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Emerald Express (EmX)
Encyclopedia
The Emerald Express is a bus rapid transit
(BRT) system in the Eugene
-Springfield
metropolitan area in Oregon
, United States
. It is provided by the Lane Transit District
(LTD) which is the public transit authority in Lane County, Oregon
.
LTD chose bus rapid transit after a review process in which several transportation options, including light rail
, were considered. It was decided that the BRT option was the best fit for Eugene-Springfield's size and current transportation needs.
The route (the Green Line) was opened in early 2007, connecting downtown Springfield to downtown Eugene. There are ten stops along the four-mile route, including the University of Oregon
.
Less than a year later, ridership had doubled in the corridor, and the city of Eugene was nominated for the 2008 Sustainable Transportation Award, and received an honorable mention. An extension was opened on January 9, 2011, connecting EmX to the Gateway Mall
as well as Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend
and International Way.
s for most of the route (60%), with normal roads in between. The vehicles are given signal priority via ground-loop signaling to the traffic control system, with special traffic signals at intersections. The vehicles have two sets of doors on the left and three on the right, allowing loading from platforms on either side. Most of the right hand side platforms can only accommodate the rear two doors. Riding the Emerald Express was free when it began operations, but now costs regular fare. The vehicles are equipped with continuously variable transmission
which allows for quick but smooth acceleration from stops and through the various road segments.
On weekdays, service runs approximately from 6:00am to 11:00pm. Buses arrive every 10 minutes throughout the day, with longer headway
s during the evening and the first hour of the morning. More limited service operates during the weekend.
In the first month of operation buses had trouble with the signal priority system; buses had to achieve careful positioning to communicate with the signaling loop, and light priority was not always immediate. Early tests of the system caused the light control systems to crash when signal priority was requested, resulting in blinking reds in all directions until an engineer could reset the terminal. LTD worked with the control software vendor to iron out the bugs.
in downtown Eugene to the Springfield Station in downtown Springfield, and also serves the University of Oregon
. Local artist Linn Cook was selected by a committee of artists and community members to create cast and formed metal railings depicting indigenous plants. Each station features a different plant.
The Green line is four miles long and cost $25 million to design and build. The Green Line replaced Route 11 along the corridor. Rush hour travel times were reduced by 6 minutes to 16 minutes, or 27%. Ridership doubled in the corridor in the first year. For fiscal 2008-2009 ridership was 1,592,122 boardings over 17,583 bus-hours, or an average of 91 boardings for a bus on the road for one hour.
. Gateway Station has been completed. LTD eventually plans to run EmX along all main transportation corridors in the metro area.
Some local businesses and residents that oppose extending EmX service to West Eugene say that it would be expensive, unnecessary, and could cause a decrease in property values.
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
(BRT) system in the Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
-Springfield
Springfield, Oregon
Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by Interstate 5, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area...
metropolitan area in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is provided by the Lane Transit District
Lane Transit District
The Lane Transit District is a public agency that provides public transportation in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The transit district serves the Eugene metropolitan area, including the neighboring cities of Springfield, Junction City, Creswell, Cottage Grove, Veneta, and Lowell...
(LTD) which is the public transit authority in Lane County, Oregon
Lane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
.
LTD chose bus rapid transit after a review process in which several transportation options, including light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, were considered. It was decided that the BRT option was the best fit for Eugene-Springfield's size and current transportation needs.
The route (the Green Line) was opened in early 2007, connecting downtown Springfield to downtown Eugene. There are ten stops along the four-mile route, including the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
.
