Medford City Council Proposes $1.2M Main Street Redesign

Plan would add angled parking but remove protected bike lane

Apr. 11, 2026 at 5:53pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a repeating grid of stylized parking meters and bike racks, conceptually representing the urban infrastructure changes proposed for Medford's Main Street redesign.Medford's proposed $1.2 million redesign of Main Street aims to balance the needs of drivers and cyclists, though the removal of the protected bike lane may require repayment of grant funding.Medford Today

The Medford City Council has indicated preliminary support for a new $1.2 million redesign of Main Street that would maintain two travel lanes while adding angled parking and modifying the existing protected bike lane to an unprotected one-way lane.

Why it matters

The proposed changes to Main Street's configuration have been a source of significant public debate, with the council's previous decision to remove the protected bike lane drawing strong opposition from the community. This new compromise plan aims to balance the needs of drivers and cyclists, though it may require the city to repay grant funding originally used to install the protected lane.

The details

Option 2A would keep Main Street as a two-lane corridor but introduce angled parking, which city staff estimated would add approximately 40 parking spaces. The proposal would also replace the existing protected bike lane with a one-way bicycle lane that is unbuffered. The estimated cost for this redesign is $1.2 million, exceeding the roughly $1 million cost of a separate plan approved by the council in January 2026 to revert the street to three lanes.

  • On April 7, 2026, the Medford City Council held a nonbinding straw poll showing enough support to move the Option 2A proposal to a formal vote at a future regular meeting.
  • In January 2026, the Medford City Council approved a plan to revert Main Street to a three-lane configuration at an estimated cost of $1 million.

The players

Medford City Council

The governing body of the city of Medford, Oregon that is considering the proposed $1.2 million redesign of Main Street.

Councilor Nick Card

A Medford City Council member who advocated for the current compromise plan, emphasizing the driving habits of those visiting the downtown area.

Councilor Kevin Stine

A Medford City Council member who noted that the January 2026 vote to remove the protected bike lane was not well received by the public and that opposition to the decision had lasted longer than had been seen with previous transportation projects.

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What they’re saying

“We are a car-based community. Most people who come to Medford are not walking downtown or biking downtown, they are driving downtown.”

— Councilor Nick Card, Medford City Council member

What’s next

The Medford City Council will hold a formal vote on the Option 2A proposal at a future regular meeting.

The takeaway

The proposed changes to Medford's Main Street have sparked significant public debate, with the city aiming to balance the needs of drivers and cyclists through this new compromise plan. However, the removal of the protected bike lane may require the city to repay grant funding, highlighting the complexities involved in urban street redesigns.