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HomeMy WebLinkAbout190219 JEO WSMINUTES – Eugene City Council February 19, 2019 Page 1 Joint Work Session and Meeting of Eugene Urban Renewal Agency M I N U T E S Joint Meeting of the Eugene City Council and Lane Transit District Board of Directors Harris Hall, 125 East 8th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 February 19, 2019 5:30 p.m. Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Betty Taylor, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Chris Pryor, Mike Clark Councilors Absent: Claire Syrett, Greg Evans LTD Board Members Present: Carl Yeh, Don Nordin, Kate Reid, Joshua Skov, Emily Secord, Steven Yett, Caitlin Vargas Mayor Vinis and Board Chair Carl Yeh opened the February 19, 2019, Joint Meeting of the Eugene City Council and Lane Transit District Board of Directors. 1. JOINT WORK SESSION: MovingAhead Project Update City Engineer Chris Henry, Principal Planner Terri Harding, and LTD staff Andrew Martin presented information about the proposed corridor investment packages in the MovingAhead Project. (Councilor Zelenka arrived at 5:45 p.m.) Discussion • Councilor Clark – acknowledged and appreciated the efforts made by many and the investment on this initiative; encouraged consideration of technological changes that may occur in the 10-year timeframe that could impact assumptions and strategies. • Ms. Reid – asked when LCOG funding and implementation information would be available and whether it would look at each package; supported developing general funding strategies. • Councilor Yeh – supported strategies that address all modes of transportation and show a nexus with other livability issues; asked why there was not a higher level of investment planned for Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, noting the importance of keeping open the option to more fully develop infrastructure for this very high density area; asked why there were no bike improvements planned along Coburg Road and MLK Boulevard. • Mr. Yeh – stated that MovingAhead has the potential to address a number of important community issues such as housing and climate recovery; said it is important to be ready with projects when funding becomes available. • Councilor Pryor – said there is a need to start planning now for the 10-year goal of a safe, reliable transportation system that addresses the shared community goal to reduce single-use vehicles; said new technology should be considered, but it won’t replace other needs. • Mr. Nordin – asked whether attention was being given to exurbs in the planning process; anticipated a huge influx of people to the region which will significantly impact the transportation system. • Councilor Taylor – requested information about LTD’s plans for service on weekends, holidays, and other traditionally off-peak times. MINUTES – Eugene City Council February 19, 2019 Page 2 Joint Work Session and Meeting of Eugene Urban Renewal Agency • Ms. Reid – noted that House Bill 2017 looks specifically at intercity transportation links and options; reminded everyone that public comment is still being accepted on the Transit Tomorrow webpage. • Councilor Semple – Asked about plans to accommodate dogs and bicycles on buses; reported receiving many complaints about bus schedules and lack of service. • Mr. Skov – acknowledged the feedback LTD receives about increasing weekend and evening service; said new technology may make alternative modes more useful and feasible. • Councilor Zelenka – supported prudent investment now in multi-modal infrastructure, noting that responding after-the-fact to traffic impacts is always more expensive; MovingAhead is a huge project with huge impacts that will be worth it in the long run and necessary regardless of culture changes. • Ms. Reid – cited the West 11th EmX service as an example of a long-term project that resulted in usable transit with many peripheral benefits; noted that Transit Tomorrow is a shorter-term project but iterative and very informative for long-term planning. • Councilor Clark – ascertained that approximately eight percent of the population are regular bus riders; suggested that if the goal is to get more people to use alternate modes, the same money allocated for this project could be spent making electric vehicles available to everyone. • Mr. Nordin – noted that any strategy that adds more vehicles to local streets will have a negative effect. • Councilor Yeh – reiterated that the value of the MovingAhead project is that includes improvements for all modes of transportation and all types of users; voiced concern that a “no build” plan for Coburg Road is untenable. • Ms. Secord – stated that MovingAhead does not ignore the potential for new technology. • Mayor Vinis – appreciated the connections made between MovingAhead and Transit Tomorrow. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to direct staff to take the MovingAhead Proposed Investment Packages described in Attachments C and D out for public review. PASSED 6:0. MOTION AND VOTE: Board Chair Yeh, seconded by Board Member Skov, moved to direct staff to take the MovingAhead Proposed Investment Packages described in Attachments C and D out for public review. PASSED 7:0 Board Chair Yeh adjourned the meeting of the Lane Transit District Board of Directors. Mayor Vinis adjourned the meeting of the Eugene City Council and convened a meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency. 2. URA WORK SESSION: Downtown Riverfront Development Community Development Director Mike Kinnison, City Engineer Matt Rodrigues, and Principal Landscape Architect Emily Proudfoot provided an update on the Downtown Riverfront project, including next steps for council and public input. Council Discussion • Councilor Zelenka – asked how plans for development of affordable housing using a Multiple Unit Property Tax Exemption would work with the proposed phased approach for the riverfront redevelopment.