CC Minutes - 09/27/10 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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the congestion and curb cuts that existed on West I l Avenue. It would be dangerous and it would not be effective as a public transit system. Mr. Sawyer said that all the businesses in opposition to the EmX extension were independent businesses operated by generally smart people who had looked at the project plan before they put up signs in opposition to the project. He had looked at the plan and decided it was the wrong plan for his neighbor- hood. Then he put up a sign of opposition. He believed that West 11`" Avenue and Eugene deserved better than the project. Michael Simpson, 945 West 7`" Avenue, Head Supervisor at Looking Glass/New Roads School, discussed jobless rates among Oregon teenagers, which were very high. He said Oregon youth were missing out on critical skills and work experience and some were even missing out on the chance to fail. For that reason, Looking Glass/New Roads created a summer jobs program for youth. He described the program and some of its offerings. He said participating youth gained a feeling of self -worth and responsibility. He said Looking Glass was looking for funding sources to sustain the program, which hired out youth to do landscaping project around the community in conjunction with public agencies. Matthew Davenport, 945 West 7 1h Avenue, a participant in the Looking Glass/New Roads School Summer Jobs Program, described his positive experience in the program. He termed it an awesome program that had helped him a great deal. He was homeless and trying to get off the streets. He thought the program would also help many other local homeless youth to find steady work and get off the streets. Carlis Nixon, 1556 Wilson Court, identified herself as a bus rider in support of public rapid transit and anything that helped decrease the community's dependence on cars. However, not all public transit was a good thing and the West Eugene EmX route was not a good thing. Ms. Nixon believed the route was a waste of tax dollars. She said it was not necessary to have such a system to gain time and said express buses could accomplish many of the same goals while preventing community destruction. She had many questions about LTD's statistics and whether EmX actually produced a gain in speed. She said LTD did not release its base data. Ms. Nixon questioned where the West Eugene EmX route would go since it appeared to be going to wetlands that the community preferred not to see developed and to a Wal -Mart store to which people took their cars. She believed the community needed parallel bus routes traveling west and said as a rider she preferred bus routes within comfortable walking distance. She understood that the Springfield to Eugene EmX route was to be supported by feeder routes, but those were not in place and feeder routes had been deleted to help support the EmX route. Ms. Nixon said the last West Eugene EmX Extension Corridor Steering Committee meeting included a discussion of alternatives, including an alternative that improved an existing route. LTD staff indicated that such improvements were unlikely to be eligible for federal funding, but Ms. Nixon suggested that implied the project could be eligible and that LTD had not yet asked if it was. She suggested the community negotiate for what it wanted and needed and not waste money on the proposed route. Brent Woodrich, 2700 West I V Avenue, did not support the extension of EmX to West 11`" Avenue. He called for more and smaller buses instead. He said many people lost their bus service and had to walk further to reach a bus or get a ride from someone else, which was inconvenient. Mr. Woodrich, a lifelong resident, pointed out that West 11` Avenue had always been the industrial heart of Eugene. He ques- tioned plans to "revitalize" the area by putting in apartment houses and condominiums. He pointed out the area in question contained many auto - oriented businesses and one needed a car to reach the area. Mr. MINUTES— Eugene City Council September 27, 2010 Page 3 Regular Meeting