Item B: West Eugene EmX Update - Laserfiche WebLink

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: West Eugene EmX Update Meeting Date: January 24, 2011 Agenda Item Number: B Department: Public Works Engineering Staff Contact: Rob Inerfeld, PWE; Tom Schwetz, LTD www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5343; 541-682-6203 ISSUE STATEMENT At this council work session, Lane Transit District (LTD) staff will provide an update on the West Eugene EmX Extension (WEEE) with emphases on describing mitigation measures developed to lessen impacts to adjacent properties and the process for selecting the locally preferred alternative. BACKGROUND th On October 9, 2006, the Eugene City Council voted to identify West 11 Avenue as the City’s priority for the next EmX corridor study. The LTD Board of Directors endorsed the Eugene City Council’s action. Based on this direction, staff began planning for the West Eugene EmX Extension. Through extensive outreach and design considerations, 58 distinct alternative alignments for the West Eugene EmX Extension (WEEE) emerged for evaluation. Environmental analysis and further public review led to the elimination of all but 10 routing options. During the continued public review period, LTD developed two more plans that incorporate measures that mitigate many of the impacts to adjacent properties. This was primarily achieved by identifying segments where the EmX vehicles could continue travelling in mixed traffic, thereby eliminating the need to widen the street as much as originally planned. In order for LTD to submit a Small Starts grant application to the Federal Transit Administration and to be “on cycle” for the next available funding period, approval of the Locally Preferred Alternative, an Alternatives Analysis, demonstration of financial commitment, Fleet Management Plan, and additional National Environmental Policies Act documentation must be completed by early summer 2011. To maintain this schedule, LTD is hoping to receive approval of the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) by March 2011. There are several committees working to make recommendations to the Eugene City Council, LTD Board of Directors, and Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) through the Joint Locally Preferred Alternative Committee (JLPAC). To date, the EmX Steering Committee, WEEE Corridor Committee, the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Citizen Advisory Committee, Transportation Planning Committee, and Project Management Group have completed their deliberations. A subcommittee of the Eugene Planning and Sustainability Commissions (CLUTAC) is still formulating its recommendations. \\Cesrv500\cc support\CMO\2011 Council Agendas\M110124\S110124B.doc