Planning Commission

AGENDA Meeting Location: Sloat Room—Atrium Building Phone: 541‐682‐5481 99 W. 10th Avenue www.eugene‐or.gov/pc Eugene, OR 97401 The Eugene Planning Commission welcomes your interest in these agenda items. Feel free to come and go as you please at any of the meetings. This meeting location is whe elchair‐accessible. For the hearing impaired, FM assistive‐listening devices are available or an interpreter can be provided with 48 hours notice prior to the meeting. Spanish‐language interpretation will also be provided with 48 hours notice. To arrange for these services, contact the Planning Division at 541‐682‐5675. MONDAY. JANUARY 28, 2013 – REGULAR MEETING (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) 11:30 a.m. I. PUBLIC COMMENT The Planning Commission reserves 10 minutes at the beginning of this meeting for public comment. The public may comm ent on any matter, except for items scheduled for public hearing or public hearing items for which the record has already closed. Generally, the time limit for public comment is three minutes; however, the Planning Commission rese rves the option to reduce the time allowed each speaker based on the number of people requesting to speak. 11:40 a.m. II. ENVISION EUGENE UPDATES: INVESTMENT STRATEGIES Staff: Robin Hostick, 541‐682‐5507 12:30 p.m. III. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PLAN UPDATE Staff: Kurt Yeiter, 541‐682‐8379 1:15 p.m. IV. ITEMS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF A. Other Items from Staff B. Other Items from Commission: C. Learning: How are we doing? Commissioners: Steven Baker; Jonathan Belcher; Rick Duncan; Randy Hledik, Chair; John Jaworski; Jeffery Mills; William Randall, Vice Chair PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 1 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 2  AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: January 28, 2013 To: Eugene Planning Commission From: Kurt Yeiter, Senior Transportation Planner, Public Works Engineering Subject: Eugene Transportation System Plan Update ACTION REQUESTED: This memorandum provides a status report on the Eugene Transportation System Plan update. The last Planning Commission update on this project was on May 7, 2012. No action is requested at this meeting. BACKGROUND: The Eugene Transportation System Plan (“TSP”) is being updated to replace TransPlan as Eugene’s local comprehensive transportation strategy. The Transportation System Plan will support the Envision Eugene vision for future growth and mobility over the next 20 years or more. The plan will provide goals and policies to direct future changes to our transportation system and a list of projects and programs needed to implement these changes. The Transportation System Plan addresses all modes of travel, so it must weave together direction from the Airport Master Plan, Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, Lane Transit District’s long range transit plan (not yet completed), and other plans. Principal funding for the city’s Transportation System Plan update is provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Work on the Transportation System Plan has been informed by a community dialogue through the Transportation Community Resource Group (TCRG), which invites participation from all original members of the Envision Eugene Community Resource Group (CRG), the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan project advisory committee (PAC), the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), a multi-agency Technical Advisory Committee, and others. At the suggestion of the TCRG, “triple-bottom line” metrics were integrated into the decision- making process using the Sustainable Transportation Analysis and Rating System (STARS), developed in Portland, as a template. With this approach, the resultant transportation system can optimize its effects on environmental, societal, and economic conditions. All research, reports, meeting materials, feedback, and a new project video are available on the project website: www.EugeneTSP.org. In addition to the Eugene Transportation System Plan there will continue to be two additional regional transportation plans required by state and federal regulations: the Regional Transportation System Plan (RTSP) and Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), respectively. Preparation of the regional plans occurs through separate, but coordinated, processes managed and funded by other parties. 1 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 3 WHERE ARE WE NOW? The work program (and funding) is divided into two distinct stages. The following key tasks and products were completed during Phase 1, which is now coming to an end: • Creation of a community involvement process, including an interactive, multi-agency transportation planning website. • Establishment and meetings of the Transportation Community Resource Group. This group discussed land use regulations, Envision Eugene, bicycle and pedestrian planning, transit planning, transportation options and demand management techniques, street design, the Sustainable Transportation Analysis and Rating System, LCOG’s regional traffic model and areas of projected congestion, statewide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduced state and federal funding, and the products listed below. • An Existing Conditions Report and updated traffic measurements at 50 intersections. • A regional traffic model updated to better