The Oregon Transportation Commission has set aside a pot of money for projects that fall outside of traditional roads and bridges. Lane Transit District has been awarded $2.8 million to build three new bike/pedestrian bridges in West Eugene.
Anyone who's ever tried to walk or bike across West 11th Avenue knows it can be sketchy.
Vobora: "You see people run across the street in the middle of the street and it's really unsafe."
Andy Vobora is with LTD. He says many people don't realize how many residents live just south of the traffic laden street.
Vobora: "Right across Amazon Creek there is a lot of high density, some low income housing projects. So, what these projects are really doing is connecting those neighborhoods up to the West 11th corridor. Whether they use EmX or just go to those businesses."
Vobora says controversy over an EmX bus line out West 11th has died down but for a few "No Build" signs. He says construction of the line will begin this fall. Bridge construction is scheduled for 2016. Walkers and bikers in west Eugene may be interested to know one of the bridges will connect to the Fern Ridge Path.
