1) At the August 18 Council meeting, R-177 (ART impacts resolution) was substantially amended and now calls for study of ART impacts TWO years after project completion.  In its original version, it called for study of impacts at 3-6 months post-completion.  In both its new and old versions the residential impacts measures are limited to the realm of traffic.

2) Even in its original version, the resolution did not call for specific residential health and safety measurements (noise, air quality) because there were no baseline measures for comparison.

3) The Council will vote on revised R-177 on September 18.   It is unclear to what extent the revised version will be supported by the business proponents of the original version.  Councilors Harris, Davis, and Benton have offered  to meet with the proponents  of R-177 in its original version in order to address their concerns, but it is unclear whether that meeting will happen.

4) Because of the failure of the resolution process to address significant, ongoing residential health and safety impacts on Lead and Coal, the University Heights (neighborhood) Association (UHA) plans to ask Councilor Davis (and Benton) to respond to those concerns now.  That request likely will include:

a. Evaluation and/or mitigation of medically harmful vehicle noise

b. Evaluation and mitigation of residential exposure to diesel exhaust

c. Probably, in addition, evaluation and mitigation of traffic safety concerns

5.  It will be very helpful if this request  to Councilors Davis and Benton comes from neighborhoods and NA’s beyond UHA.  Please let me know if you would be willing to participate (sign a letter, send an email, meet with the Councilors, etc).  

UHA is in the process of reaching out to NA’s along the corridor with regard to Lead, Coal, and ART impacts.  We plan to approach them regarding this specific request to the Councilors’ once it is more fully developed.

6.  For any of you who followed the Greater Central Avenue workshops last spring, their transit consultant report does recommend, in response to community safety concerns, that the Lead and Coal one-ways revert to two way traffic.  (http://www.greatercentralave.org/reports-and-downloads/)  That proposition is NOT part of what we want to discuss with the Councilors at this time.

Attached is what I believe is the most recent, amended version of R-177.

Thanks.

Joseph