LTD Board Votes "No" On EmX Service On River Road
Lane Transit District’s Board of Directors voted unanimously Wednesday night to not add EmX service on River Road due to escalating project costs. LTD will continue its focus on enhancing service and safety on the thoroughfare.
The proposed addition of EmX service on River Road was part of a package of transportation improvement projects known as MovingAhead, a collaboration between LTD and the City of Eugene to increase service and safety in five high growth areas: River Road, Coburg Road, 30th Avenue to Lane Community College, Highway 99, and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Since MovingAhead got underway in 2015, construction costs for the EmX have escalated by over 30%. Additionally, ridership estimates for EmX on River Road were lower by about 30%. Creating an “Enhanced Corridor” that addresses service and safety provides similar benefits for less money such as: bus lanes allowing the bus to “jump” ahead of other traffic at intersections using a separate signal; construction that makes walking, cycling, and using mobility devices safer; the installation of Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes; and enhanced pedestrian and bike crossings.
“This makes a lot of sense, the world has changed so much since the pandemic,” said Board Member Pete Knox (Subdistrict 5). “We have a lot more information now. I think this is a reasonable decision.”
LTD will continue to work with the neighborhoods and the City of Eugene to improve transportation and safety measures along River Road and in MovingAhead’s four other high growth areas.