HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem B: Prog.Corridor EnhancemtEUGENE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Work Session: Progressive Corridor Enhancement
Meeting Date: June 27, 2005 Agenda Item Number: B
Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Lisa Gardner
www. cl. eugene, or. us Contact Telephone Number: 682-5378
ISSUE STATEMENT
This is an opportunity for the City Council to receive information from Lane Transit District on a transit
service improvement strategy called Progressive Corridor Enhancement.
BACKGROUND
On February 23, 2004, the Eugene City Council met in joint session with the Lane Transit District
(LTD) Board of Directors. At that meeting, LTD provided an update on the Franklin Corridor EmX bus
rapid transit (BRT) implementation, transit service issues, and downtown transportation issues. Among
issues discussed were the timing of future corridor implementation, decision-process for corridor
selection, and the number of corridors projected to be completed within a 20-year planning horizon.
Since the 2004 joint session, LTD has developed a strategy to begin implementation of less expensive
improvements to transit service that achieve some of the benefits of BRT within a relatively short time
period. This strategy is being called Progressive Corridor Enhancement (PCE).
In a letter to Mayor Piercy and the City Council (Attachment A), LTD Board President Gerry Gaydos
provides an update of LTD projects, including the Franklin Corridor EmX, and provides a description
and implementation plan for PCE, including a proposed first corridor. Attachment B provides additional
detail of the PCE strategy, including a description of the elements and sequencing of four levels of
corridor improvements.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
PCE is consistent with the Transportation System Improvement (TSI) Planning and Program Actions
outlined in the Regional Transportation Plan. TS! Transit Planning and Program Actions related to the
PCE strategy include the following:
1. Transit Service Improvements 1.1 Provide service every ten minutes along major corridors.
1.5 Acquire low-floor buses to improve and speed access by riders.
1.7 Establish a pre-paid fare system along the BRT corridors to speed rider boarding.
2. Transit Facility Improvements
2.2 Implement transit signal priority system along major transit corridors.
L:\CMO\2005 Council Agendas\M050627\S050627B.doc
2.3 Support transit use through provision of bus stops, pullouts and shelters, optimum road
geometrics, on-road parking restrictions, and similar facilities, as appropriate.
2.4 Implement transit-priority techniques, such as exclusive bus lanes, restricted turn movements at
appropriate intersections for all vehicles except buses, queue-jumpers, and separate access ramps
along major corridors.
2.5 Provide transit facility improvements, such as shelters, benches, lighting, and transit schedule
information, at major bus stops.
The RTP also notes that some of these elements, such as low-floor buses, signal priority, and Park-and-
Ride system expansion, while part of a BRT system, would also be part of improvements that could be
made to the existing LTD system, even ifBRT were not pursued.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
Not applicable.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
Not applicable.
SUGGESTED MOTION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
A. LTD letter dated June 27, 2004 to Mayor Piercy and Eugene City Councilors.
B. Progressive Corridor Enhancement: Improving Transit on Key Corridors.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Lisa Gardner
Telephone: 541-682-5378
Staff E-Mail: lisa.a.gardner~ci.eugene.or.us
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ATTACHMENT A
June 27, 2005 Lane Transit District
P.O. Box 7070
Mayor Kitty PJercy and Eugene City Councilors' Eugene, OR 97401-0470
Eugene City Hall (541) 682-6100 (voice)
.125 East 8th Street
Eugene, Oregon 9740'1 (541) 682-6111 (fax)
Dear Mayor Piercy and City Councilors: (800) 735-2900 (T[Y)
Thank you for this opportunity to provide you an update on the EmX (bus Itd@ltd.org (e-mail)
rapid transit) project and information about the Progressive Corridor
Enhancement (PCE) project. We appreciate your continuing support for www. ltd.0rg (Internet)
transit in our community and for your partnership on the EmX project.
