In a forum held Friday, the City Club of Eugene allowed West Lane County Commissioner candidates to question each other and answer audience questions on the major issues confronting the county, but one University student felt the candidates overlooked her main issue: public transit.
While the cross-questioning permitted in the forum led to lively argument between the candidates Jerry Rust and Jay Bozievich, Julia Pommert, a University post-baccalaureate Sociology major, felt the controversy over plans for the West Eugene EmX bus line was an important local issue left conspicuously untouched by the candidates.
Pommert, who works with a pro-EmX student group called Live Move, considers herself an ardent supporter of public transit.
“Bus rapid transit is an essential component in having a more dense city,” Pommert said.
Pommert came to Friday’s forum to question Rust and Bozievich about their opinions on Lane Transit District’s intention to extend EmX into West Eugene. After being overlooked in the audience question and answer section of the forum, she approached the candidates post-debate to see what they had to say.
Bozievich, a civil engineer for Eugene Water and Electric Board, said he opposed development of the West Eugene EmX line and had been instrumental in negotiating a “no-build” plan with LTD.
“(The LTD Board) didn’t have a ‘no-build’ plan until I started squawking about it,” he said. “Overall, I’m not a strong supporter. In fact, you might consider me an opponent of the plan.”
Bozievich isn’t alone. The LTD Board of Directors has held numerous meetings with local business owners to address concerns, but “no-build” banners continue to sprout up in growing numbers across town.
Rust, a former county commissioner from 1977 to 1997, said he had not yet decided whether to support West Eugene EmX plans.
“I’m not ready to endorse the plan yet,” he said. “It’s still early in the process. I’ll have to see.”
Mike Eyster, associate vice president for student affairs at the University, has been working with the LTD Board in promoting the West Eugene EmX. He said it would improve the long-range quality of the community by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, miles traveled by individual motor vehicles and daily traffic congestion.
Eyster said he’s been somewhat mystified by the intensity of the opposition to the West Eugene EmX extension.
“In a lot of cases, we’ve either totally addressed or greatly reduced their concerns,” he said. “Yet these very same people remain opposed … it sure does seem organized and well-funded.”
Eyster toted the success of the existing Franklin EmX line.
“I think what has happened is there is a very narrowly focused opposition, and it’s difficult for people to see the regional benefits of public transit,” Eyster said. “We’re experienced with EmX now. We know that it really does get drivers out of cars ,and in the case of the Franklin line, no business owners were negatively affected.”
The West Eugene EmX is the third piece of the EmX grand scheme, which involves the Franklin line and the Gateway line, which is slated to open in January.
Three government bodies are responsible for implementing EmX plans: the Eugene City Council, the Lane Metropolitan Policy Committee and the LTD Board of Directors. LTD is scheduled to release its West Eugene EmX Alternatives plan on Oct. 29.
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