LTD ignores state and federal transit agencies on 6th/7th Avenues EmX . A guest viewpoint by Brian Weaver of Eugene.

By Brian Weaver

LTD ignores state and federal transit agencies on 6th/7th Avenues EmX 

In 1984 the Federal Highway Administration and Oregon Department of Transportation submitted an Environmental Assessment report to justify widening 6th and 7th Avenues to 4 lanes, from 3.  These agencies stated in their EA report that “both 6th and 7th Avenues have only 3 travel lanes in most sections and are congested now (1984) during peak traffic hours” (page #1).  They also state that “traffic volumes are projected to increase at least 30% over the 1982 volumes by the year 2000.” (page #27)
Now, the West Eugene EmX extension will be routed on 6th & 7th Avenues, from Charnelton to Garfield Streets.  The Lane Transit District has proposed "reassigning-a-lane" on about a quarter of this corridor, and intends to designate this lane exclusively for EmX buses and cars turning off of the corridor.  This design will eliminate a through traffic lane, which will reduce the traffic capacity by 25% in these sections; taking part of this corridor back, 27 years, to the 3-lane configuration.  


LTD has claimed that with this design “traffic analysis show that through traffic in this corridor will operate more efficiently because the design moves transit and right-turning vehicles out of the traffic flow for much of the corridor.”  LTD needs to recognize that they currently do not have any bus traffic on 6th and 7th Avenues, making this claim deceptive.  Traffic turning off of this corridor can not possibly offset the 25% decrease in traffic capacity, caused by the loss of a lane.
  
The Alternative Analysis report that the district submitted to the public, claims that traffic congestion will be reduced by this plan.  However, the district only references lofty traffic predictions based exclusively on the year 2031.  LTD's AA report does not consider traffic congestion the day after completion, nor does it consider the time during the 20 year period, to the year 2031.  LTD needs to consider the whole 20 year span of their project, not just 2031.  


LTD’s mitigated drawings show a 3-lane section on each avenue.  The length of these narrowed sections are 3 and 5 blocks long, and resemble "choke-points", or traffic constrictions.  Traffic will have to negotiate these constrictions, as they go from 4 lanes to 3 then back to 4 lanes.  The mitigated plan also shows a bus stop in front of the 7th Avenue Wells Fargo Bank, which will block a lane of traffic when the bus is stopped, loading and unloading passengers. 
   
LTD needs to recognize that the 1984 EA report states, “An alternative that involves widening only those portions of the streets where congestion would be worst is not considered reasonable.  This would mean 3 lanes in some sections and 4 lanes in others.  Weaving and merging of traffic resulting from widening from 3 lanes to 4 lanes, then tapering back to 3 lanes would lessen traffic safety and hamper the smooth, orderly flow of traffic."  (page #5)


The 1984 EA report also states, “In 1981, the accident rate (on 6th/7th) was 7.08 accidents per million vehicle mile, whereas the statewide average was 4.83." (page#14)  LTD needs to recognize that any immediate increase in congestion, caused by their plan, will result in an increase of accidents, as well.
LTD also needs to recognize that there is a good chance their project will impact bordering residential neighborhoods, as well.  The 1984 EA report states, “To avoid the congestion, some vehicles may instead use parallel residential streets, such as 5th and 8th Avenues.  Increased traffic on these residential streets is considered detrimental to the residential character of these neighborhoods.”  (page #27)


Most of this corridor is part of the state highway system and is also used as a freight-route through downtown Eugene.  Since this is ODOT’s jurisdiction, the department could address these 3-lane "choke-points", and would more than likely seek to widen the avenue back to 4 lanes, as they did in 1985.  This will open the door to future forced property acquisitions using eminent domain; so much for LTD mitigating the negative impacts of their plan.  The public has become wary of LTD because mitigation does not create real estate and thus can set the stage for more property seizures.


LTD needs to recognize that their proposed West Eugene EmX extension ignores ALL the logic used by the FHWA and ODOT, 27 years ago.  If they do not, it seems their plan is less about sensible public, commercial, and private transit, and rather more about the "free" federal money and keeping the LTD administrators employed.  If this plan is implemented, it will create more upheaval and permanently scar West Eugene.  To learn additional facts and accurate information on this misguided proposal visit Our Money Our Transit. 


Brian Weaver, an industrial electrician, has lived in west Eugene for 10 years.