Franklin EmX
Construction of the Franklin EmX corridor is proceeding smoothly. The downtown
Springfield section was completed in the summer/fall of 2004. Work this spring and
summer focuses on the downtown Eugene segment. The transit lane on 10th Avenue is
nearly complete, and work has begun on East 11t~ Avenue. There may be some work
on Franklin Boulevard in late summer or early fall; however, most of the work on Franklin
Boulevard, as well as the construction of the stations, will occur in 2006. The
construction work is on schedule for a Fall 2006 service start.
There has been extensive communication to businesses and residents affected by the
construction. LTD staff have met with all the businesses on the corridor pdor to the start
of construction to inform them of planned closures and traffic impacts. In addition, a
construction update is sent several times a week via e-mail to a list of interested
persons. A "cup and chat" is held every Thursday morning at a location close to the
construction. This provides an opportunity for anyone interested in the work to meet with
and ask questions of the contractor, LTD staff, and City staff.
The procurement of an appropriate vehicle for the Franklin EmX service has been a
"environmentally friendly." LTD is very pleased that a vehicle to be developed by New
Flyer Industries meets these requirements. The EmX vehicles are scheduled to arrive in
August 2006. However, since this is a new vehicle that is being developed for this
application, the delivery date can change and this possibility poses the greatest threat to
meeting the fall 2006 start date for service. While LTD is monitoring the progress of the
vehicle development very carefully, the delivery schedule is not entirely within our
control.
Mayor Piercy and Eugene City Councilors
June 27, 2005
Page 2
Pioneer Parkway EmX
The Pioneer Parkway corridor, which links downtown Springfield with the Gateway-
RiverBend-lnternational Way area to the north is expected to be the second EmX
corridor. This project is currently under environmental review. Designation of the
corridor as a project eligible for funding has been requested as part of the
reauthorization of the transportation bill that currently is being considered by Congress.
If all goes well and the appropriations of funds follow, EmX service on this corridor will
begin in 2010.
Third EmX Corridor
Work on the third EmX corridor has been put on hold. Funding limitations preclude the
option of developing this corridor concurrently with the Pioneer Parkway corridor. It
makes the most sense to wait to proceed with the planning and environmental work until
the construction funding is within sight. At this point, construction of the third EmX
corridor is shown in LTD's Long-Range Financial Plan to begin in 2012. Planning for the
corridor should begin approximately five years before construction.
As you know, the Eugene City Council had selected the Coburg Road corridor as the
next EmX project within the City of Eugene. LTD and City staff had several meetings
with a group of Coburg Road stakeholders, and that group produced a Coburg Road Bus
Rapid Transit Corridor Study in January 2004. Further work on development of a
Coburg Road EmX project was put on hold because of the funding delay and because
there was no clear consensus on how best to proceed. When it is time to proceed with
the third corridor, we suggest that the City and LTD jointly review the corridor selection
to determine if Coburg Road is still the next best EmX corridor to pursue, or if another
corridor would have a higher priority.
Progressive Corridor Enhancement
It would be ideal to be able to implement the regional EmX system within a short period
of time. However, the costs for such a system dictate that there be an extended
implementation period. In response to this extended EmX development schedule, the
LTD Board has directed staff to begin implementation of less expensive improvements to
transit service that achieve some of the benefits of bus rapid transit and that can be
implemented within a relatively short period of time. This project has been called
Progressive Corridor Enhancement (PCE). (Note that LTD is working on a more
"marketable" term for the project.)
The attached document provides an overview of the PCE project. Four levels of PCE
implementation are described, ranging from transit signal priority to full EmX treatment.
Levels One and Two can be considered enhancements that remain within the realm of
conventional bus service. Levels Three and Four require special vehicles and have
significantly greater capital investment. These levels are considered EmX service.
Mayor Piercy and Eugene City Councilors
June 27, 2005
Page 3
PCE is not intended to replace EmX system development. The LTD Board remains
committed to working toward a complete EmX system as described in the Regional
Transportation Plan. We firmly believe that the establishment of EmX, with all its
features, is critical to the long-term success of transit in our community. Specifically, the
exclusive transit lanes, which are the key feature of EmX, are necessary to make transit
competitive with the automobile and control transit operating expenditures.
