Agenda Packet 2-19-19 Work Session

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Comparing Investment Packages Enhanced Corridor Package - Low capital cost, no annual operating cost increase, and relatively low impact on property, trees, and parking. Relatively low rating for safety and access investments for people who walk and bike, only a small ridership increase, and low travel time savings. Package A - Minimal investment focused on Highway 99 (Enhanced Corridor) and River Road (EmX) . Focuses service in areas with higher levels of low-income and minority populations and has the lowest impact on property, trees, and parking. Rated less consistent with local plans and has lower community support since only two corridors receive investments. Package B - Moderate investment with build options on four of the five corridors. The only EmX Alternative is on River Road. All corridors include community preferred alternatives, except the 30th Avenue to LCC corridor which is designated as No-Build. Provides moderate ratings on most criteria and rates well for investments focused in corridors with higher levels of low-income and minority populations. Package C - Relatively high investment with build alternatives on all five corridors. All corridors include community preferred alternatives. Rated the second highest for consistency with local plans and policies. EmX Package - Highest level of investment options for each corridor. Rates highest for safety and access improvements for people who walk and ride bikes, travel time savings, and ridership. High capital and operating costs and a high level of impacts to property, trees, and parking. Rated highest for consistency with local plans and policies due to investment in enhancements that contribute to improved safety and ridership. How Packages Were Evaluated The investment packages were evaluated using a broad range of criteria (see matrix graphic on previous page). These include some of the same criteria as the corridor- level evaluation, along with new criteria to help assess system-wide benefits. Return On Investment (ROI) was explored as a way to determine benefits relative to cost, however many of the benefits – such as safety improvements for people who walk and ride bikes, support for economic development, and tree impacts – are difficult to quantify in dollars. Environmental impacts to air quality, water quality, and natural resources were also evaluated as part of the Alternatives Analysis (AA). Since differences in environmental impacts were minimal among the corridor alternatives, these impacts were not considered to be helpful as evaluation criteria. (For more detail, see Chapters 3-8 of the AA.) Benefits to the Community MovingAhead is an important step toward meeting many of our community’s long-term goals. By increasing safety for everyone – whether walking, biking, taking the bus, or driving – we can help implement our Vision Zero action plan, which strives to prevent loss of life or serious injury on Eugene’s streets. Additionally, by providing more and better transportation options across our community, MovingAhead will help us meet our climate recovery and green house gas reduction goals by lowering our reliance on automobiles. All of the investment packages will bring some level of ROI to the community, such as creating more than 100 direct and induced jobs for every $10 million of construction and may draw federal funding to the community. Implementation and Next Steps Public input on the package options will be an important factor in the decision by the Eugene City Council and LTD Board of Directors on a preferred package of investments. That decision is expected to be made in fall 2019. Once approved, the preferred investment package will inform which projects are prioritized for the next 10 years. A plan for funding and timing of corridor investments will be developed later, with the goal of using local dollars to leverage state and federal funding. Some components of each corridor alternative, like pedestrian crossings or bike lanes, could move forward incrementally as funding becomes available. LTD is also working on near-term transit service improvements as part of a planning effort called Transit Tomorrow. This deep look at LTD’s current service will help make choices about the system as a whole and balance the demands of our diverse community with the conscientious use of public funding. The outcomes of Transit Tomorrow will help set the stage to roll out MovingAhead investments as funding becomes available. The City and LTD are committed to working closely with affected stakeholders – particularly with business and property owners along each corridor – to understand and provide solutions that will address impacts associated with design and construction. www.MovingAhead.orgFebruary 19, 2019, Work Session - Item 1