CC Minutes - 02/23/11 Work Session

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Mr. Clark asked if the dedicated throughways required for the system would change or limit the access for businesses along the route. Mr. Schwetz said no. Mr. Eyster said in one instance, a property owner advocated for a dedicated lane because it facilitated customer access to his business. Mr. Schwetz noted that the West 6 "' /7 "' Avenue option ran along a facility owned by Oregon Department of Transportation and any curb changes triggered that agency's access management policy. ODOT had indicated it would work with LTD to avoid access restrictions but that issue did not exist on the West 11 ` 1 713 "' Avenue option as those roads were owned by the City of Eugene. Ms. Taylor objected to Mr. Zelenka's "Tea Party" reference and likened it to people calling those they disagreed with Communists in the 1950s. She was not a member of the Tea Party but did not like name calling and did not think that people should be categorized in such a manner. Ms. Taylor suggested that 30 -foot buses would be great for the south hills, where there were fewer passengers and less service than in other areas. Mr. Brown spoke to the perceived benefits of the West 6 th /7 th /,11 Avenue option over the West 11 Avenue option, acknowledging that the 6 "77 "' /1 I option would take slightly longer and require more upfront investment, but it take more people to where they wanted to go in terms of housing, retail, and employment centers. He suggested that it was more important to take people where they needed to go than to shave a few moments off the travel time. At this point, he thought the 6 th /7 /1 l option made more sense. Mr. Schwetz said there was no doubt the West 6 th /7 /11 "' Avenue option would be a well - performing part of the system, but LTD had to consider the system in terms of phasing. He said it was not a question of which option, but when. He believed that the 11 "' /13 option, for the technical reasons listed, was the appropriate option. Mayor Piercy found the conversation troubling because it veered between the preferred route and the question of whether to have EmX at all. She averred that the community decided on the EmX transit system years ago and had constructed the first two phases of the system, which were performing well. The City had goals to increase system ridership and reduce vehicle miles traveled and carbon emissions. The proposed system met federal, State, and local goals. Mayor Piercy said if the council decided to select the West 6 "' /7 /1 I Avenue option she needed to know that soon because she believed it made a substantive difference in the support the route had and could affect her position. Mr. Zelenka understood the financial constraints faced by the community, but believed the council had the responsibility to look to the future and make the appropriate investments. He favored a build option and could live with either option with his previously expressed caveat about the increased cost of the West 6 "' /7 "' /11 Avenue option. Mr. Zelenka asked what happened if the council selected a "no build" option for West Eugene. Mr. Schwetz suggested it would be more difficult to go to the FTA and ask for more money for the next corridor. Mr. Eyster agreed. Mr. Zelenka asked if funding had been identified for the TSM option. Mr. Schwetz said that TSM was an operations strategy that would not qualify for federal funding programs such as the Small Starts Program. The funding could come from more flexible federal funding sources, but currently LTD was spending those dollars on preventative maintenance for buses. Mr. Zelenka wanted to see a "laundry list" of the adjustments made to the route in response to public input and the nature of those changes. MINUTES— Eugene City Council February 23, 2011 Page 4 Work Session