Item B: West Eugene EmX Extension Update

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: West Eugene EmX Extension Update Meeting Date: February 13, 2012 Agenda Item Number: B Department: Public Works/ LTD Staff Contact: Kurt Yeiter www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-8379 ISSUE STATEMENT In this work session, representatives from Lane Transit District (LTD) will provide an update on these aspects of the proposed West Eugene EmX Extension: 1.Anticipated schedule for Federal Transit Administration review of the Environmental Assessment; 2.Anticipated schedule for City Council reaffirmation of the Locally Preferred Alternative; and 3.Findings from a recent business and property impact study conducted for LTD by Rick Duncan, Duncan & Brown. BACKGROUND The community’s comprehensive transportation plan, TransPlan (2002), proposed significant increases in the amount and convenience of transit service, increases in the amount of bikeways and sidewalks, and an expansion of transportation demand management (TDM) to help reduce congestion by 48 percent over forecasted trends. One key strategy for transit improvement was development of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network. The first BRT corridor (locally branded as “EmX”) linking downtown Eugene, downtown Springfield, and the University of Oregon opened in 2007. The second corridor to Springfield’s Gateway/River Bend area opened in early 2011. On October 9, 2006, the Eugene City Council identified West 11th Avenue as the City’s priority for the next EmX corridor study. The LTD Board of Directors endorsed the Eugene City Council’s action. Fifty-eight distinct alternative alignments for the West Eugene EmX Extension emerged for environmental analysis and extensive public review. In response to public input, LTD incorporated measures that mitigate many potential impacts to adjacent properties. This was primarily achieved by identifying segments where the EmX vehicles could travel in mixed traffic. On March 9, 2011, the City Council voted to support LTD’s construction of EmX in West Eugene and ththth selected the 6/7/11 route as the preferred route for West Eugene EmX. Based on this selection of a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), LTD submitted to the Federal Transit Administration a Small Starts grant application, Alternatives Analysis, demonstration of financial commitment, Fleet Management Plan, and additional technical documentation. LTD and FTA are currently completing a detailed Environmental Assessment comparing the impacts and benefits of the selected LPA and the S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M120213\S120213B.doc