Item A: LTD-EmX Presentation - Laserfiche WebLink

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LTD, City, Oregon Department of Transportation, and staff of other agencies; and monthly presentations to the project corridor committee. The conceptual design of the proposed alternative BRT alignments and stations will be documented in the Detailed Definition of Alternatives Report and Conceptual Engineering Plan Set, which will form the basis of the project’s environmental analysis. Throughout the design refinement process, LTD has remained in consult with City and LCOG staff focused on the Amazon Alignment, endeavoring to meet both the BRT’s operational and ridership objectives while contributing to the Amazon’s improvement. Most recently, LTD and FTA removed the proposed BRT alignment adjacent to the Amazon west of Buck Street from further consideration in the project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The design change to the Amazon Alignment is being made because it appears to be highly likely that the th proposed extension of West 13, and the potential associated land use changes, will not occur within the timeline of the WEEE’s Project Development process. As such, the current roadway network and land uses (generally industrial) are most likely to be in place over the near to mid- term, and it is reasonable to conclude that the benefits of serving those land uses with EmX would not warrant the costs and potential environmental impacts that would be associated with an Amazon Alignment west of Buck Street. Instead, the Amazon Alignment would connect with the W 11th Avenue Alignment Alternative, generally at Seneca Street (as does the W 7th Place Alignment Alternative). The details of the design for that connection are still being developed, with several options being evaluated for a connection at a location somewhere generally between Conger and Seneca Streets. Because the EmX stations for this alignment would be at the cross streets, there may be opportunities for jointly funding restoration and bridge-widening enhancements currently being studied by the City in cooperation with the United States Army Corp of Engineers. The intent is to explore options that would minimize impacts to the environment and enhance or support the goals presented in the City’s Metro Waterways Study. The design objectives of this alignment include: • Preserve the multi-use path • Where possible, separate the multi-use path from EmX (opposite sides of the creek) • Incorporate Metro Waterways goals and objectives for the Amazon Channel • Contribute to the enhancement of the channel Environmental Analysis LTD, its consultant team, and various resource agencies are now preparing to study and evaluate the alternatives and their impacts, costs, and benefits. A key effort of LTD and LCOG has been the refinement of the LCOG travel demand forecasting model to include EmX as a mode of travel distinct from fixed-route buses. That model is now under review by FTA, and when that review is complete, it will be used to determine the ridership and travel time benefits of the various alternatives and options under study – both for the NEPA and Small Starts/New Starts processes. Following publication of the DEIS (estimated January 2010), there will be a 60-day comment period. The Eugene City Council, the LTD Board of Directions, and the Metropolitan Policy Committee will then deliberate as to which alternative should be chosen as the LPA: Memorandum to Eugene City Council Subj: West Eugene EmX Extension Project – Overview of Federal Project Development Process May 13, 2009 Page 3