reflect the development potential recommended by Envision Eugene’s technical resource group. • Draft goals and objectives. • A list of potential transportation projects and programs worthy of further consideration. • Evaluation criteria and research to establish the best methods of measuring the criteria parameters. • Outreach to the Sustainability Commission, Housing Policy Board, and Human Services Network. • Coordination with the Lane Livability Consortium and other regional planning efforts. WHERE ARE WE GOING? Phase 2, which should be funded by March 2013, will entail an evaluation of all the potential projects, winnowing projects that do not meet community objectives, and project prioritization. Through an iterative process, the goals, objectives, and policies will be refined to better reflect community needs as indicated by the prioritized projects. The regional traffic model will be updated in April to incorporate Envision Eugene’s preferred growth scenario. The Transportation System Plan will be packaged for adoption and integrated with Envision Eugene and other plans – in the end, the Transportation System Plan will function as the transportation element of the Envision Eugene comprehensive plan. The second phase of the transportation plan, including the adoption process, may take 18 months. The public involvement strategy emerging for Phase 2 includes continued, but strategic use of the large TCRG advisory forum, increased use of smaller focus groups and contacts with individual community organizations and neighborhood groups, and increased use of the website’s interactive capabilities. Staff will work with the Planning Commission throughout the process, but especially on procedural matters as the adoption process draws near. The following issues will likely be fundamental to successful completion of the Transportation System Plan: • Adjusting expectations to the predictions that there will be much less funding available for transportation projects in the future. • Making sure that the final list of transportation projects and programs truly reflect community needs. • Integrating the Transportation System Plan with other local and regional plans so that together they tell a clear and cohesive narrative. 2 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 4 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: None, for discussion purposes only. FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Kurt Yeiter, Senior Transportation Planner Telephone: (541) 682-8379 Staff E-Mail: Kurt.M.Yeiter@ci.eugene.or.us Project Web Site: www.EugeneTSP.org ATTACHMENTS: A. What We Are Hearing B. Draft Frequent Transit Network Policy C. Draft goals, objectives, and evaluation criteria (including TCRG comments) REFERENCES: 1. Project lists (figures): http://www.centrallanertsp.org/sites/default/files/EugeneTSP_ScreeningResults_Figures_0.p df 2. Memorandum re Evaluation Framework: http://www.centrallanertsp.org/sites/default/files/EugeneTSP_EvaluationFramework_0.pdf 3. Memorandum re Long List of Potential Project and Program Ideas: http://www.centrallanertsp.org/sites/default/files/EugeneTSP_PotentialProjectIdeas_0.pdf 3 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 5 4 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 6  ATTACHMENT A What We Are Hearing. For more than a year, the Transportation Community Resource Group studied Envision Eugene, the Climate and Energy Action Plan, the Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative (OSTI) and greenhouse gas reduction strategies, transit planning, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, projected state and federal funding, and street design. One workshop used the Sustainable Transportation Analysis and Rating System (STARS) to help shape the Transportation System Plan in a “triple bottom line” framework. While we cannot say that every member of the TCRG agrees on every point, the following themes seem to be emerging to guide the Transportation System Plan: • The Metro Plan, TransPlan, and Eugene’s Growth Management Policies provide a good foundation for the future, but the Transportation System Plan should be updated to explicitly address climate change, energy uncertainty, and sustainability. • True sustainability is very difficult to achieve, but sensible steps towards this goal should be taken soon. The Transportation System Plan should do its best to meet the goals set forth in the local Climate and Energy Action Plan and Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative. • Increases in fuel prices create increased demand for alternatives to travel in single-occupant automobiles, such as for public transit, safe and convenient bike facilities, and housing located nearer stores and employment. Demand for these services will increase in the future. • Money not spent on transportation is money spent locally and is good for the local economy. • There will be significantly less state and federal money available in the future for transportation projects. ODOT will focus its spending on maintaining and preserving the highway system. • Transit funding fluctuates: When revenues go down, demand for transit goes up. Local transit service needs a more stable funding source. • Envision Eugene’s “Key Transit Corridors” are among our most vibrant and congested commercial areas. • Successful transit depends on the character of the built environment (e.g., density, connectivity, mix of uses, design, and amenities). • Our streets are not wide enough to accommodate all travel modes all the time, for everyone. We must find the right balance on how to use the space within limited rights-of-way. • Freight movement is important. • Equity and access matter. • Congestion is probably unavoidable, and we should reconsider our tolerance for more congestion. • Our transportation future may be very different and harder to predict because of new 5 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 7  technologies and trends. • Resiliency to rapid changes and the effects of climate change is very important. 