ConnectOregon V funding for multi-modal transportation projects in Lane County

By Rob Zako
April 6, 2014

ConnectOregon logoOn Wednesday, April 9, 2014, at 5:30 pm, the Lane Area Commission on Transportation (LaneACT) will hold an important public hearing to consider funding for transit and transit-related project, as well as air, bike/ped and rail projects.

Background: In 2013, the Oregon Legislature authorized $42 million in lottery bonds for the ConnectOregon V program to fund air, bike/ped, marine/port, rail, and transit projects throughout the state.

Nine projects in Lane County are vying for funding, including three that are transit or transit-related and which are in the Eugene-Springfield-Coburg metropolitan area:

  1. (Bike/Ped) Lane Transit District: West 11th Avenue Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge Connections. $2,866,645
    LTD and its partners are making a significant investment in high-quality bus rapid transit along West 11th Avenue. This project will build 3 bicycle-pedestrian connectors—critical links between residential areas north and south of the corridor and jobs and services along West 11th. The connectors also enhance access to the EmX network,improving the project area’s links to the entire region. (learn more…)
  2. (Transit) Lane Transit District: Franklin Blvd Phase 1 Transit Stations$648,000
    LTD and the City of Springfield are working together to ensure that transit improvements are a key component to the transformation of Franklin Boulevard in Glenwood. This project will be the first phase of improvements made to EmX stations along Franklin Blvd to enable transit to function with a redesigned roundabout roadway.This will in turn maintain a critical transit connection for the area. (learn more…)
  3. (Bike/Ped) City of Eugene: Eugene Bike Share$909,066
    The City of Eugene proposes development of a public bike share system consisting of approximately 170 bicycles and 24 stations located near residential, shopping, employment, and transit centers in downtown Eugene and nearby areas including the University of Oregon (UO). This bike share system will fully integrate with a 4-station, 40-bike system being implemented on the UO campus in spring 2014. (learn more…)

The other six projects, which are not transit-related and which are outside the metropolitan area, are:

  • (Air) City of Creswell: Airport Taxi-lane/water/sewer line improvements$1,997,000
    This project has three parts: Construction of taxi lanes, Installation of a “loop” water line connection to City Water and Phase I-Engineering Design to connect the Creswell Hobby Field Airport to the City Sewer System. Infrastructure improvements to the airport will not only allow the needed growth but will also bring jobs—trainable labor as well as positions requiring additional skill sets. (learn more…)
  • (Bike/Ped) Port of Siuslaw: Siuslaw Bulkhead Restoration & Estuary Trail. $1,669,823
    This project will repair 800 feet and restore 350 feet of failing Siuslaw River bulkhead to maintain a critical link for marine transportation in Florence and allow for business expansion; and complete sections of the Estuary Trail which will link existing transportation routes and connect downtown employers and services with customers north of Highway 126. (learn more…)
  • (Bike/Ped) USFS McKenzie River Ranger District: McKenzie River Trail Restoration. $152,988
    This project includes the replacement of five major trail bridges, two major reroutes, and heavy tread maintenance work on the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail. A grant for three of the bridges has already been received from a Recreation Trails Program (RTP) Grant from the Oregon Recreation and Parks Program (ORPD). A successful grant from ConnectOregon V will fund the remaining work. (learn more…)
  • (Bike/Ped) USFS McKenzie River Ranger District: O’Leary Trail Complex Restoration$81,200
    The goal of this project is to restore the O’Leary Mountain Trail Complex in order to make the bike trail system more accessible to a broader range of people by improving the tread surfaces and rerouting the trails where necessary. (learn more…)
  • (Bike/Ped) Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: Bike Pods of Oregon. $348,000
    “Bike Pods of Oregon” encompasses a statewide roll out of 12 “Bike Pods” and 7 “Bike Hubs.” Bike Pods are strategically located in State Parks throughout the state to serve long distance overnight bicyclists. Bike Hubs provide amenities for day use cyclists and are located on public land, primarily in communities, along popular destination cycling routes. (learn more…)
  • (Rail) Roseburg Forest Products: UP Rail Expansion. $3,200,000
    This project includes re-establishing a once existing Union Pacific Railroad spur in a public transload facility located in Junction City, Ore. This will provide rail access to two Class I railroads and will expand shipping capacity not only for the local business community but throughout the Pacific Northwest as well. (learn more…)

After the public hearing, LaneACT will rank the projects from 1 to 9. Note that last month, the Metropolitan Policy Committee ranked the three metro, transit-related projects in the order listed above, and LaneACT is obligated to maintain the relative order of these three projects. But LaneACT can assign other non-metro projects higher or lower rankings.

After LaneACT completes its work, the ranked nine projects will  compete with other proposed projects in northwest Oregon, and ultimately across the state, to receive funding.

 Additional resources: