Item A: Joint Meeting with LTD Board

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(at the former site of William’s Bakery). The arena would replace Mac Court as the home of the University’s basketball teams. It would also be a key venue for other events. Franklin Boulevard is the key transportation facility serving the new arena. EWEB/Federal Courthouse: The new Federal Courthouse and the Eugene Water and Electric Board property are very close to downtown Eugene, but difficult to access due to the barrier created by Broadway Street where it joins the thth Ferry Street on-ramps and 6/7 Avenues. The new Federal Courthouse has the potential to encourage nearby redevelopment. EWEB is planning to relocate, making their large tract of riverfront property available for redevelopment. A redesign of Broadway (which is part of this project) would greatly improve access to this riverfront area and support the redevelopment. Improved Mobility The current design of Franklin Boulevard works fairly well for automobile use and has undergone some transit improvements, but is woefully lacking in accommodating other transportation modes. The proposed redesign would significantly improve facilities for alternative transportation modes while continuing to provide for convenient auto access and use. Pedestrian Facilities: There are many sections of Franklin Boulevard that do not have sidewalks, and the sections that have sidewalks are often of minimal width and adjacent to traffic. The Franklin Boulevard reconstruction would create continuous sidewalks along the length of the corridor. The sidewalks would be wider than minimum width and designed to provide for a comfortable pedestrian environment, including a separation from higher speed traffic. The project could also realign offset intersections across Franklin Boulevard, creating more opportunities to safely cross the street. Pedestrian facilities are especially important given the high current pedestrian use in some areas, such as the University, and the expected high pedestrian use in the redeveloped areas. Bicycle Facilities: There are very few sections of Franklin Boulevard that have bicycle lanes. While there is a parallel bicycle facility in certain parts of the corridor, it is not continuous and is not close enough to serve destinations on Franklin. This project would create a safe, convenient, continuous bicycle facility along Franklin Boulevard. Transit (EmX) Facilities: LTD’s first EmX line is located on Franklin Boulevard. The new service has been very well received by the public and has had exceptional ridership. EmX facilities along Franklin Boulevard consist of a combination of double EmX lanes, single (bi-directional) EmX lanes, and travel in mixed traffic (mostly in Glenwood). The single, bi-directional lanes create some delay when an EmX vehicle must wait for a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction to clear the single-lane section. This problem will become more significant if the frequency of the service increases. The mixed traffic sections have the potential for delay from traffic congestion, which will become a bigger problem as the community grows and as this corridor redevelops. The Franklin Boulevard project would include double EmX lanes along Franklin.