EmX (Bus Rapid Transit) to West Eugene decisions loom
JWN "Town Hall" on potential EmX routes to West Eugene to be held February 8, 2011
The February 8, 2011 JWN General Meeting will provide a "Town Hall" for JWN members
to learn about, and comment on, the alternative EmX routes under consideration. Learn
more at JWN February 8 General Meeting.
Tuesday, February 8, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
First United Methodist Church -- 1376 Olive Street
Joint decision makers hearing TONIGHT!
The Eugene City Council, LTD Board and Metropolitan Committee members will hear
testimony from the public.
Tuesday, February 8
Eugene Hilton ballroom
3:30-5:30 p.m., open house
5:30 until done, public hearing
* FLASH! * View testimony in support of the JWN motion on EmX.
JWN General Membership adopted motion on EmX:
LTD posts West Eugene Extension to EmX Alternatives Analysis report. Download PDF
files:
Main Report
Appendices A-D
Appendix E
Update on EmX project status
Important final decisions regarding the West Eugene EmX Extension Project will come in
the next few months. Here's the basic schedule:
According to LTD information, LTD hopes to have formal decisions on a "locally preferred
alternative" (LPA) for the West Eugene Extension of EmX (or WEEE, aka bus rapid transit)
sometime in March 2011. The LTD Board, Eugene City Council and Metropolitan
Planning Committee (MPC) are scheduled to vote concurrently on resolutions.
Prior to the decision votes, the Joint Locally Preferred Alternative Committee (JLPAC) is
expected to deliver their final recommendation on February 14, 2011. The City Council
"Tentative Working Agenda" currently shows March 9 as their decision date, but this could
change.
During the summer LTD submitted an Alternatives Analysis Report (AAR) to the FTA in
lieu of the typically required Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Based on
direction from the LTD Board in June, 2010, the AAR significantly pared down the routing
and design alternatives from about 56 to about 12. LTD’s board narrowed the alignment
alternatives under consideration to these three "build" options that run from the downtown
station to Commerce Street off W. 11th Ave., and include:
• W. 6th and 7th Aves. to Garfield St.; then W. 7th Place to Seneca Rd.; and then W.
11th Ave. to Commerce St.
• W. 6th and 7th Aves. to Garfield St. and then W. 11th Ave. to Commerce St.
• W. 13th Ave. to Chambers St. (outbound travel would use W. 11th Ave. to Jefferson
St.) and then W. 11th Ave. to Commerce St.
Two alternatives that would not build BRT are the “No Build” and "Transportation System
Management (TSM) options.
On January 31, the JLPAC made a preliminary decision to select the W. 11/13 Aves.
alignment.
Maps and additional information are available at: weemx.ltd.org/ .
The following additional information was provided by Ilona Koleszar, who is a member of
Residents for Responsible Rapid Transit (3RT).
LTD published the AAR when it was returned from the FTA with that agency’s comments
and LTD had an opportunity to respond to those comments.
There will be no formal public comment period, as there would have been had a DEIS
been produced, but the community is free to submit comments to LTD at we.emx@ltd.org
and to the City Council and Mayor at mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us .
Meanwhile, the Joint Locally Preferred Alternatives Committee (JLPAC) is having a series
of meetings to confer on and reach a joint recommendation of the Locally Preferred
Alternative. The members of that committee include Mike Eyster, Greg Evans and Gary
Gillespie of LTD, Eugene City Councilors Angela Ortiz, Chris Pryor, Mayor Kitty Piercy,
Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich and Sonny Chickering of ODOT.
Following the JLPAC decision, their recommendation will go to the City Council for a vote -
approval or disapproval. The City Council must approve any build option recommended
by JLPAC for the project to continue.
If the City Council votes for a "build" option LTD will produce and submit to the FTA an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which will be published for formal public
comment. In that case groundbreaking would occur sometime in 2012.
If the City Council votes "no-build," only the West Eugene EmX Extension Project would
come to a close. The City, together with LTD, would be free to identify another corridor for
future expansion of the EmX line.
It is unclear what will happen if the City Council votes for a fifth option "Transportation
System Management" (TSM). TSM could include any non-capital improvements or
modifications to the existing bus system, including things like traffic signal and lane
management, placement and frequency of bus stops, re-drawing existing routes,
frequency of buses, etc.)
Regular monthly LTD Board meetings occur on the 3rd Wednesday of each month with
the next regular meeting on November 17, 2010 at 5:30 pm at the LTD Glenwood Offices.
Look for future public meeting notices in the City Region section of the Register Guard or
on the LTD website .
----------------
The following information provides some history, but may not reflect the latest information.
JWN hosts informative panel on potential EmX routes to West Eugene
At the February 2010 JWN General Meeting, panelists from LTD, City of Eugene and
Residents for Responsible Rapid Transit (3RT) participated in a panel with Q&A from
JWN members. You can view and listen to the two Powerpoint presentations and the S&A
by clicking the links below
Presentation 1
Presentation 2
Audio recording of presentations
Audio recording of panel Q&A
Background
LTD is actively working on plans for an EmX (Bus Rapid Transit) route to West Eugene.
