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.
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May 31, 1994.
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