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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1993)
A«;% fi/MNtM • P»f*r Keyes, Associate Professor of Architecture, speaks on the need to look at the whole picture of the traffic problems In Eugene at the City Council meeting Tuesday night. Bridge proposals to be rejected By Tiffany Woods For the Oregon Deity Emerald DECISION: Ferry St. Bridge rroposais 10 create a irnmc bridge near the Autzen Foot bridge will be rejected, n com mittee evaluating the effects of alternative transportation sys tems along Alton Baker Park said Inst week. The Fast Alton Baker Park Citizen Planning committee opposed suggestions to rebuild or expond rerrv .Street bridge, saying me propos als disrupted the atmosphere of the park. "We are interested in preserving the integrity of the park, and as such, we oppose any alternative that puts a road through the park,” said committee Vice Chairman Joseph Minato. These alternatives were included in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, a comprehen sive analysis of the Kerry Street Bridge and sur rounding area. Local engineering firms, environmental consultants and staff from the city of Eugene ond the Oregon Department of Trans portation have worker) on the study since 1989. The study evaluates four options for their envi ronmental impacts and their potential to address problems near the park. Two of the options, Alter native B and Alternative D. would have serious effects on Alton Baker Park as they would mean additional construction through the park. The committee said these alternatives were flawed and the DK1S did not sufficiently address their tin par ts on the surrounding area "We ore thoroughly unconvinced by the DhIN that any of the alternatives are at cuptublu." Minn to said "We intend as a group to document the flaws of the DEIS. Among the flaws, the committee said the em i ronmental statement ignores the issue of passive recreation, does not address noise impai t. locks a verification that people would indeed use alter native transportation modes, neglects the impact of buses and does not emphasize alternatives for bicyclists and pedestrians Gesturing toward the DEIS manual in front of him, committee member Arthur Maud said. 1 Ins is an extremely good argument to show what we don't want to happen (to the park)." Committee Chairman Wayne Hill agreed, saying a new bridge would split the park in half "This doesn't help the park." he said "It cuts it in pieces.” But David Reinhard. transportation director for the city of Eugene, said there will always he some opposition because of different points of view. I he planning commission will now forward recom mendations to the City Council, which will con duct another public hearing. Construction of one of the four alternatives could begin after 199B PARKING Continued from Page 1 signs. He said knowing the rules of the road is the driver's respon sibility. "You don't pay attention to things until it impacts you," Drayton said. "If I put it in a big neon sign, would that be suffi cient every time there's a change?” Drayton went on to explain some reasoning behind the rule. Officers on duty have a diffi cult time patrolling lots if they aren't able to see the permits, which are always placed on the back bumper. Cars backed up against a large bush make this a near-impossible feat, and over crowded lots only add to the problem. "That becomes a regulatory nightmare," Drayton said. Talley said he was told a dif ferent story at OPS when he went to complain about his ticket. He said he was told that by pulling out of a parking space head-first, he would drift into a second lane. which might Imi unsafe. Carey said head-out parking could very well 1h> n safety issue "Probably 90 percent of the folks out there could probably make this maneuver and never hit a bicyclist or a pedestrian or another vehicle, but for that 10 percent that's out there, it's a big enough issue." he said "For the one person’s life that it may save because we're enforcing this or one injury that we may save because of it, I think it's worth it." Talley does not agree that safe ty is involved. "You can see a lot 1 Hitter when you're facing the direction in which you are moving as opposed to having to reverse out and possibly hit somebody." Tal ley said. "To call it two lanes in a parking lot is to stretch things " Corey said campus parking is not an easy issue to deal with. The small number of spaces available is a scarce resource compared to the large number of people who commute. "This is not a K-Mart lot where there is pleats of room far plan ts of people We have very small spaces," lie said. The fine for parking head-out is SI r> To some students like Tal ley. this is too expensive for the offense. "This is a case where people that generally try to do the right thing are being punished heav ier for when we do the thing pur posely." Talley said "I thought it ironic that il I had just parked in a two-hour spot, and stayed there the whole day and gotten a ticket for it. it would have only cost me Sr> People who do receive tickets have the right to petition About tit) percent of people who file a petition have their fines either reduced or waived. A board exists to review cases, usually by i becking the student's past park ing record. Carev said he believed the law was necessary "It's not arbitrary or capricious. And those are the things that you evaluate a law on." he said "It's not out there to get somebody.” BRIDGE Continued from Page 1 only be used by bust's, special shuttles, pedestrians and bicy (lists An l.TD board member said the alternative (jives buses a competitive advantage and encourages people to use Autzen Stadium .is a "park and ride station." Other citizens said an eight lane bridge is unreasonable and would hurt the quality of living in Kugene One resident said mum people are moving to Kugeite to escape large citv development and would be opposed to the eight-lane bridge ( atizens attending Tuesday s hearing also i oiuplemed that an environmental impact study (DMIS) of the four alternatives yvas incomplete and tailed to recognize important environ mental i oncerns surrounding each option " The DK1S does not provide comprehensive analysis." said (oseph Minato. y u e chair of the Alton baker I’ark ( at iron's Plan ning Committee Within the nest month, the planning commission and i itc zen advisory committee will make re< oinmend an alternative to City (animal, said |llti West, city transportation planning engineer City Council will then sched ule its own public hearing in November so it can select an alternative sometime before Jan uary. I he citv could choose one of the four proposed alternatives or combine two options. If a building option is < boson. West said the < 11\ could use $24 million in federal funds ear marked for the project Another S14 million is available from the Oregon Department of Trans portation Constructed in 1 *»T> 1 through a citv and stage agreement, the Ferry Street bridge serve es tral 111 from ten major streets and highways in Fugene, including Interstate 105, Centennial Boule vard, ( oburg Bond and Franklin Boulevard. An estimated 54.000 veliit les i ross the bridge every day Citv officials s,i\ the bridge has needed major slrm tural repair since 1971 In 107(1. side walks on the bridge were widened and a ramp was limit down to Alton Baker Park People wanting more informa tion about the four proposed alternatives and the environ mental impai t statement can visit a public information i enter open weekdays from It to am. until 1 p m at M Jacobs Pinza, til West ivighth Street Citv staff will be available to answer uuv questions. Please Recycle This Paper Bring in your current Student ID and get a Folkways card entitling you to 10% off all purchases through May 31, 1994. 762 E. 13th Avc. Next to the Excelsior 343-8667 Aim downturn in (he Fifth St. Public Market 296 E 5th Avc 681-2204 FOLKWAYS IMPORTS Peace Corps On UO Campus Oct 13-14 Information Table Wed-Thurs. Ocl 13-14. I0am-3pm. EMU Special Presentations • How to Qualify: Wed. Oct 13. EMU-Cedar A&B, 12:30- 1:30pm • Teaching in the Peace Corps Math and Science Volunteers share slides and stones Wed. Ocl 13. EMU-Cedar A&B. 7 *>pm • Peace Corps Experience Video Thur, Ocl 14 EMU Cedar AAB. 12:30 I 30pm Interviews Interviews tor summer/fall openings will he held Oil 2f^27 In w tiedulc an appointment, call Anna Aguilar at 346-6026