Meetings Steering Committee(Folders 1-2)

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October 31, 1994 BRIEF ANALYSIS OF THE PGE SITE AS A CHERRIOT TRANSFER FACILITY Background The Transit District has been studying the question of a downtown transfer site location for a number of years. A preferred site, the Senator Block on High St. between Chemeketa and Court Sts., was recently lost to the District as a potential location due to Maaon County development plans for that block. The District remains committed to the selection of a centrally-located site for its transfer facility. We are, further, attempting to abide by the rimeline placed by the City of Salem, which directed in the summer of 1993 that the District be removed from its current on-street location in High St. within two years. There are two viable sites that have been under consideration by the Transit District recently--on High 5t., at the Oddfellows Bldg. site, and the Marion Parkade. There are many other sites which have been discussed, in numerous studies over a twenry year period. Very few of the many potential sites are viable for use as a h~ansit center. The PGE site, located one-half block north of Divisiom St. between-Liberty and High, has been suggested on several occasions by persons interested in locating transit facilities outside the core area. This paper is intended to briefly review the feasibility of this location. 5ITE CHARACTERISTICS The PGE site is one-half mile north of the current facility at Court and High. It is bounded by Liberty on the west, High on the east, Mill Creek on the north, and several apaitments which front on Division St. on the south. Useable space is approximately two-thirds of a block in size, estimating about 70,000 sq. feet. There is current access onto Liberiy and High Sts., and an alley to Division. Without the benefit of more detailed review, it seems reasonable to estimate that the site is sufficient in size and form to serve as a transit center facility. Access to Liberty St., particularly to the south, is poor and of questionable safery. Access to High St., with proper signalization, is adequate. DISTANCE FROM THE CORE For anyone experienced in the operation of a public transit system, the PGE location is clearly flawed. It's not unusual to carry as many as 600 to 900 persons on one pulse of Chemot buses. We know from surveys taken that two-thirds oF these riders a`re destined for the downtown/capitol mall area, oc approximately 400 to 600 persons getting off the buses on a single pulse.