OMOT claims that LTD can’t provide the data to back up their claims.

Published with permission from Stop The Green Dragon/OMOT.

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From: Erin

Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 10:25 AM

To: VOBORA Andy; REES Cosette; KORTGE Dean

Subject: Please provide research referenced

Andy-

You stated:

"the plan moves EmX and right turning vehicles out of traffic flow for the most part.... research shows that would help traffic run more efficiently."

LTD has been referencing this research for a long time, and now I think I would like to see it.

Could you please provide the research citation that shows this?  and keep in mind, the existing conditions on 6th/7th.  There currently are NO buses that stop in traffic.  So technically you will not be "moving" EmX out of traffic because it was never there.  I would like the research that shows "re-assigning" a lane that currently does not contain bus stops will improve traffic. 

Thanks-

Erin

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From: VOBORA Andy

Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 10:32 AM

To: 'Erin'; REES Cosette; KORTGE Dean; EVANS John

Subject: RE: Please provide research referenced

The research referred to was the initial DKS studies that you have.  The traffic analysis is being updated as part of the analysis of the LPA and will be available in the near future. 

John – Will the traffic analysis be available when the small starts application goes to FTA?

Andy Vobora

Director of Service Planning, Accessibility, and Marketing

Lane Transit District

541-682-6181 (office)

541-501-9398 (cell)

andy.vobora@ltd.org

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 From: Erin

Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 10:37 AM

To: VOBORA Andy

Cc: REES Cosette; KORTGE Dean; EVANS John

Subject: Re: Please provide research referenced-

 as far as i know, this report focused on current conditions and projections for 2031, not the day after you take the lane away.  Is this the only research you have?  i typically think of "research shows" as existing information out there to compare to. 

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On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 10:44 AM, EVANS John <john.evans> wrote:</john.evans>

Andy and Erin- to be more precise, your statement should have said “all previous project analysis (see current AA report) and preliminary indications from current analysis still underway indicates…”

The full analysis of the project, including all traffic analysis will be available in its entirety for OMOT’s (and the public’s) review and comment when it is completed, reviewed and published later this year.  ODOT and the City of Eugene transportation engineers have been participants in the design and refinement of the project from the beginning.  We are currently working through a typical process of review and coordination with ODOT which will be followed by additional detailed technical review by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Following these reviews by the agencies responsible for verifying the validity of the analyses, FTA will direct LTD to publish the full project analysis as part of the Environmental Assessment which will be available for full review and comment by the public.

John Evans, AICP

Senior Project Manager

Lane Transit District

PO Box 7070

Eugene, OR 97401

Phone: 541-682-6146

Cell: 541-913-6430

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From: Erin

Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 11:33 AM

To: EVANS John

Cc: VOBORA Andy; KORTGE Dean; REES Cosette; Matt Cooper

Subject: Re: Please provide research referenced

So the only research is your own analysis, which isnt even completed?

I think if you are going to make public claims that you are basing this on research, you should have something in hand that supports your theory, and not tell me to wait until a tentative report is released in a few months (and with the history of LTD and the FTA, release dates seem to be delayed more than not). 

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On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 11:43 AM, VOBORA Andy <andy.vobora> wrote:</andy.vobora>

The research has been done and continues to be done by qualified professionals.  The updates will be ready when the engineers complete their work and the process, as John explained, allows the distribution of the information. 

Andy Vobora

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From: Erin

Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 11:50 AM

To: VOBORA Andy

Cc: EVANS John; KORTGE Dean; REES Cosette; Matt Cooper

Subject: Re: Please provide research referenced

ok, then, can you please provide the research that shows "re-assigning" a lane that currently does not contain bus stops will improve traffic at the time it is implemented?  because this is what you seem to be claiming.....

maybe you can provide the page number on that DKS report that shows this? 

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On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 11:52 AM, EVANS John <john.evans> wrote:</john.evans>

Erin- please see my response below that states’ “ all previous project research and…”.  We were attempting to be responsive to your group’s request for detailed final information while the formal federal analysis is ongoing.  Please refer to the AA report for information about the previous alternatives.  For the LPA design-specific effects, I can understand the desire to have all possible information immediately available upon request but we have to ask for your understanding of the current stage of the project (analyzing the LPA) and how we are following the project’s requirements for the analysis to be developed, reviewed and released for public comment.

John Evans, AICP

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From: Erin

Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 1:16 PM

To: EVANS John

Cc: VOBORA Andy; KORTGE Dean; REES Cosette; Matt Cooper; sonny.p.chickering@odot.state.or.us

Subject: Re: Please provide research referenced

So- your corrected statement is "all previous project analysis (see current AA report) and preliminary indications from current analysis still underway indicates it would help traffic run more efficiently".

