MEDFORD, Ore. (Jan. 22, 2026) — The Medford City Council voted Jan. 21 to return Main Street to its previous traffic configuration, ending months of evaluation and public outreach following concerns about a bicycle-focused redesign implemented in 2023.
The council’s decision came after a lengthy discussion that centered on whether to restripe the street with two travel lanes and a bike lane or revert to its former three-lane layout. The vote ended in a tie, with Mayor Michael Zarosinski casting the deciding vote to restore the earlier configuration.
Under the approved plan, Main Street will again feature three travel lanes in one direction, with bicycles sharing the right lane and curb-tight parking on both sides. The project is estimated to cost about $1 million, which includes repayment of an Oregon Department of Transportation grant tied to the current design.
Council members reviewed several design options refined over the past year and presented to the public in November. Discussions focused on community feedback, traffic flow and speed, project costs, parking availability, impacts on downtown businesses and accommodations for cyclists.
City staff said an accelerated timeline would have a final restriping plan completed by spring 2026, with construction finished by fall 2026.
The current Main Street layout was implemented in October 2023 to improve bicycle access at a cost of about $515,000, with more than 90% funded through an ODOT grant. Following community feedback in late 2024, council members said they wanted changes and requested additional evaluation of alternative configurations.
In March 2025, the council reviewed multiple alternatives, leading to further engineering analysis. By July 2025, the options were narrowed to four designs. The city then launched a public outreach effort in November 2025, including an in-person open house and an online survey, to gather public input before making a final decision.
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