Item B: West Eugene Transporation System/MPC Update

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regon Department of Transportation Office of the Director 355 Capitol St. NE Rm 135 Salem, Oregon 97301-3871 Theodore R. Kulongoski, Governor July 5, 2006 Lane Council of Governments Metropolitan Policy Committee 99 East Broadway, Suite 400 Eugene, Oregon'97401-3111 FILE CODE: , Subject: West Eugene Parkway (WEP) Decision Thank you for the opportunity to attend the June meeting of the Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) to hear the comments both for and against moving the WEP forward in its current form. ODOT appreciates both the proposals from the Federal Highway Administration (FHW A) for a southern alignment, and from the City of Eugene' s proposal.for a collaborative process. We have reviewed the proposals 'and issues raised by all sides of the controversy in recent months, and we think it is appropriate to clarify the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) position on the WEP: . ODOT greatly values working with stakeholders to get input into projects. The WEP would not have progressed as far as it has had there not been commitment on the part of all local governments to advance the project forward in its current alignment. No~, however, the City of Eugene has retracted its support for the current WEP alignment which all regional parties had previously agreed with. Even with the continued support of the other regional partners, without the support of the City of Eugene (the community predominantly impacted by the project), ODOT believes that continuing to move the WEP forward in its current fohn is not feasible. onOT expressed a willingness to move forward on the southern alignment proposed by FHW A if the members of the MPC unanimously supported that option., FHW A believes' that the southern alignment substantially reduces environmental impacts to wetlands; howeyer, this view is not shared by regUlatory agencies. In any event, federal environmental regulatory agency partners have expressed the importance of local support to move the WEP through their required approvals, and the City.'seems unwilling to move any specific alignment forward ill order to bring the National Environmental Protection Act (NEP A) process to a conclusion. · ODOT has spent more than $15 million on this project in the past 25 years, $2 million of which is part of the current Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). If this proj ect ends with no formal conclusion to the curr~nt NEP A process, FHW A rules require repayment of the federal portion of the expenditure. Form 731-0323 (1-03) @