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Kevin Belanger, 2990 High Street, a University of Oregon student, expressed support for the West Eugene EmX project because West 11 Avenue was auto - dominated and the street was not living up to its potential. A strategic investment in EmX would improve connections and give other modes of travel a chance. He suggested that just because West 11 Avenue was auto - focused now did not mean it always had to be that way. Speaking to contentions that EmX would decrease livability and housing prices, Mr. Belanger suggested that was not true because of studies that showed people were willing to pay more for housing near "enhanced public transportation" because they could walk there to get places more conveniently. He believed there was a surprising amount of hidden density along the proposed route and a "captive ridership" that would love to have a better option that sitting in traffic or following a bus schedule. He maintained that EmX was an eco- friendly option because the low fuel mileage would be offset by the volume of people it would carry. He further maintained that that LTD was choosing to place EmX in strategic locations along the highest ridership areas and areas with potential for future ridership increases. He believed the system was perfect for a community of Eugene's size. Terra Smith, 951 East 19 Avenue, #10, a University of Oregon student, spoke of the challenge of reaching west Eugene by transit, and suggested that if EmX had been in place in the past she would have been able to travel to her destination in the west Eugene wetlands in a reasonable amount of time. As a student she had need to travel to West Eugene to reach stores such as Fred Meyer, but it was nearly impossible to do so using the current transit system. EmX would travel every 10 to 20 minutes and people would not have to worry about schedules. She supported EmX because it would promote environmental sustainability and help lower carbon emissions. Andrew Serres, 1673 Olive Alley, a University of Oregon student, spoke of the difficulty of bicycling along West 11 Avenue and the congestion that currently existed. He favored the West Eugene EmX extension because it would bring about change. Constructing the line now would avoid the consequences of Seattle's past decisions not to build more public transportation. The EmX extension would help the local economy by creating more opportunities for commerce on West 11 Avenue and by creating a space for Eugene to prosper and become a national leader to transportation and community livability. Mr. Serres believed that EmX had the potential to unite different visions and hopes for Eugene. Karyn Smoot, 1897 Ferry Street, also a University of Oregon student, spoke of her experience using transit in her hometown, San Francisco. She said that in Eugene, transit and alternate modes use brought the community together more so than in her hometown. She supported the West 11 Avenue route as proposed by LTD because she believed it would be well -used. Julia Pommert, 2740 Almaden Street, also supported the West Eugene EmX extension. She believed that many who lived on the south side of West 11 Avenue used the bus more than others and tended to be those who could not participate in the political process as easily as she could. Those individuals stood to benefit from the extension. Claire Otwell, 2245 Arthur Street, a student at the University of Oregon, also supported the West Eugene EmX extension. She thought it would provide much needed service to the community. She pointed out if the City was serious about implementing its Climate and Energy Action Plan, big steps must be taken to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030. One of the plan's high - priority actions called for aligning LTD's long -range transit plan to integrate bus routes into the larger transportation system. She thought the extension was a crucial step in implementing the plan. MINUTES— Eugene City Council October 11, 2010 Page 3 Regular Meeting