Item 6: Ordinance on TransPlan and Metro Plan Text Amendments

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Policy 13 Focus future street improvements on relieving pressure on the City’s most congested roadways and intersections to maintain an acceptable level of mobility for all modes of transportation. The City Council’s only policy change in this arena has been to halt support of the West Eugene Parkway. It can be argued that without the West Eugene Parkway, additional pressure will be th placed on West 11 Avenue, increasing the need for street improvements proposed by this project description. Through its initiation of these TransPlan amendments and support of the West Eugene Collaborative (WEC) process, the Council has continued to explore transportation options in west Eugene while accommodating planned growth. The Council has adopted no new policy to reduce development potential in west Eugene. Would placement of this project on the Financially Constrained list allow development 4. that would then mandate large street improvements? In other words, “is the cart before the horse?” Staff does not believe so. Both transportation planning and land use planning in west Eugene are proceeding according to adopted, integrated plans. Current land use designations and th zoning allow considerable additional development proximate to West 11 Avenue. Public facilities (e.g., sanitary sewer) are being extended to support this planned growth. Growth (and th traffic) are also likely to continue increasing in areas west of the city. The West 11 Avenue project description has been revised, to remove any inherent assumptions about the future capacity and number of travel lanes of the improved roadway, thereby allowing the project study to proceed cautiously and prudently. Whereas the Regional Transportation Plan and current TransPlan description of the project is “Upgrade to 5-lane urban facility”, the proposed TransPlan description is “Upgrade to urban facility.” Placement of this project on the Financially Constrained list increases the chances for state funding for an ODOT facility planning process that will provide a conceptual project design. As with other facility plans, such th as that underway for Beltline, the facility plan for W. 11 would only become official if approved by the Council. It is not expected that this TransPlan amendment will result in any improvements being installed th in this segment of West 11 Avenue before other local planning endeavors are further along (e.g., comprehensive land assessment, Opportunity Siting). By moving this project to the constrained list, the Council will increase the chances that state funds could be applied to a facility planning study at an earlier date, which would help keep pace with projected growth. Is this proposal consistent with the WEC’s recommendations? 5. Staff believes so. The th WEC did not make specific recommendations for this section of West 11 Avenue between Terry Street and Green Hill Road, but it recognized the existence of this study. The WEC th recommended significant improvement to West 11 east of Beltline and recommended further study west of this project boundary, all the way to Veneta. From the WEC’s Final Report: “The medium term (within ten years) ideas are estimated in the range of $45 Improvements to West 11th million to $65 million, or about 25% of the budget. Avenue, from Terry St. to Greenhill Road, are being studied by the City and those improvements are currently budgeted at $20 million. The majority of the 2