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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.19.18 City Council Work Session MinutesMINUTES Eugene City Council Harris Hall, 125 East 8�h Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 September 19, 2018 12:00 p.m. Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Betty Taylor, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, Claire Syrett, Chris Pyror Mayor Vinis opened the September 19, 2018, Work Session of the Eugene City Council. 1. WORK SESSION: Transportation Planning Engineer Chris Henry and Lane Transit District Senior Project Manager Sasha Luftig provided a MovingAhead update including policy direction, project history, process and engagement, and upcoming decision making. Council Discussion • Questions asked about whether LTD is working on other long-range planning scenarios that don't involve large buses. • Concerns expressed that the City and LTD are investing money in something that may become obsolete. Support an analysis of the likelihood of the disruption of technology and when that may happen. • Request made for an explanation of the difference between "enhanced corridor" and "bus rapid transit." • The Coburg Road transportation corridor is the most problematic and deserves attention. • Concerns expressed about how lack of transportation options or trip rate can contribute to economic fatality when businesses start being affected by it. • Support increased frequency of service which will help get people out of cars and onto buses, and help the City meet its CRO goals. • The ultimate goal of transportation corridors is to increase safety and cut transit time. • Need to be able to show how transit corridors are affecting all modes of transportation. • Information requested about how much the City saves when people stop using their cars. • Improvements are being seen on Highway 99 and River Road, specifically around pedestrian safety. • Questions asked about bike improvements in Coburg Road corridor, co -locating walking enhancements with bicycle enhancements and ways to cross the street safely. • Concerns expressed about the MovingAhead and Transit Tomorrow processes occurring at the same time and how LTD will reconcile the two outreach processes if there happens to be contradictory input. • Questions asked about when potential scaled projects would be available in order for the public to know what they would look like and be able to contribute to the conversation. • The report is well done, the alternatives are clear, and the next step for public involvement is being coordinated. • Public transit investments have many benefits including quality of life, more mobility, less time in traffic congestion, less individual cost, as well as reduced pollution and greenhouse gases. • Not a single community has lamented its investment in transit, but many wish they had done more sooner. MINUTES — Eugene City Council September 19, 2018 Page 1 Work Session • Anything that helps address CRO goals is important and this will also help with Vision Zero goals. • Consider offering free bus service, like Corvallis. If service is often enough and free -of - charge, people might not want to own cars. • Appreciate the public engagement parts of the report because commitment from the community on direction and needs is important. • Transportation planning is challenging because decisions must be made that consider both the present and future, even though the future is unknown. • Questions asked about how many people use the bus in the course of a year and how many are regular riders. • Consider looking at new funding sources for MovingAhead and Transit Tomorrow initiatives. • Consider allowing youth to ride the bus for free because encouraging them to get on the bus while they're young will help them become system users as adults. • Consider allowing pets to board the bus with their owners. • Transit Tomorrow presentation will be coming to Council on October 15. • The idea that people don't need the same level of service on weekends is not true. People who don't work a Monday -Friday schedule are disproportionately affected by the decreased weekend bus schedule; this is an equity issue that should be addressed. • Questions asked about plans to triple ridership in order to meet CRO goals and what the current number of travelers is during peak hours. The meeting adjourned at 1:22 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Elena Domingo Deputy City Recorder Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting: here. MINUTES — Eugene City Council September 19, 2018 Page 2 Work Session