EmX (Bus Rapid Transit) to West Eugene info
Sorting it out. Why does LTD favor the W. 11th/13 Aves. alignment?
Once you cut through the promotional layers, the LTD "driver" for preferring the W.
11th/13th alignment is that this alternative provides the quickest reduction in operational
costs by eliminating current standard bus service on W. 11th and 13th Aves. just west of
downtown.
According to LTD estimates (click here to view the cost figures), this represents a savings
just over half a million dollars per year in 2031. Smaller annual savings would begin at
the earlier date when the West Eugene EmX Extension was initially put into service. As
most people know, LTD has been cutting back service because of budget problems, so
short-term savings is appealing to them.
The problem with this reasoning, of course, is that according to LTD plans, the Hwy 99
and/or River Road route(s) are likely to be in place by 2031 and the current service and
operational costs that either of these new EmX routes would eliminate is likely to be
significantly greater than the savings from eliminating short, close-in Westside routes.
Using the W. 6th/7th Aves. alignment for WEEE would reduce the planning, approval and
implementation time for a Hwy 99 or River Road route that shared the 6th/7th EmX "trunk"
with WEEE. Thus, building WEEE on the W 6th/7th alignment would produce larger
reductions in operational costs sooner.
In addition, sharing the 6th/7th "trunk" between two routes (WEEE and Hwy 99 or River
Road) would save over $30 million in capital costs, which translates to about $3 million a
year in annualized costs.
In other words, if you look down the road just a little ways, you can see that the economies
of sharing a W. 6th/7th "trunk" dwarf the short-term cost savings of the W. 11th/13th
alignment.
----------------
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:
Once you cut through the promotional layers, the LTD "driver" for preferring the W.
11th/13th alignment is that this alternative provides the quickest reduction in operational
costs by eliminating current standard bus service on W. 11th and 13th Aves. just west of
downtown.
According to LTD estimates (click here to view the cost figures), this represents a savings
just over half a million dollars per year in 2031. Smaller annual savings would begin at
the earlier date when the West Eugene EmX Extension was initially put into service. As
most people know, LTD has been cutting back service because of budget problems, so
short-term savings is appealing to them.
The problem with this reasoning, of course, is that according to LTD plans, the Hwy 99
and/or River Road route(s) are likely to be in place by 2031 and the current service and
operational costs that either of these new EmX routes would eliminate is likely to be
significantly greater than the savings from eliminating short, close-in Westside routes.
Using the W. 6th/7th Aves. alignment for WEEE would reduce the planning, approval and
implementation time for a Hwy 99 or River Road route that shared the 6th/7th EmX "trunk"
with WEEE. Thus, building WEEE on the W 6th/7th alignment would produce larger
reductions in operational costs sooner.
In addition, sharing the 6th/7th "trunk" between two routes (WEEE and Hwy 99 or River
Road) would save over $30 million in capital costs, which translates to about $3 million a
year in annualized costs.
In other words, if you look down the road just a little ways, you can see that the economies
of sharing a W. 6th/7th "trunk" dwarf the short-term cost savings of the W. 11th/13th
alignment.
----------------
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.
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Jefferson Westside Neighbors