Item B - I-5/Franklin Interchng - Laserfiche WebLink

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Oregon Department of Transportation Region 2 Thcx~dore R. Kulongoski, Governor 455 Airport Rd. SE, Bldg. B Salem, Oregon 97301-5395 503-986-2600 October 14, 2004 FAX 50,3-986-26.30 Honorable James D. Torrey, Mayor of Eugene: FILE CODE: I am writing to follow up with you to clarify the commitment ODOT has made to consider grade separated ramp connections between the planned I-5 Willamette River Replacement Bridge and Franklin Blvd. (a.k.a. OR 99, OR 126B). As you are no doubt aware, adding ramps to I-5 at this location raises many complex transportation system issues. Examples of such complex issues include n ighborhood and parkland impacts, proximity of adjacent existing interchanges, and access management on Franklin Blvd. ODOT firmly believes that we must resolve the transportation systems planning issues before we can address the proposed ramp connections through the NEPA process. ODOT has learned the hard way that the NEPA process can be an expensive and time-consuming substitute for a logical systems planning effort. Put another way, NEPA consideration of design alternatives is a much more effective process where the local system planning has been completed prior to engaging the environmental work. I want to reinforce the Department's commitment to evaluating ramp connection options; however, I believe that it is important for me to clarify ODOT's two-phase planning process. The first phase is a systems planning effort that identifies the problem to be solved, the value in addressing the problem, and identification of a feasible range of solutions. The outcome of this system planning phase would be adoption of an improvement concept and policies that support the improvement concept in the local Transportation System Plans (TSPs) and the Metropolitan Planning Organization's federally mandated Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). It will also be necessary to amend the RTP Financial Constraint project list to include the concept and cost. Once this system planning work is completed and adopted into the local TSP, thereby demonstrating local support, the improvement concept could then move into the project planning and development phase. This phase will likely involve developing a federally approved environmental document that addresses the adopted improvement concept, with the goal of selecting a preferred alternative that enjoys combined local, state and federal support. Form 734-'1867A (5-04)