01/23/1984 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

..e e . ~ note that Eugene has made progress toward the goal of not relying on single- occupancy automobiles as the only mode of transporation; he stated that much work had been performed on constructing bicycle paths and that bicycle, pedes- trian, transit and carpooling traffic comprise 36-38 percent of the work trips into the downtown area. Mr. Farah stated that much public testimony has been received on the project and that approval of the project by the council would be consistent with the acknowledged plan of the LCDC. He said the community should view any approval in the context of the other projects which relate to the downtown area. Jim Gix of ODOT, in response to questions raised on the funding, the feasibility of the weave alternative, and treatment of comments on the Environmental Assess- ment, stated that ODOT held a public hearing on the project and, based on testimony received at that hearing and 20 other hearings throughout the state, had placed the project on its Six-Year Plan for that past two updates. He said the Six-Year Plan is considered to be an ethical contract with the people of Oregon on how ODOT plans to proceed with capital improvements. He said moderni- zation and preservation are two major areas in which projects can be categorized during the update process and that a fixed percentage of federal funds is set for each category. Mr. Gix stated that choosing a modified three-lane project instead of the proposed four-lane project would change the project category from modernization to preservation, requiring that the project be looked at in light of other preservation practices in the Six-Year Plan. In regard to the four-lane weave alternative, he stated that ODOT designers have drawn up the alignments and feel that it can be achieved. He said that other alternatives could be studied if the weave option does not work. He said that some concerns were raised by state staff about the weaves in the middle of the section but were discounted by the design review team due to the small gain to be achieved by the weave. Responding to comments on the Environmental Asssessment, Mr. Gix stated that a 10-day period was provided after the ODOT public hearing for public comment and that staff was still waiting for comments from the City of Eugene. He explained that final plans for the project have not been developed because staff is still waiting for testimony on how the project will proceed. Dave Reinhard of the Public Works Department, in response to questions and comments on air pollution, stated that the Environmental Assessment has a section on air quality and that page 32 of the document addresses the four major pollutants. He said the document states that there is insignificant difference between Alternative A and B as studied and that the pollutants studied are expected to decrease in the future due to more stringent emission controls on new automobiles. In regard to traffic increases, Mr. Reinhard said the assess- ment document listed a 160 percent increase on the section west of Garfield and an average increase of 70 percent for the Garfield to Jefferson Street section. He said the Washington to High Street section would have an increase of approxi- mately 30 percent. Mr. Reinhard explained that the four lanes were needed in the downtown section due to intersection control and pedestrian access, explaining that traffic controls exist at every intersection in the downtown area but exist only several blocks apart in the section west of Jefferson Street. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 23, 1984 Page 19