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FecZera~Priorities 2007 7"rans~ortation <br />Pioneelr Parkway EmX <br />Bus Rapid-Transit <br />Request <br />Lane Transit District (LTD) seeks $29.6 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) "Small <br />Starts" funds to design and construct the Pioneer Parkway EmX as authorized in SAFETEA-LIJ. <br />EmX is the name given to LTD's bus rapid transit system. EmX is a rubber-tired system that <br />uses exclusive transit lanes, signal priority, off-board fare collection, special vehicles, and other <br />transit priority techniques to emulate light rail. The first EmX line, the Franklin EmX, began <br />operations in mid-January 2007. Early indications are that the new service has increased transit <br />ridership by more than 30 percent. Pioneer Parkway EmX will be an extension of the Franklin <br />EmX from downtown Springfield into the rapidly growing Gateway area of north Springfield. <br />•' Background <br />The Pioneer Parkway EmX service will connect downtown Springfield (the east end of Franklin <br />EmX) with the rapidly developing Gateway/RiverBend area to the north. When combined with <br />the Franklin .EmX and operated as a .single route, <br />there will be fast, frequent,. and convenient service aone~a~w~ycor~a <br />~PrankGn EmX <br />linking. downtown Eugene, the University of Oregon, ~ ®RoneerPatkwayEtnX <br />downtown Springfield, the Gateway area, ~ ~x--«~ ~ EmXS~tions <br />0 .2 A 6 <br />RiverBend, and the IndustrialWay-campus area. -~ ~~_ ~~ <br />nFA~.u°nD t~RR: - <br />The Gateway/RiverBend area is one of the most ~~- ' °~~'°` ~. <br />rapidly developing regions in the metropolitan area. ,,,, `~ , <br />By 2025, it is expected that .there will be an s <br />additional 9,000. employees in the area, which is - - <br />more -than double the number of employees ~ _ <br />currently in that area. The rapid increase of ,~ <br />development in .the Gateway/RiverBend. area has , <br />` contributed to some of the most. significant -.'"R`A`"~ "" °~1e~° E <br />transportation challenges in the Eugene-Springfield <br />metropolitan region. The future increases. are ~ (~ <br />expected to place added strain or- the transportation <br />infrastructure. __._ ~~ <br />on <br />9 1. <br />LTD has completed an Alternatives Analysis and an <br />Environmental Assessment, with a "Finding. of No <br />Significant Impact determination received m - <br />January 2007: There has been extensive- public ~; -~ <br />involvement throughout the project, from the initial ~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ _~ <br />t design work and through the determination of a <br />_.__ <br />Locally Preferred Alternative and the environmental. _ ~!---~~ _ -- ~ "' <br />-. ° <br />analysis. _ - z - - - - <br />~ ua <br />. - 4u ~` _ <br />_, ~ `~ ~ <br />