Considering the AA doesn't include year of implementation, you have nothing to support your claims besides the upcoming analysis results?  that is a pretty simple question that you seem to be sidestepping.  Either that, or all your claims of "help" only exist in 2031. 

Here is a report that talks about "re-assigning" a lane, and how it is not the preferred method in the US.  and this is based on a system with buses stopping in traffic, which we dont have.   This report show a few reasons EmX in Eugene is a flawed plan. 

www.itdp.org/documents/20110526ITDP_USBRT_Report-HR.pdf

and your statement " I can understand the desire to have all possible information immediately available..." is a little misleading.  i just wanted information you are currently basing statements on, that would assume you have it in hand. 

LTD on the Ropes. A Dear LTD guest viewpoint by Scott Reynolds.

BY SCOTT REYNOLDS

These last few weeks have not been very kind to our friends at Lane Transit District. While not very much media attention has been afforded recently to LTD's ill-conceived West 11th EmX project, or even to the beginning of new LTD general manager Ron Kilcoyne's tenure leading the agency, LTD has managed to thrust itself into the spotlight, with the aid of local citizens on a couple of these occasions.

A few weeks ago, MyEugene published a video on their site in which local citizen Ben Hallert's dash camera caught an EmX bus speeding through a red light on Gateway Street in Springfield near Applebee's. In the video, it is clear that the light for Hallert was green for a good second or so before the EmX barreling through the intersection even comes into view! This incident also was featured on KEZI 9.In the MyEugene article, it is also mentioned that LTD will not discuss how this matter was handled with the driver due to union rules. In this same article, LTD spokesperson Cosette Rees stated that "safety is extremely important to LTD".

On June 18, the Register-Guard reported that the Oregon Legislature cut funding to a program that provided free transportation to middle and high school students in the Eugene/Springfield area, and LTD responded on a Facebook post that they will be losing about $1.2 million in funding. In this same Facebook response, LTD stated that they assume youth fares will replace about $600,000 of that moneyand no cuts will need to be made. Additionally, in the same post, LTD did state that if they had to absorb the entire $1.2 million in cuts, that some operating budget cuts would likely have to be made.

On July 16, KEZI aired a report about an LTD bus operator pinning the bus between construction on Pearl Street and a fire hydrant, which blocked traffic in the area.

Yesterday, LTD also made the news again on KEZI for a bus operator driving the wrong way down Lincoln Street near downtown Eugene, when it should have headed south on Charnelton Street. We would like to give credit to Jeffery Egbert for sending the photo of the offending bus to local media!

Regular readers of this page may remember a recent article published here aboutEugene attacking free speech in which it is mentioned that LTD had limited access to its Facebook page so that citizens and taxpayers could not post on their wall anymore. Today  Michael Weber was on KEZI today because LTD requested that Weber change a Facebook page previously known as "Dear LTD" to a group as opposed to a page. Weber refused to back down to LTD's demands to do so, but did compromise on changing the name of the page to "Dear Lane County Public Transit, can you hear me now?" Weber also started another blog site about LTD at dearLTD.blogspot.com.

In closing, it is beyond my understanding why LTD is even trying to waste this community's resources and time in trying to build an EmX system that has been hotly contested every step of the way, and that we believe a majority of our community does not want. At the public hearing held in February at the Hilton and the hearing held at the Wheeler Pavilion at the Fairgrounds a few months later, people speaking in opposition to the EmX outnumbered those speaking in support by nearly a 2 to 1 margin. All around town, signs can be seen opposing the EmX project, but how many do you see supporting it?

In just the last few weeks, LTD operators have, without shadow of a doubt, shown a blatant disregard of traffic laws and for the safety of the general public, had their funding cut by $1.2 million with no idea how much may be recouped by youth pass fees, and has expended energy into limiting free speech by harassing an administrator of a Facebook page that had fewer than 100 readers at the time. When 3 unsafe driving incidents have been caught on camera/video in under a month, it is terrifying to think about how many more similar incidents like these have occurred that were not caught on film.

Rather than go chasing after tens of millions of dollars to fund an unwanted project that will do more to disrupt business, cause the loss of an untold number of jobs (which fund LTD operations by way of payroll tax) and has no proven need, LTD needs to return to its core functions of simply providing SAFE, frequent and efficient bus service to all parts of its service area, and making sure that its drivers are operating the buses in a safe and law-abiding manner. For LTD to focus its energy on anything else at this time is absolute nonsense.