FTA 21-04
Contact: Melissa Sabatine
Email: Melissa.Sabatine@fta.dot.gov
Tel.: (202) 366-4043
Thursday, July 08, 2004

U.S. Department of Transportation Invests 2.3 Million to Bring Bus Rapid Transit to Eugene and Springfield

Construction of a new Bus Rapid Transit system servicing Eugene and Springfield will begin soon thanks to a grant announced today by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. Bus Rapid Transit establishes dedicated routes for buses to operate with same speed and efficiency as a subway.

“Bus Rapid Transit gives communities the best bang for their buck when it comes to investing in transit,” said Secretary Mineta. “This new system will better connect workers to jobs, shoppers to stores and Oregon to the rapidly growing economy.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration awarded the $2,297,297 grant to the Lane Transit District (LTD) for the design and construction of its EmX Project’s Springfield Station. EmX is the name of the LTD’s bus rapid transit system. The first EmX corridor will be a four-mile line from downtown Eugene to downtown Springfield.

In July 2003, the main construction began in downtown Springfield, with the new Springfield Station due for completion in September 2004. Construction of all stations and road widening will occur in 2005. EmX vehicles will begin arriving in early 2006, and testing and operator training will be scheduled several months prior to service implementation in Fall 2006.