Less than a year later, ridership had doubled in the corridor, and the city of Eugene was nominated for the 2008 Sustainable Transportation Award, and received an honorable mention. An extension was opened on January 9, 2011, connecting EmX to the Gateway Mall
Gateway Mall (Springfield, Oregon)
Gateway Mall is a shopping mall located in Springfield, Oregon, United States. Owned by General Growth Properties, it has of retail space. The mall opened in 1990 and is located next to Interstate 5, which largely divides the cities of Eugene and Springfield. Located at the mall is two Cinemark...
as well as Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend
Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend
Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend is a hospital in Springfield, Oregon, United States. It is one of two Sacred Heart facilities in the Eugene-Springfield area owned by PeaceHealth. The other facility, Sacred Heart Medical Center University District, is in Eugene. The new facility is home to a...
and International Way.
Description
The EmX system is made up of sections of dedicated bus laneBus lane
A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
s for most of the route (60%), with normal roads in between. The vehicles are given signal priority via ground-loop signaling to the traffic control system, with special traffic signals at intersections. The vehicles have two sets of doors on the left and three on the right, allowing loading from platforms on either side. Most of the right hand side platforms can only accommodate the rear two doors. Riding the Emerald Express was free when it began operations, but now costs regular fare. The vehicles are equipped with continuously variable transmission
Continuously variable transmission
A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
which allows for quick but smooth acceleration from stops and through the various road segments.
On weekdays, service runs approximately from 6:00am to 11:00pm. Buses arrive every 10 minutes throughout the day, with longer headway
Headway
Headway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for...
s during the evening and the first hour of the morning. More limited service operates during the weekend.
In the first month of operation buses had trouble with the signal priority system; buses had to achieve careful positioning to communicate with the signaling loop, and light priority was not always immediate. Early tests of the system caused the light control systems to crash when signal priority was requested, resulting in blinking reds in all directions until an engineer could reset the terminal. LTD worked with the control software vendor to iron out the bugs.
Green Line
The first line of EmX, the Franklin Corridor (or EmX Green Line), began service on January 14, 2007. It runs from Eugene StationEugene Station
Eugene Station is the primary bus station and terminus in Eugene, Oregon, United States, serving the buses of the Lane Transit District . Construction began with the official groundbreaking in 1996 and the station opened in April, 1998...
in downtown Eugene to the Springfield Station in downtown Springfield, and also serves the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. Local artist Linn Cook was selected by a committee of artists and community members to create cast and formed metal railings depicting indigenous plants. Each station features a different plant.
The Green line is four miles long and cost $25 million to design and build. The Green Line replaced Route 11 along the corridor. Rush hour travel times were reduced by 6 minutes to 16 minutes, or 27%. Ridership doubled in the corridor in the first year. For fiscal 2008-2009 ridership was 1,592,122 boardings over 17,583 bus-hours, or an average of 91 boardings for a bus on the road for one hour.
Gateway Line
The route goes along the newly constructed Pioneer Parkway corridor and beyond that to dedicated bus lanes that were integrated into Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and RiverBend Drive during the construction of those roads. Service started on January 9, 2011. This 7.8 mile extension links downtown Springfield to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBendSacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend
Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend is a hospital in Springfield, Oregon, United States. It is one of two Sacred Heart facilities in the Eugene-Springfield area owned by PeaceHealth. The other facility, Sacred Heart Medical Center University District, is in Eugene. The new facility is home to a...
. Gateway Station has been completed. LTD eventually plans to run EmX along all main transportation corridors in the metro area.
Future West Eugene extension
LTD is currently in the process of planning an expansion of EmX's service into the West Eugene area, connecting it to downtown Eugene and Springfield. The agency expects to finalize the planned route in 2011, after conducting environmental analyses and collecting public comment. A number of route alignments are currently under consideration, focusing on West 6th, 7th, or 13th Avenues to connect with West 11th Avenue somewhere near Chambers or Garfield Streets. One alternative places service on West 7th Place instead of West 11th Avenue between Garfield and Seneca Rd. All alternatives continue down West 11th Avenue to a planned terminus and turnaround near Commerce Street.Some local businesses and residents that oppose extending EmX service to West Eugene say that it would be expensive, unnecessary, and could cause a decrease in property values.
