Published on January 22, 2026, by City of Medford
The Medford City Council voted on January 21 to return Main Street to its previous configuration, following months of evaluation and a public outreach campaign.Â
Council had a lengthy discussion which centered on restriping the street with two travel lanes and a bike lane versus reverting the striping to its previous three lane configuration. The Council ended in a split vote between these options with Mayor Michael Zarosinski casting the tiebreaking vote.
The reverted layout will include three travel lanes in one direction, with bikes sharing the right lane, and curb-tight parking on both sides. The project is estimated to cost $1 million, which includes repaying an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) grant.
Council members reviewed several design options refined over the past year and presented to the public last November. Discussions considered public feedback, traffic flow and speed, project costs, parking availability, impacts on downtown businesses, and accommodations for the biking community.
City staff said an accelerated timeline would have the final restriping plan completed by spring 2026, and the project finished by fall 2026.