CC Minutes - 02/26/01 Work Session

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Mr. Pap8 disagreed with Ms. Nathanson. He said the council should place the issue before the voters and respect their intelligence. He called for a full hearing of all sides of the issue. If the voters voted the project down, it would inform the council. Mr. Meisner did not support the motion at this time. He would have supported the motion if some of the amendments related to the project list and council accountability for the list had passed. He maintained that ODOT had repeatedly eliminated funding for the project over the past few years, and had not been consistent in its support. The motion failed, 2:6; Mr. Pap8 and Mr. Farr voting yes. D.Work Session: Bus Rapid Transit The council was joined by Planning and Development Department Director Paul Farmer, City Engineer Les Lyle, Lane Transit District (LTD) Board members Pat Hocken and Rob Bennett, and LTD staff Mark Pangborn, Stefano Viggiano, and Andy Vobora for the item. Mr. Farmer provided background on the development of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system and requested input from the council to help guide the Planning Commission in its deliberations. Mr. Lyle described the Eugene/LTD BRT Policy Committee, which was a staff team formed to develop recommendations related to the project phasing. He emphasized the need for quick action as LTD needed to complete the processes that would allow it to secure federal funding. Ms. Hocken noted the federal funding intended for the project and stressed the importance of that funding being obligated soon, or it would be lost, leading to some urgency in proceeding. Ms. Hocken emphasized the importance of BRT to the community's land use and transportation issues. She said that the City's earlier work to foster bicycle riding, which resulted in a higher per capita number of bicycle users than could be found in other communities, could be extended to the use of transit in the community. She acknowledged the no-build option but said it did not mean no change would occur. She did not think continuation of current service patterns would foster the City's goals related to nodal development and transit. Ms. Hocken said the pilot corridor was only the start of the system. Other routes were planned. However, the pilot corridor was currently the heaviest used route. She noted Springfield's interest in a route to Gateway and anticipated the Eugene council would have suggestions for other corridors. Ms. Hocken said that LTD believed that the system could make a difference even without dedicated right-of-way with the special approaches that had been developed. She noted the most recent design for the corridor preserved all historic trees along the busway. She anticipated that landscaping along the routes would occur in the future. Mr. Meisner asked for information about the proposed phasing, noting a proposal by the Ad Hoc Committee on Greater Downtown Visioning for redevelopment along the Franklin corridor, making it more expensive and difficult for LTD to purchase right-of-way in the future. Ms. Hocken said that the phasing was put forth by the Eugene Planning and Development Department. Mr. Farmer said that the council might want to give further direction on the issue to the Planning Commission, such as the development of an overlay zone to protect the right-of-way. Mr. Meisner said that the system would only work if done right, and planning for the third phase needed to MINUTE--Eugene City Council February 26, 2001 Page 12 Work Session