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<br />y' <br /> <br />.e <br /> <br />2. NEDCO and the Whiteaker Community Council have obtained legal counsel to <br />represent them as interested parties in the PUC process in opposition to <br />closure of the at-grade crossing at Van Buren Street; and <br /> <br />3. The River Road/Santa Clara Citizens Advisory Team adopted a position at <br />their February 26th meeting supporting the retention of the at-grade <br />crossing: <br /> <br />a) because of potential problems if there were an emergency closure <br />of the Chambers Connector; and <br /> <br />b) because initial computer runs for the T-2000 Plan update <br />indicate that the Chambers Connector will become overloaded and an <br />alternative route will be needed to and from the River Road/Santa <br />Clara area. (Letter is attached under separate cover). <br /> <br />Existing policy documents provide clear direction for the construction of the <br />Chambers Connector to improve north-south traffic movements and connections <br />between the River Road area and other parts of the Eugene area. These policy <br />documents also provide direction for reduction of through traffic movements <br />within neighborhoods to the extent possible, In all such documents, the <br />construction of the Chambers Connector has been identified as a needed part of <br />the regional transportation system, while Van Buren Street continues to be <br />identified as a significant corridor within the arterial system. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Each of our p'olicy documents recognizes the' strong. relationship between <br />transportation systems and adjacent land use patterns. The following <br />transportation/land use relationships have particular bearing on the Van <br />Buren Street closure issue (see Draft Findings under separate cover for <br />additional detail): <br /> <br />1. Major public resources serving the entire community, including the <br />neighborhood elementary school, community center, fire station and the <br />city's extensive riverfront park system are located north of the <br />railroad, while much of the residential development they serve is located <br />south of the tracks. <br /> <br />2. The area's major commercial services are located south of the railroad <br />tracks along the Blair/Van Buren corridor, while major residential areas <br />are located north of the tracks. <br /> <br />3. Alternative routes for vehicles traveling between areas north and south <br />of the tracks would result in increased traffic on neighborhood <br />residential streets like Monroe Street and 3rd, 4th and 5th Avenues <br />rather than on the commercially- and industrially-developed Blair/Van <br />Buren corridor. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />2 <br />