12/16/1985 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ i while still providing a new, 4-lane, limited access roadway. Existing 5th e Avenue would be'left intact, but would be discontinuous where the new roadway crosses it. Therefore, to assure adequate local circulation, Tyinn Street was presumed to be connected, and Wilson Street would be extended north to inter- sect with the new route. Local traffic would have to use the new roadway to travel between the western and eastern sections of the area presently connected by 5th Avenue. This alternative rates slightly lower than Alternative One on level of service and safety, due to the intersection geometrics and curving alignment. Right- of-way cost would be substantial. Construction cost would be slightly less than for Alternative One, since fewer traffic signals are required. Several businesses would be displaced, and there would be other impacts relating to proximity damages. The impact on local circulation would be fairly high, since 5th Avenue would no longer be a continuous local street. It is fairly likely that selection of this alternative would result in process delays, for the same reasons mentioned for the 5th-7th couplet. We consider it less likely to be accepted by the State and Federal agencies than Alterna- tive One or the elevated option; if it were accepted, however, the cost would be reasonable and funding might be forthcoming. Summary and Recommendation The Council is faced with a difficult choice. The staff feels it is very e important to keep the following points in mind: (1) The 6th-7th Extension is an absolutely essential component of our metropolitan transportation system. Without it, our adopted land use arrangement anticipated in the Metropolitan Plan cannot be implemented. (2) The extension is a new section of State highway, 5 1/2 miles in length. Although much of the route passes through undeveloped land, it is not possible to build a facility which improves access to West Eugene without any adverse impacts on businesses. (3) State and Federal project funds will be used to compensate businesses and property owners who are impacted by the selected alternative. Once the alignment has been determined, affected parties will have ample time to conduct negotiations, make adjustments, and relocate if necessary. Construction is not expected to being until about 1990, or later. (4) State and City staff and the project Citizens Advisory Committee considered numerous alternative routes, particularly at the eastern end of the project, before agreeing on Alternatives 1, 2 and 2A for study in the EIS. We feel that our own re-investi- gation of the 5th-7th couplet and the 5th Avenue Alternative has been very useful; our conclusion, however, is that neither of these is superior to Alternative One, while both of them do carry some risks of delaying the process. - 5