, changes turning and lane patterns, so cities typically review several years of crash data before judging safety impacts.

The project is estimated to cost $1 million, including repayment of an ODOT grant. The City indicated that, on an accelerated timeline, the final restriping plan will be completed by spring 2026, and the project is expected to be finished by fall 2026.

Tidings Context

Because the original bike facility was funded mostly through an ODOT Safe Routes to School grant, reversing it can trigger repayment, which is why the return to the old layout is estimated at about $1 million.