Item A: LTD-EmX Presentation - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment B May 13, 2009 MEMORANDUM To: Eugene City Council From: Tom Schwetz, LTD Director of Planning and Development Subject: West Eugene EmX Extension (WEEE) Project – Overview of Federal Project Development Process This memorandum provides an overview of the process that is used to adopt and implement a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) within the Federal Project Development process and a summary of the West Eugene EmX Extension (WEEE) Project’s current status within that process. This memorandum also summarizes the proposed WEEE Project’s consistency with the City’s goals and objectives and closes with a summary of the project’s next steps. A. Overview of the Project Development Process The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Project Development process for high capacity transit projects is a merging of numerous separate processes. Key among these processes are: 1) Alternatives Analysis; 2) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 6002 (the United States Department of Transportation’s implementation of NEPA); and 3) New Starts/Small Starts. Other more specific processes that are usually or sometimes included in the Project Development process include those that address: a) historic resources; b) public parks and recreation areas, and wildlife and waterfowl refuges; c) wetlands; d) threatened and endangered species; e) environmental justice; and many others. There are also many state, regional, and local regulations that are addressed, depending on the location of the project. This summary focuses on the three key Federal processes. Under Alternatives Analysis: 1. FTA requires a “rigorous analysis” of a wide range of alternatives that can address the identified needs in the proposed corridor; those alternatives are developed at a “conceptual” level. 2. FTA seeks to understand the tradeoffs between the alternatives; in particular the costs, adverse impacts, and the benefits of the alternatives. 3. The local project sponsor uses the Alternatives Analysis to select a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) to propose to FTA for approval and funding. For the WEEE project, the LPA will be selected by agreement among the LTD Board of Directors, the Eugene City Council, and the Metropolitan Polity Committee (MPC). 4. FTA uses the NEPA and Small Starts/New Starts process to determine if the proposed LPA is eligible for and worthy of Federal funding (in concert with Congress). Under NEPA and Section 6002: 1. During the Scoping phase, the Federal and local lead agencies on the project, in consultation with the public and Participating Agencies: 1) develop a Purpose and Need Statement that the proposed project would address; 2) identify the full range of reasonable alternatives that meet