Item A: LTD-EmX Presentation - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment A May 13, 2009 MEMORANDUM To: Eugene City Council From: Tom Schwetz, LTD Director of Planning and Development Subject: WEST EUGENE EMX EXTENSION (WEEE) PROJECT UPDATE Introduction The last update on the West Eugene EmX Extension (WEEE) Project was provided to the Eugene City Council at its September 8, 2008, work session. That briefing focused on elements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process being conducted for the project, the process for deciding on the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), and public outreach conducted to date for the project. The environmental process currently is transitioning from a focus on the development of alternatives to analysis of those alternatives. This extensive analysis forms the basis for the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and ultimately supports the selection of the LPA by the Eugene City Council, the LTD Board of Directors, and the Metropolitan Policy Committee. As this process moves toward a decision on the LPA, it is important to review the broader objectives of EmX in the region’s growth and development and the role EmX can play in addressing larger issues of concern to the community (climate change, peak oil, economic development, congestion). This Memorandum provides an overview of these topics and an update on the status and schedule for the project. Project Status and Schedule Update Work Accomplished to Date The WEEE Project has completed the Scoping phase, is nearing completion of the definition of alternatives, and is initiating the preparation of the DEIS. A detailed overview of the federal project development process is provided as Attachment B. Within the Scoping phase, which was initiated in September 2007, the project: 1) identified its Cooperating and Participating Agencies; 2) drafted and finalized its Purpose and Need Statement; 3) identified the range of reasonable alternatives that meets the Purpose and Need Statement; and 4) documented the methods of analysis to be used to prepare the DEIS. The alternatives include the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Alternative, which has several alignment and terminus alternatives and options, and the No-Build Alternative. LTD conducted an extensive community design dialogue process to work with the public, agencies, and jurisdictions to refine the conceptual designs of the various alignment alternatives and options. This process included several community work sessions during the summer of 2008; a “Report Back” open house in October 2008; an open house in January 2009 to present and discuss additional options and alignments; numerous design and traffic review meetings with LTD,