Students desperate to attend the Cinemark $1.50 movie theater in Springfield will be able to travel with more environmental sensitivity by the end of 2010.
Lane Transit District began roadwork and construction for the Gateway EmX Extension Project along International Way in Springfield on Monday. The Gateway EmX Extension will expand the EmX Green Line Services that exist between downtown Eugene and downtown Springfield to the Gateway Mall and surrounding area.
“I think it would be good to extend the bus system,” University freshman and business major Henry Corelle said. “I would definitely be up for riding the bus more often if it meant I could see more movies for $1.50.”
LTD Gateway EmX Extension Communications Coordinator Lisa VanWinkle is confident the extension project will help University students identify with the Springfield community.
“When the new route is finished, we expect that students will visit the Gateway Mall more frequently,” she said. “We are also hopeful that creating an easier way to travel from Springfield to campus might make some students look toward Springfield for more affordable housing options.”
The $41-million project is expected to take 18 months to complete and aid the local economy by creating 400 local jobs.
VanWinkle said LTD chose to expand the project toward Gateway Street and along International Way because of the rapid growth of business and industry in the area.
“The Gateway area is sprouting with new businesses,” she said. “You have Sacred Heart Medical Center, Royal Caribbean, Pioneer Pacific College and Pioneer Plaza out there.”
With Lane County unemployment rising above 12 percent, VanWinkle said the bus project will help provide transportation for residents and workers who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it.
Philip Farrington, the director of land use, planning and development for Sacred Heart Hospital at Riverbend, said the EmX Extension project was underway before the hospital had chosen a location and is a great option for employees who don’t want to bother taking a car to work.
“About 10 percent of the people employed at the hospital take the traditional LTD service, and I expect that number is going to grow when people realize how easy it is to use the EmX,” he said. “This is going to be a great marriage between a high-capacity transit and a high-employee center.”
Although VanWinkle said the city is gaining a valuable alternative extension of EmX, she said LTD is slightly concerned that citizens will be upset because crews will have to remove 40 trees.
“People in this community love their trees,” she said. “However, people should know that the species that we are removing are problematic and their roots wreak havoc on our sidewalks in the area. I will assure concerned residents that LTD will replant trees once the Gateway EmX corridor is finished. “
VanWinkle said EmX is not only planning to expand out in Springfield, but will continue to extend its services past Eugene Station in the future.
“We should have the plans for the route of EmX finished by the end of 2010,” she said. “It probably wouldn’t be finished until 2015, but we anticipate that it will help students commute more easily then.”
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