Presenter: Brianna Nicolello
Mentors: Robert Zako, Sustainable Cities Initiative; Marc Schlossberg, Planning, Policy and Public Management
Oral Presentation
Major: Planning, Policy and Public ManagementÂ
Looking ahead, the cities of Eugene, Oregon and Springfield, Oregon are preparing for an influx of 50,000 new residents over the next 20 years – yet, there are no large-scale plans to build or widen infrastructure. Thus, existing corridors must be retrofitted to accommodate both vehicular and alternative modes of travel, particularly frequent transit that runs at least every fifteen minutes. This research examines values surrounding public transit in Eugene and Springfield and if there is potential for agencies to engage the community around these values to create greater consensus on frequent transit projects. Drawing on interviews with several hundred residents and key stakeholders,
I found that residents largely value transit as an interdependent and societally necessary public good, although their views diverge in regards to funding transit networks. These conclusions produced a framework that focuses on building community consensus through emphasizing shared values that can be applied to inter-agency efforts in mid- sized cities to envision and expand frequent transit networks.