HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/24/16 - City Council Newsletter
City of Eugene
125 East 8 Avenue, 2 Floor
thnd
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
March 24, 2016
IN THIS EDITION
PUBLIC OUTREACH NEXT STEP IN RAILROAD QUIET ZONE PROCESS
EUGENE SPRINGFIELD FIRE AND COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMDRILL
AROUND THE CITY
Public Outreach Next Step in Railroad Quiet Zone Process
A citizen advisory panel wants to hear what people have to say about a proposed railroad quiet zone in downtown and
the Whiteaker neighborhood.
The Public Works Department convened the 11-
member Railroad Quiet Zone Citizen Advisory Panel
last November to look at options for increasing
safety at 10 rail crossings that would qualify Eugene
to become a “whistle-free” zone. Over the course of
five meetings, the panel focused on the 1.5-mile
section of the Union Pacific mainline between
Hilyard and Van Buren streets. But, if those 10
crossings were designated “whistle free,” Union
Pacific train engineers would not sound their routine
crossing horns in the Eugene area for a stretch of
more than seven miles – from I-5 to Irving Road
(which is under Lane County jurisdiction).
At each of the 10 crossings the panel has developed
preliminary recommendations for safety
improvements, including “quad” gates, medians, the conversion of a section of Jefferson Street to one-way southbound,
and the closure of Lawrence Street (dependent on approval of the design of a new Amtrak siding west of Willamette
Street).
The panel also was charged with providing a recommendation for funding the safety measures. Preliminary estimates
of the total cost range from $6.8 million to $7.3 million. At this point, the consensus of panel members is to remain open
to a variety of funding options, with a preference for using existing revenues such as urban renewal funds as much as
possible, and, if necessary, funding the balance from a new revenue source such as a local bond measure.
Businesses and residents have been actively engaged in drafting the preliminary proposal, and a number of
presentations to stakeholder groups have been scheduled in March and April. The panel hopes to reconvene in May to
consider the community input on the draft proposal and craft a final recommendation tentatively scheduled to be
submitted to council this summer.
A website at www.eugene-or.gov/quietzone offers a wealth of information about the railroad quiet zone proposal,
including a calendar of public meetings which features a community open house on Apr. 26, an online comment form, a
brief introductory video, maps and timelines, answers to frequently asked questions, and meeting notes and materials
related to the citizen panel discussions. For more information, contact City Engineer Mark Schoening at 541-682-5243.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
March 24, 2016
Eugene Springfield Fire and Community Emergency Response Team Drill
On Mar. 19, approximately 50 area Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, Eugene Springfield
firefighters, and other community members joined together for an emergency response exercise. The City of Eugene
and the City of Springfield hope the lessons learned from this
joint exercise will help enhance neighborhood disaster-planning
efforts.
Experience teaches that following a major disaster, individuals
may need to rely on each other before professional emergency
services can arrive. In an effort to support a disaster resilient
community, CERT volunteers and Eugene Springfield Fire came
together to use their triage and disaster medical skills from
basic CERT training to support local fire professionals.
The City of Eugene and
City of Springfield
Emergency Management
programs work closely together to train CERT volunteers as part of their
disaster preparedness and community outreach programs. The CERT training
program includes basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search
and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. The City of
Eugene administers the Eugene-Springfield Area CERT program.
For more information, go to the CERT website www.Eugenecert.com. Local
coverage of the event may be viewed at http://nbc16.com/news/local/cert-training-in-eugene, or
http://www.kezi.com/news/Locals_Participate_in_Emergency_Disaster_Drill_.html. For questions regarding this article,
contact Devonne Maxey, Emergency Management Risk Services Division, or email Devonne.x.maxey@ci.eugene.or.us.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
March 24, 2016