The huge EmX West expansion project by LTD will be officially opened September 17, 2017. The goals of the project are to support the local economy, reduce congestion and road damage, reduce pollution, reduce parking demand, connect people to jobs and opportunity, and provide choice in how we move.
With the west expansion, EmX provides 24 round trip miles and connects downtown with UO, PeaceHealth and Gateway. EmX carries 1 in 4 LTD passengers. Most hotels are on an EmX pathway, allowing tourists to get around more easily. There are 300,000 people in LTD’s service area.
Why West 11th?
The west transit route is one of LTD’s busiest transit corridors. West 11th Walmart and Target are two of the busiest stops. 81,000 jobs and 52,000 residents are within 1/2 mile.
As part of this project, LTD used federal money to rehab more than 6 miles of roadway which benefits everyone that uses those roads. The before and after is remarkable now that crossings, sidewalks, trees and better roads have been added.
Benefits to the community include better and safer accessibility in to and out of West Eugene. There is now better infrastructure for all road users, which combined with better transit service will bring sustainable economic development.
In addition to the 6 miles of road improvements, five additional miles of new or rebuilt sidewalks were put in. Two new pedestrian signalized crosswalks were added as well as 35 filtration planters for run-off. Additionally, many roads were widened to allow for better traffic flow and shorter travel times.
40% of new transit service is in West Eugene. The West expansion added four additional miles of EmX service. LTD redesigned routes to eliminate redundancy, provide more efficient transfers and increase frequency.
LTD planted double the amount of trees they took. 188 accessible corners and ramps were installed. 26 traffic signals were added. New buses have USB chargers and all future buses will be hybrid or fully electric buses.
Eight local artists were hired to create public art along the routes. 1% of federal monies must be used for this purpose.
Businesses will benefit from this project in the long run and LTD has done everything possible to accommodate businesses through the construction including modifications of design. Construction was done as much as possible at night. LTD reached out to businesses one-on-one to try to alleviate concerns.
Join LTD on September 17 for the Grand Opening!
Click here for more details.