Rapid transit hits the street.

Byline: Andrea Damewood The Register-Guard

It all came down to one VIP-packed bus ride at 11:40 a.m. Sunday.

Twelve years of planning and $24 million in funding for the Lane Transit District's EmX system culminated with a 60-foot-long bus jammed to its ground-level doors with dignitaries.

The 44-seat rapid transit bus welcomed transportation higher-ups, including James Simpson, administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., all waiting to see if the transit would indeed be rapid.

"I was a little bit nervous," driver Carl Faddis said. "There was a lot of pre-trip preparation."

The bus hummed along the EmX Green Line - connecting the downtowns of Springfield and Eugene along Franklin Boulevard - on a route expected to shave several minutes off the Route 11 line, which often averaged 22 minutes in peak hours.

But even as they made the four-mile journey, officials were busy changing gears and setting their sights on the system's next additions. Planning already has begun on a second EmX line along Springfield's Pioneer Parkway and Gateway Street, and a third line may be destined for west Eugene along or near West 11th Avenue.

"It's exciting; it's the beginning of a new transportation future," said DeFazio, the new chairman of the House Surface Transportation Subcommittee, which allocates $60 billion a year in federal funding to projects that include mass transit. "This is the first of its kind in the country."

The EmX actually debuted with a first bus leaving the Springfield terminal at 8:10 a.m. Sunday. But few were as crowded as the VIP bus, which attracted about 100 people, most of whom ended up standing.

Despite the close quarters, riders laughed as Faddis paused to allow more officials aboard at each of the route's eight stops.

Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken said he will probably use the line for meetings at Eugene City Hall.

"The stations are so close to city halls, I actually expect to be riding it pretty regularly," he said. "Especially because it's so hard to find parking."

The ability to bypass congestion through bus-only lanes and traffic signal preference was also a draw for Leiken, mirroring what LTD officials hope will push EmX ridership to 4,200 daily, compared with 2,800 on Route 11.

While Faddis slowed significantly as he navigated medians and faced a few long wait times at signals, he cited only one glitch - in the form of a missed signal at one station - as the bus opened its doors in downtown Eugene at 12:01 p.m., 21 minutes after its departure.

Faddis said he expects that time to shorten as EmX drivers and riders acquaint themselves with the route.

After getting off, Simpson, DeFazio and Matthew Garrett, director of the state Department of Transportation, took turns lauding the new line.

"This was thought of about 10 years ago," said Simpson, whose department has supplied $21 million to LTD's rapid transit dream. Oregon "is really a bellwether state for the rest of the country."

As for 4-year-old Ben Schoemaker, who rode the bus later in the afternoon, he was simply happy to ride a big new bus. The Eugene youngster was making a round trip with his father, Lee, and then going to the Eugene Public Library to get a book on buses.

"It's cool," he said. "Because it's like a snake."

EMX: JUST THE FACTS

"The Green Line"

The route: Four-mile corridor along Franklin Boulevard between downtown Eugene Station and downtown Springfield Station; includes eight stops, with about 60 percent of route on exclusive bus lanes; replaces Route 11

The schedule: Every 10 minutes on weekdays, every 20 minutes on evenings

and weekends

The cost: Free to ride

The buses: Sixty-foot articulated vehicles with doors on both sides, electric-diesel hybrid, room for two wheelchairs and three bicycles; four on route at any given time

More information: www.ltd.org

or 682-6100