While POE does not replace EmX, it is a valuable tool for improving transit service. POE
will reduce transit travel time, improve service frequencies, and make the service simpler
to understand. In addition, due to the Iow capital investment, corridors can be improved
to a Level Two PCE within a relatively short period of time. POE will provide benefits to
transit users on several corridors that would otherwise not see EmX improvements for
many years.
LTD has requested funding as part of the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill
for the implementation of three corridors to a Level Two POE standard. If approved,
three cross-town corridors would be implemented by 2009.
First PCE Corridor
On Wednesday, June 15, 2005, the LTD Board agreed with the recommendation of the
BRT Steering Committee and selected the LCC/River Road corridor as the first PCE
Level Two corridor. Improvements to this corridor will include transit signal priority,
improved stops, some wider stop spacing, and queue-jumpers at selected intersections.
Service from LCC to River Road will be provided every 15 minutes during weekday
daytimes. The implementation date for these corridor improvements is Fall 2006.
The LCC to River Road corridor was selected as the first Level Two PCE project
because of high ridership, service compatibility of the two ends of the corridor, logical
cross-town service connections, and the relative ease of implementing the Level Two
improvements.
Partnership with City
LTD staff will work closely with partner agency staff and the public on the implementation
of PCE corridors. City staff were involved in the corridor selection and have met with
LTD staff to begin to coordinate planning and design efforts of the LCC/River Road
corridor.
LTD is, as always, interested in comments and suggestions from the Eugene City
Council on transit projects. It should be noted that LTD sees a clear distinction between
City Council involvement in this PCE Level Two project and an EmX project. The
LCC/River Road PCE project is similar to many other transit improvements that LTD has
made over the years. A full EmX corridor, on the other hand, is a significantly more
complex and costly project that requires a great deal more interagency coordination and
support. For that reason, LTD has agreed that selection of EmX corridors be done in
Mayor Piercy and Eugene City Councilors
June 27, 2005
Page 4
coordination with our partner agencies and that EmX projects not proceed without the
approval of the local jurisdiction in which the project is located.
LTD Board member Mike Eyster will attend the City Council work session. He can
provide additional information about EmX and PCE, and will be available to respond to
the Council's questions.
Thank you once again for the opportunity to meet with you.
SincerelG/~ ~d
of Directors
cc: LTD Board of Directors
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attachment
Q:~BRT~Partner Agencies~Eugene City Council~June 27 update.doc
ATTACHMENT B
Progressive Corridor Enhancement:
Improving Transit on Key Corridors
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has been identified in the Regional Transportation Plan as the preferred
transit strategy for the Eugene/Springfield area. Lane Transit District has begun implementing EmX
(the name selected for the BRT system). The first corridor, Franklin EmX, is under construction and the
second corridor, Pioneer Parkway EmX, is in the environmental review process.
The EmX system includes many features such as transit signal priority, wider stop spacing, improved
stops and stations, off-board fare collection, level boarding, and exclusive transit right-of-way. All of
these features are included in the initial construction of the first two corridors. LTD is considering a
progressive implementation of these features for future corridors.
The new progressive corridor enhancement approach would allow faster implementation of transit
corridor improvements while the commitment to complete the design on all planned EmX corridors
remains unchanged.
LTD has identified the following four levels of EmX corridor improvements. The implementation
sequence and schedule is dictated by funding and community support.
Level Level Level Level
Item 1 2 3 4
Transit Signal Priority * * * *
Extended stop spacing (4 stops per mile) *
Passenger shelters at most stops *
Selected queue-jumpers *
Extensive queue-jumpers ·
Exclusive transit ways or transit lanes *
Wide stop spacing (2 to 3 stops per mile) · ·
Stations with extensive passenger amenities * ·
Off-board fare collection · ·
Level boarding * *
Automated guidance and precision docking *
Advantages of Progressive Corridor Enhancement
[] Current transit service along corridors would benefit from travel time savings
[] Experience from incremental improvements would help prioritize future investments
r~ Community and business partners will experience enhanced transit and advocate for additional
enhancements
[] Financial investments can be made incrementally in concurrence with community growth and
development
[] P~ogressive enhancements facilitate movement to the next level of corridor development