Stations
| EmX Green Line | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Type | Location | Coordinates | Notes | Photo |
| Eugene Eugene Station Eugene Station is the primary bus station and terminus in Eugene, Oregon, United States, serving the buses of the Lane Transit District . Construction began with the official groundbreaking in 1996 and the station opened in April, 1998... |
C | 10th Ave at Olive St | 44°02′55.1"N 123°05′37.3"W | LTD Bus Station, Platform T |  |
| High Street | M | 10th Ave at High St | 44°02′55.7"N 123°05′16.5"W |  |
|
| Hilyard | M | 11th Ave at Hilyard St | 44°02′51.5"N 123°04′56.5"W |  |
|
| Dads' Gates | M | 11th Ave at Old Campus Lane | 44°02′51.8"N 123°04′39.3"W | University of Oregon University of Oregon -Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :... , West end of Campus |
 |
| Agate | M | Franklin Blvd at Agate St | 44°02′47.2"N 123°04′09.8"W | At East end of University of Oregon Campus | |
| Walnut | M | Franklin Blvd at Walnut St | 44°02′41.2"N 123°03′40.5"W |  |
|
| Glenwood | C | Franklin Blvd at Glenwood Blvd | Separate eastbound and westbound curbside platforms on opposite sides of the street |  |
|
| Lexington | C | Franklin Blvd at Lexington Ave | Separate eastbound and westbound curbside platforms on opposite sides of the street |  |
|
| McVay | M | Franklin Blvd at Main St | 44°02′39.1"N 123°01′51.4"W |  |
|
| Springfield | C | S A St. at Pioneer Pkwy E | 44°02′44.0"N 123°01′18.8"W | LTD Bus Station, Platforms F and G | |
| E Street | C | Pioneer Pkwy W at E St | Southbound | ||
| F Street | C | Pioneer Pkwy E at F St | Northbound | ||
| Centennial | M | Pioneer Pkwy at Centennial Blvd | |||
| Q Street | M | Pioneer Pkwy at Q St | |||
| Hayden Bridge | M | Pioneer Pkwy at Hayden Bridge Way | |||
| RiverBend | M | Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy at RiverBend Dr | |||
| Sacred Heart | M | RiverBend Dr at Cardinal Way | Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend is a hospital in Springfield, Oregon, United States. It is one of two Sacred Heart facilities in the Eugene-Springfield area owned by PeaceHealth. The other facility, Sacred Heart Medical Center University District, is in Eugene. The new facility is home to a... |
||
| International Way East | M | International Way | |||
| Maple Island | M | International Way at Maple Island Farm Rd | |||
| International Way West | M | International Way | Symantec Corporation | ||
| Kruse Way | C | Gateway St at Kruse Way | Separate northbound and southbound curbside platforms on opposite sides of the street | ||
| Postal Way | C | Gateway St at Postal Way | Separate northbound and southbound curbside platforms on opposite sides of the street | ||
| Gateway | C | West side of Gateway St., south of Oakdale Ave. | 44°04′25.0"N 123°02′33.8"W | LTD Bus Station at Gateway Mall Gateway Mall (Springfield, Oregon) Gateway Mall is a shopping mall located in Springfield, Oregon, United States. Owned by General Growth Properties, it has of retail space. The mall opened in 1990 and is located next to Interstate 5, which largely divides the cities of Eugene and Springfield. Located at the mall is two Cinemark... |
|
| Guy Lee | C | Harlow Rd at Guy Lee Park | Separate northbound and southbound curbside platforms on opposite sides of the street | ||
| Pheasant | C | Harlow Rd at Pheasant Blvd | Separate northbound and southbound curbside platforms on opposite sides of the street | ||
| Type Code: C = Curbside station or M = Median station | |||||
External links
- Lane Transit District official website with description of project
- Federal Transit Administration description of the project
- Bus Rapid Transit Policy Center description and evaluation of the project
- Our Money, Our Transit, website that opposes West Eugene extension.