6 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 8  ATTACHMENT B Public Transit is a regional service that is critical to local transportation needs. In a parallel process to the development of Eugene and Springfield’s Transportation System Plans, a Regional Transportation System Plan and a Long Range Transit Plan are also being developed by the Lane Council of Governments (acting as the Central Lane Metropolitan Planning Organization) and Lane Transit District, respectively. Through these coordinated efforts a new policy describing the need for a “Frequent Transit Network” is evolving. A draft policy, presented below, is being considered as a refinement of TransPlan’s Bus Rapid Transit policy. This proposed policy more clearly defines the desired services to be provided, is less reliant on the design of the infrastructure, and allows more flexibility in implementation over time. The intention is that this or a similar policy can be adopted for all the appropriate local plans. Public Transportation System Development of a Frequent Transit Network (FTN) for the Central Lane Metropolitan Area is an important strategy towards meeting regional transportation goals. Policies relating to the FTN and a map depicting locations of the FTN are provided below. Implementation of the FTN is discussed in the Lane Transit District Strategic Plan. Policy 1: Implement a network of higher capacity frequent transit corridors serving existing and proposed high-density land uses throughout the Eugene/Springfield metropolitan region that provide viable alternatives to vehicle trips . Definition and intent: The frequent transit corridors shall be referred to as the “Frequent Transit Network (FTN).” The FTN network represents the highest orders of transit service within the region. The FTN represents corridors where transit service would be provided, but does not presume specific street alignments. Street alignments will be determined in future studies. FTN stops will be located closest to the highest density development within the corridor. FTN Corridors will have the following characteristics: • Enables a well-connected network that provides regional circulation • Compatible with and supportive of adjacent urban design goals • Operates seven days a week in select corridors • Service hours are appropriate for the economic and social context of the area served • Coverage consists of at least 16 hours a day and area riders trip origins or destinations are within ¼ of a mile-straight line distance • Frequency is at least every 10-15 minutes in peak travel times • Speed is no less than 40 percent of the roadway speed limit • Coverage throughout the region is geographically equitable and serves Title VI protected populations • Transit service is reliable and runs on schedule • Transit vehicles are branded 1 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 9 • Transit stations are of high quality with amenities, including bicycle and pedestrian connections to stations and end-of-trip facilities, such as bike parking. Park and rides are provided at key termini. Policy 2: Enable transit-supportive land uses to develop along designated FTN corridors by removing institutional barriers. Definition and intent: The cities of Eugene and Springfield will encourage transit-supportive land uses within one-quarter mile of FTN corridors. Institutional barriers refer to zoning or other development regulations that currently prevent construction of high density residential, commercial, or other development that would be likely to produce high levels of transit ridership. Policy 3: Encourage transit-supportive development along FTN corridors through public private partnerships or other approaches. Definition and intent: Funding for transit-supportive development can be obtained in several ways. Agencies throughout the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan region commit to exploring traditional and alternative financing structures for transit-supportive development. [Source: Working draft “Regional Transportation System Plan” prepared for the Central Lane Metropolitan Planning Organization by CH2M Hill, January 2013] 2 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 10 3 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 11 4 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 12 5 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 13 6 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 14  7 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 15  8 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 16  9 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 17  10 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 18  11 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 19  12 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 20  13 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 21  14 PC AIS January 28, 2013 - Page 22