03/24/1980 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The council is being asked to join with Federal and State governments in pro- viding funding for this construction project. There will be a net increase in A. parkland of approximately one-half acre. The need for widening the intersection .., was confirmed in the T-2000 Plan adopted by the City Council in 1978. Within the T-2000 Plan, the alternative modes goal was for 30 percent of all traffic to be modes o'ther than automobile. Ranoval of a left turn signal at 30th and Hilyard has decreased intersection congestion by approximately 15 percent. However, the accide~t potential for left-turning vehicles has become more of a problem and can probably be expected to increase, as well as increasing arterial traffic diversion to adjacent neighborhood streets. There has been a large amount of citizen involvement in this project. The final Environmental Impact Statanent (EIS) states that the net impact of this project will be positive. The Public Works staff requests City Council to join with the State and Federal governments in funding this project. The projected total cost of the project will be $1,544,000 and the City Council is being requested to authorize deposit of $89,000 for the project, about six percent of the total cos t. Mr. Berman introduced Jim Hanks, Traffic Engineer, who stated that this is not just a street widening, but a mult i-modal transportat ion project. The 30th and Hilyard transportation project is an intergral part of a transportation system for managed growth as outlined in the Metro Plan. During the past three years, 750 dwelling permits have been issued within Eugene and this dictates the necessity for managed growth for transportation. Mr. Hanks said if the decision is not to fund this project, the city may face several serious consequences: arterial traffic will increase in neighborhoods adjacent to Hilyard: mass transit _ will be inhibited due to congestion and inadequate facilities: increased fuel use ~ and pollution will be the result of increased traffic. It is a necessary and vital part of the city transportation system. Public hearing was opened. Speaking against the resolution: Howard Bonnett, 1835 East 28th Avenue, thanked Public Works for notifying him of the project and for their cooperat ion through the ye ars. He and another man had suggested that the left-turn be removed and it has proved to be a workable plan. He feels the direction should be changed. The major complaint he has with this project is that it is a car project. The bridge over the Amazon Channel is very costly. This bridge will be a 60- to 70-foot tunnel for bicycles and it may be difficult to police. He said he had done an independent experiment as to whether or not the proposed changes would have an effect and found that only a one-second difference would be made at a cost of $1.5 million. This comparison was con- ducted on Hilyard and Willamette streets. He said that in the EIS data draft and final in 1973, 27,600 cars passed through the intersection and in 1978, 26,800 passed through. It looks as if the inter- section is handling traffic well except for ten minutes during the rush hour. Rather than building this project as proposed, he would prefer to see the mass transit and bicycle portions and some minor lane changes and signals, and then e 3/24/80--2