The route will go from the downtown LTD bus terminal to roughly Danebo Ave.
The location of the route segment between downtown and Garfield may have a major
impact on the Jefferson Westside Neighborhood. The main concerns that have been
expressed are potential reduction in the current local bus service for JWN residents and
the potential impacts of adding dedicated lanes along neighborhood streets, including
potential removal of trees and parking.
Currently LTD has under consideration three alternatives for this segment. One route
would use W. 6th and 7th Aves. from downtown (at about Olive Street) to Garfield Street,
then south to W. 11th Ave. and west from that intersection. This route would skirt the JWN
entirely.
Another alternative route would run EmX buses both ways on the south side of W. 13th
Ave. from Olive or Jefferson Streets to Chambers or Garfield Streets and then north to W.
11th Ave and on west.
A third alternative under consideration is similar to the second, but connects with the
Amazon Canal right-of-way west of Chambers and follows it to further out W. 11th Ave.
For more information, read the two articles in the January 2010 JWN newsletter.
LTD has indicated in the past that a potential route might run down W. 11th Ave. from
downtown, splitting the Westside neighborhood in two and likely having major negative
impacts on residents and pedestrians along the residential section of W. 11th Ave.
On October 2, The JWN Executive Board met with Tom Schwetz, LTD Director of
Development Services, and staff to discuss the routes and process. Tom stated that:
"exclusive right-of-way [dedicated lanes for EmX] would have to take away parking;
would have to take away trees, and it just wouldn't work. ... It doesn't make sense."
Although this doesn't exclude a "shared use" routing of EmX buses along this segment,
Tom's comments before the Executive Board appear to at least rule out a proposal for
dedicated lanes along this stretch that would remove trees or parking.
The impacts of the "W. 13th Alternative" are not yet fully identified. The routing would also
potentially have impacts on the following stretches of local streets:
To reiterate: LTD has not made any definite proposal yet and the potential impacts of the
alternatives that are being considered have nit been fully evaluated, but it's important to be
"ahead of the curve" on this issue. If you'd like to help work on it for the neighborhood
association, please contact the JWN chair.
The February 8, 2011 JWN General Meeting will provide a "Town Hall" for JWN members
to learn about, and comment on, the alternative EmX routes under consideration. Learn
more at JWN February 8 General Meeting.
Tuesday, February 8, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
First United Methodist Church -- 1376 Olive Street
Joint decision makers hearing TONIGHT!
The Eugene City Council, LTD Board and Metropolitan Committee members will hear
testimony from the public.
Tuesday, February 8
Eugene Hilton ballroom
3:30-5:30 p.m., open house
5:30 until done, public hearing
* FLASH! * View testimony in support of the JWN motion on EmX.
JWN General Membership adopted motion on EmX:
If a west Eugene EmX extension is to be built, we, the Jefferson Westside
Neighbors (JWN), support building any EmX line on W.6th and W. 7th Avenues
between downtown station and Garfield Street, and oppose building EmX on W.
8th through W.13th Avenues (W. 8th, W. Broadway, W. 10th, W. 11th, W. 12th and
W. 13th Avenues), in order to maintain the residential quality, livability and
character of the neighborhood, and we urge the City Council to direct LTD to do so.
LTD posts West Eugene Extension to EmX Alternatives Analysis report. Download PDF
files:
Main Report
Appendices A-D
Appendix E
Update on EmX project status
Important final decisions regarding the West Eugene EmX Extension Project will come in
the next few months. Here's the basic schedule:
- MPC Work Session - February 10, 2011
- Joint LPA Committee Final Recommendation - February 14, 2011
- Lane Transit District Work Session - February 16, 2011
- Eugene City Council Work Session - February 23, 2011
- Eugene City Council Action (if not on previous date) - March 9, 2011
- MPO Action at MPC - March 10, 2011
- Lane Transit District Action - March 16, 2011
According to LTD information, LTD hopes to have formal decisions on a "locally preferred
alternative" (LPA) for the West Eugene Extension of EmX (or WEEE, aka bus rapid transit)
sometime in March 2011. The LTD Board, Eugene City Council and Metropolitan
Planning Committee (MPC) are scheduled to vote concurrently on resolutions.
Prior to the decision votes, the Joint Locally Preferred Alternative Committee (JLPAC) is
expected to deliver their final recommendation on February 14, 2011. The City Council
"Tentative Working Agenda" currently shows March 9 as their decision date, but this could
change.
During the summer LTD submitted an Alternatives Analysis Report (AAR) to the FTA in
lieu of the typically required Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Based on
direction from the LTD Board in June, 2010, the AAR significantly pared down the routing
and design alternatives from about 56 to about 12. LTD’s board narrowed the alignment
alternatives under consideration to these three "build" options that run from the downtown
station to Commerce Street off W. 11th Ave., and include:
• W. 6th and 7th Aves. to Garfield St.; then W. 7th Place to Seneca Rd.; and then W.
11th Ave. to Commerce St.
• W. 6th and 7th Aves. to Garfield St. and then W. 11th Ave. to Commerce St.
• W. 13th Ave. to Chambers St. (outbound travel would use W. 11th Ave. to Jefferson
St.) and then W. 11th Ave. to Commerce St.
Two alternatives that would not build BRT are the “No Build” and "Transportation System
Management (TSM) options.
On January 31, the JLPAC made a preliminary decision to select the W. 11/13 Aves.
alignment.
Maps and additional information are available at: weemx.ltd.org/ .
The following additional information was provided by Ilona Koleszar, who is a member of
Residents for Responsible Rapid Transit (3RT).
LTD published the AAR when it was returned from the FTA with that agency’s comments
and LTD had an opportunity to respond to those comments.
There will be no formal public comment period, as there would have been had a DEIS
been produced, but the community is free to submit comments to LTD at we.emx@ltd.org
and to the City Council and Mayor at mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us .
Meanwhile, the Joint Locally Preferred Alternatives Committee (JLPAC) is having a series
of meetings to confer on and reach a joint recommendation of the Locally Preferred
Alternative. The members of that committee include Mike Eyster, Greg Evans and Gary
Gillespie of LTD, Eugene City Councilors Angela Ortiz, Chris Pryor, Mayor Kitty Piercy,
Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich and Sonny Chickering of ODOT.
Following the JLPAC decision, their recommendation will go to the City Council for a vote -
approval or disapproval. The City Council must approve any build option recommended
by JLPAC for the project to continue.
If the City Council votes for a "build" option LTD will produce and submit to the FTA an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which will be published for formal public
comment. In that case groundbreaking would occur sometime in 2012.
If the City Council votes "no-build," only the West Eugene EmX Extension Project would
come to a close. The City, together with LTD, would be free to identify another corridor for
future expansion of the EmX line.
It is unclear what will happen if the City Council votes for a fifth option "Transportation
System Management" (TSM). TSM could include any non-capital improvements or
modifications to the existing bus system, including things like traffic signal and lane
management, placement and frequency of bus stops, re-drawing existing routes,
frequency of buses, etc.)
Regular monthly LTD Board meetings occur on the 3rd Wednesday of each month with
the next regular meeting on November 17, 2010 at 5:30 pm at the LTD Glenwood Offices.
Look for future public meeting notices in the City Region section of the Register Guard or
on the LTD website .
----------------
The following information provides some history, but may not reflect the latest information.
JWN hosts informative panel on potential EmX routes to West Eugene
At the February 2010 JWN General Meeting, panelists from LTD, City of Eugene and
Residents for Responsible Rapid Transit (3RT) participated in a panel with Q&A from
JWN members. You can view and listen to the two Powerpoint presentations and the S&A
by clicking the links below
Presentation 1
Presentation 2
Audio recording of presentations
Audio recording of panel Q&A
Background
LTD is actively working on plans for an EmX (Bus Rapid Transit) route to West Eugene.
The route will go from the downtown LTD bus terminal to roughly Danebo Ave.
The location of the route segment between downtown and Garfield may have a major
impact on the Jefferson Westside Neighborhood. The main concerns that have been
expressed are potential reduction in the current local bus service for JWN residents and
the potential impacts of adding dedicated lanes along neighborhood streets, including
potential removal of trees and parking.
Currently LTD has under consideration three alternatives for this segment. One route
would use W. 6th and 7th Aves. from downtown (at about Olive Street) to Garfield Street,
then south to W. 11th Ave. and west from that intersection. This route would skirt the JWN
entirely.
Another alternative route would run EmX buses both ways on the south side of W. 13th
Ave. from Olive or Jefferson Streets to Chambers or Garfield Streets and then north to W.
11th Ave and on west.
A third alternative under consideration is similar to the second, but connects with the
Amazon Canal right-of-way west of Chambers and follows it to further out W. 11th Ave.
For more information, read the two articles in the January 2010 JWN newsletter.
LTD has indicated in the past that a potential route might run down W. 11th Ave. from
downtown, splitting the Westside neighborhood in two and likely having major negative
impacts on residents and pedestrians along the residential section of W. 11th Ave.
On October 2, The JWN Executive Board met with Tom Schwetz, LTD Director of
Development Services, and staff to discuss the routes and process. Tom stated that:
"exclusive right-of-way [dedicated lanes for EmX] would have to take away parking;
would have to take away trees, and it just wouldn't work. ... It doesn't make sense."
Although this doesn't exclude a "shared use" routing of EmX buses along this segment,
Tom's comments before the Executive Board appear to at least rule out a proposal for
dedicated lanes along this stretch that would remove trees or parking.
The impacts of the "W. 13th Alternative" are not yet fully identified. The routing would also
potentially have impacts on the following stretches of local streets:
- W. 11th Ave. or W. 12th Ave. between Jefferson and Olive Streets
- Olive or Olive Streets between W. 11th and W. 13th Aves.
To reiterate: LTD has not made any definite proposal yet and the potential impacts of the
alternatives that are being considered have nit been fully evaluated, but it's important to be
"ahead of the curve" on this issue. If you'd like to help work on it for the neighborhood
association, please contact the JWN chair.
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Jefferson Westside Neighbors