Agenda Packet 2-19-19 Work Session

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MovingAhead 2018 Outreach Summary 65 requires the taking of private property and the use of eminent domain. This corridor in no respects enhances the beauty and livability in these important 8 linear blocks of downtown and in fact would demolish it. If such a proposal was made for the charming central commercial areas of Corvallis or Bend or even through the middle of the Obie 5th Street complex, where pedestrian sensibilities are preeminent, it would be sent to the trash bin without question. It is obvious that the proposed LLC corridor is an engineering study performed by engineers with an engineer’s perspective. From an engineering standpoint the corridor does provide speedier bus service. That’s all it does. From an Architects perspective it’s an abomination. The proposal was developed by City Planning but more importantly by outside engineering firms whose only relationship to Eugene was via aerial mapping tools. This out of town lifeless plan developed for the LLC corridor exhibits little knowledge of the nature and needs of businesses on Oak and Pearl Street. The nature and needs of the businesses is minimal at best even for the local MovingAhead team. It had been stated recently that design work was preliminary and at the 15% point. The design work so far was ostensibly only to provide material for public input. Not really the case sad to say. The purported preliminary designs are being held onto like a squid on a beach ball. If the MovingAhead team has learned one thing from the completed West 11th project, it is how to say no. The Eugene City Council will decide on the final transit plan to be built as presented by the Transportation Planning Department and LTD. It seems that the City Council would benefit from more involvement at the start of the design process instead of only at the end where designs cannot be economically revised or discarded. Other important City planning goals then could be implemented into any transit design by the Council as ostensibly it is ultimately in charge of seeing the big picture for planning. It is unfortunate that the LTD and MovingAhead mailings of community notice did not include the mention of Oak and Peal Street as an integral part of the LLC corridor, much less the impact on businesses with the removal of on street parking, bus only traffic lanes and removal of significant street trees. Public information booths were held at what would generally be considered alternative lifestyle events, which is fine but a bit like preaching to the choir. The target audience for community notice should include the property owners on Oak and Peal Streets who are the people most effected, but all the people of Eugene ultimately benefit from great streets. It would have been more effective in reaching this important population by including all information in the mailed notice or alternatively communicating with the Eugene Chamber of Commerce, City Club and other business oriented groups. It appears that there was overriding interest in saving paper or maybe ink. All in all the test of effective communication deserves nothing other than an outcome based analysis. In this case few of the business owners on Oak Street and Pearl Street in fact know that they are parcel of the proposed LLC EMX corridor. In summary it is hoped that the LLC EMX option for this transit corridor be wholly abandoned as totally misguided and unnecessary. The consequence of this corridor construction would change the neighborhood character of these two great streets from being a pleasant destination neighborhood to that of being a dedicated corridor to the main transit station. Regular bus service performs reasonably well now and if needed the enhanced corridor option would certainly provide transportation needs beyond 2035 for the stable population inherent with LLC and South Eugene in general. Protect our last vibrant and attractive streets from overzealous overbuild, and in some cases demolition, such has been February 19, 2019, Work Session - Item 1