Project Information

History

In Oregon, every city, county, and the state is required to have a Transportation System Plan. Every Transportation System Plan needs to coordinate with the other Transportation System Plans of nearby cities and counties, as well as the state's. Historically, long-range transportation system plans for Eugene and Springfield were developed as part of a regional planning effort. The last substantial update to the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area transportation system plan (TransPlan) was adopted in 2002.

This project will result in the first Transportation System Plan customized specifically for Eugene. The Eugene Transportation System Plan will still be consistent with the Regional Transportation System Plan and will be coordinated with the City of Springfield's Transportation System Plan. Both of these plans are also being prepared now, and ongoing coordination is taking place between all of the local, regional, and state agencies.

Current Project

The City of Eugene is studying the current transportation system and how it could change to meet the long-term (20-year) needs of Eugene’s residents, businesses, and visitors. The result of this study will be a Transportation System Plan that will include all transportation modes, including freight, pedestrians and bicyclists, personal vehicles, transit, rail networks, airport, and pipelines. The Transportation System Plan will then be included in the city’s comprehensive plan (Envision Eugene), as the section dedicated to transportation issues.  The plan will look at ways to maintain the extensive infrastructure invested in our street and sidewalk/shared path networks and continue to improve the efficiency of our street network.

The Transportation System Plan will be developed to comply with Oregon’s Transportation Planning Rule (TPR) and to align with the Oregon Highway Plan, and other local, regional, and state policies, plans, and rules.

Public comments will be collected through the study period and when the draft Transportation System Plan is published. Comments on the draft plan will be reviewed and considered by the City of Eugene and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The revised Transportation System Plan will then be considered for local adoption by the City Council and formalized by the ODOT. The adopted Transportation System Plan will include a project list that can be incorporated into city, county and state transportation plans and will help to prioritize funding sources for these identified projects. This project list helps to inform the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), regional Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP), and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

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Other Projects

Eugene is known for being independent in making decisions that are right for our community and for the environment, and for being an innovator when it comes to transportation. With more than 10% of our residents regularly riding their bicycles to work, Eugene is one of only ten cities in the U.S. that has achieved gold-level status as a Bicycle Friendly Community (League of American Bicyclists). And Eugene is one of the first U.S. cities to enjoy full Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service through Lane Transit District's EmX line, achieving rail-like benefits at a fraction of the cost. In 2000, the Eugene City Council agreed to promote a sustainable future that meets today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

The Eugene TSP will follow this legacy of clear thinking and focus on the future. By partnering with other innovative efforts such as Envision Eugene, the Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, and the Eugene Climate and Energy Action Plan, Eugene is looking to transform the way it thinks about transportation needs, and craft a transportation plan that will help the community grow in a healthy and sustainable direction.

Definitions

Some of the documents and meetings for the Eugene Transportation Plan (TSP) will include acrynoms or other words that may be new to you. If you don't find a definition in the list below, please send us an email and we can add it to the list. 

  • CIP – Capital Improvement Program, forecasts the City's capital needs over a six-year period based on various long-range plans, goals and policies
  • Envision Eugene – The City of Eugene’s process for updating its comprehensive plan
  • Goals - Broad statements of philosophy that describe the hopes of the people of the community for the future of the community. A goal may never be completely attainable but it is used as a point towards which to strive.
  • MTIP - Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program. Projects for several regional partners are included in the MTIP. Regional agencies involved in the MTIP include MPO member agencies Lane County, Eugene, Coburg, Lane Transit District, ODOT, and LCOG, and Willamalane Parks and Recreation District. More information about MPO projects and programs, including a complete copy of the FFY 2010-2013 MTIP, can be found at www.thempo.org.
  • Objectives - An attainable target that the community attempts to reach in striving to meet a goal. An objective may also be considered as an intermediate point that will help fulfill the overall goal.
  • ODOT – Oregon Department of Transportation
  • Policies - Statements that are adopted to provide a consistent course of action, moving the community towards attainment of its goals.  Because they are often used as decision criteria, policies are sometimes used to approve or deny an individual development project or funding proposal (such as TransPlan).
  • STIP – Transportation Improvement Program, this document identifies the funding for, and scheduling of, transportation projects and programs around the state
  • TransPlan - Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area transportation system plan, last updated in 2002
  • TPR – Transportation Planning Rule, a state-wide rule that is directed at maintaining balance between the land uses allowed 
    under a comprehensive plan and zoning (such as Envision Eugene) and the transportation system that supports 
    those land uses
  • TSP – Transportation System Plan, required by the State of Oregon