JWN

*** Testimony to be submitted by JWN. Add your comments ***

LTD and the Federal Transportation Agency (FTA) are accepting testimony on their current
"scoping process" for LTD's "West Eugene EmX Extension Corridor Study". The scoping
decisions will establish a "Purpose and Needs" statement and "Goals and Objectives" for
a potential EmX extension. The scoping decision will also identify which potential routes
will be studied.

Learn more about the scoping process and how you can submit testimony to LTD and the
FTA .

At the October 9 General Meeting, JWN members voted unanimously to direct he
Executive Board to submit testimony on behalf of the neighborhood. At the October 16
JWN Executive Board meeting, the board unanimously adopted the following motion:

The Executive Board directs board members Carol DeFazio, Ilona Koleszar, and Charles
Snyder to prepare testimony for submission to LTD and the FTA, consistent with the
motion adopted by the general membership on October 9, 2007, to focus on the following
3 topics:

1) the Draft Purpose and Needs statement
2) the route evaluation criteria
3) the routes to be evaluated

The testimony shall address the potential impacts to the neighborhood and be approved
by at least four board members in writing or by email prior to submission.

Any testimony regarding this issue received from JWN members by the close of business
on November 3, 2007, shall be included in the testimony without comment.

If you would like your testimony enclosed with the board's testimony, please contact the
JWN Chair no later than November 3.

*** More Information ***

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 two 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.

The other 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.

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.