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<br />MINUTES OF JOINT PUBLIC HEARING WITH EUGENE CITY COUNCIL, Page 5
<br />METROPOLITAN POLICY COMMITTEE, AND LANE TRANSIT DISTRICT
<br />BOARD OF DIRECTORS, FEBRUARY 8, 2011
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<br />Kevin Prociw, Williams Street, Eugene, member of Lane County Citizens for Responsible
<br />Government, uses the bus to go to work regularly. He stated his support for EmX, noting that it has
<br />many good aspects. It looks cool and sleek and has minimum wait times, but there are many
<br />unanswered questions. He questioned how operating costs could be less than traditional service
<br />since the buses were costlier to purchase and they were more expensive to operate. He had
<br />observed the Gateway route which carries only 10 passengers during non-peak hours. He
<br />questioned projections for ridership. Routes, especially the Breeze service, have been cut. He is
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<br />concerned about ridership of the current system through the West 11 Avenue corridor, which was
<br />minimal during non-peak hours. He questioned LTD’s transparency, noting questions on its
<br />Facebook page went largely unanswered. This is a dividing issue in the community, and he
<br />encouraged a “no” vote. He said we should take more time to work out the details and achieve
<br />success in the community.
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<br />Elaine Zablocki, Ferry Street, Eugene, is a private citizen who is getting older. She will drive less in
<br />the future, and expects the cost of gas to go up. She will not buy an electric car. She asked the
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<br />business people on West 11 Avenue to please think about what would happen if one-third of their
<br />customers were no longer driving. She bought plants from Grays and brought them home on the
<br />bus. She suggested that in the future, buses should accommodate people who get on buses with
<br />shopping carts. She wants to see more stores have delivery services, which presents a private
<br />enterprise opportunity for businesses. She said the blue van provides transportation to the airport
<br />and wants to see that same service to Valley River Center and Fred Meyer.
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<br />Rusty Rexius, Panorama Road, Springfield, stated his support for EmX. He supports the many
<br />challenges in providing this important service. People are concerned with property rights, business
<br />interruptions, and operational costs. LTD has worked diligently to address those concerns. In the
<br />long term, the community will be faced with a growing population with confined space to house and
<br />employ people. Those challenges can be met. The greatest challenge will be to figure out how to
<br />move a growing population reliably, effectively, and efficiently. It is important to invest in a public
<br />transportation system, which helps meet housing and employment needs. It is important to develop
<br />a transportation corridor, and rapid transit is an important element of the corridor. A dense and
<br />livable downtown has long been a goal of the City. EmX will help make that become a reality. There
<br />are many people who will continue to live on the edges of the city and will need to drive. A rising
<br />student population and successful business recruitment needed a viable transportation system.
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<br />Jack Meacham, West 28, Eugene, rides and supports EmX. It is important to think in terms of
<br />quality of life for the future. Eugene’s population will increase in the next decade, and traffic
<br />congestion will be bad in 2020. Cars are getting more expensive for families to purchase and
<br />maintain. The cost of gas will go up, resulting in gas shortages. In a decade, substantially more
<br />Eugene residents will have to rely on public rapid transportation, and using the bus will become a
<br />necessity for many people. Decades ago many people thought covered wagons were sufficient to
<br />move people and goods, and railroads were a waste of tax money. More recently, many people
<br />thought slow, two-lane highways were sufficient; and many of those cities were by-passed by the
<br />interstate highway system. The automobile age is coming to a close. Without quality public
<br />transportation, Eugene will no longer be competitive with other cities. It is important to extend the
<br />competitive quality of life to attract business and jobs to the community.
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<br />Larry Reed, Scenic Drive, Eugene, stated his support for EmX. He had written a letter to the City
<br />Council and the Envision Eugene group. He asked the City Council to read the letter again. LTD was
<br />not building rapid transit to serve single-family, detached housing neighborhoods. EmX was not
<br />designed to maintain the status quo, but for 20-30 years in the future. He asked what was the
<br />alternative, and if the West Eugene Parkway or another parkway project would be revisited. He
<br />asked if a much larger expansion of the urban growth boundary (UGB) and continuation of single-
<br />family, low-density residential development in farm land and other resource land would be lobbied
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