03/14/1977 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Bob Wazeka, 2728 Baker Boulevard, spoke against the proposed widening project on behalf of the Sierra Club. He said the Club opposed tit the project because they felt mass transit would better meet the ' needs of the area and that the environmental impact statement as proposed was inadequate. He questioned the need that had been defined in the environmental impact statement, noting that congestion only occurs in the morning and evening rush hours. He said mass transit would be an alternative and he felt that the Public Works Department needed to have more data on various alternatives rather than the widening as proposed. Possible alternatives mentioned were: 1) park and ride facilities in south Eugene; 2) more buses available during rush hours; 3) air cushioned vehicles or railroads; or 4) improve the transit used at intersections with free fares during the rush hours. He noted a concern that this improvement would be to a quasi-freeway and the truck usage would increase in the major arterial streets. Wayne Wiltanen, 645 East 31st Avenue, spoke against the proposed project also. He noted that he had constructed an elaborate com- puter simulation program model of the traffic flow through the intersection and had counted the peak traffic volume during the rush hours. He felt there was no traffic jam, but that some accom- modation was needed to improve the traffic flow in the area. Alterna- tives suggested were that perhaps a no-left-turn off of Hilyard from the northbound traffic in the morning would be useful, eliminate any turns off of Hilyard during the rush hours, or have two lanes north- bound in the morning and two lanes southbound in the evening, taking out the center islands and creating the two through lanes with no ~ turns. Another consideration should be some widening of the corners ,., on 30th and Hilyard to accommodate bus turns. Huibert Paul, 4390 Pearl Street, said he opposed the proposed pro- ject because it would benefit only those people who are going to work by car. He noted that going to work by car was a bad habit and a costly consumption of energy; that perhaps staggered work hours could be an alternative. He noted a serious problem existed if the use of the automobile were not controlled, and favored the use of bus or bicycle. He felt the amount of money being proposed the project should be used to reduce the national debt or making foot and bike paths on Fox Hollow Road. He asked if the City was so short of money, why spend such a large amount on a controversial project. Charles o. Mathis, 365 East 31st Avenue, noted that the project had some advantages, but he saw many disadvantages for people living in the area. He felt there was a need for a traffic signal to get across Hilyard to the shopping center, or people would be forced to go through the residential streets sidelining 30th Avenue. There was a definite traffic bottleneck in the area and he would like to see bike path plans with a traffic light on 31st as an alternative. March 14, 1977--Page 12 -- ~8