(photo reposted from http://sworegonarchitect.blogspot.com & PIVOT Architecture)

Smaller buses are not the answer

More, smaller Lane Transit District buses would not be more economical, contrary to the views of some EmX opponents.

The capacity of transportation infrastructure is determined by peak demand. Just as roads and parking lots are developed for maximum use, LTD needs a full fleet of large buses to serve the highest volume of customers during the peak commuting periods.

Using smaller buses at slower times would require the purchase and maintenance of a secondary fleet of buses, significantly increasing capital and operating expenses. LTD’s primary costs are labor and fuel, and labor costs do not vary by vehicle size.

Consider that every time a larger bus would need to replace a smaller bus (or vice versa) on a route, there would be extra “deadheading” (deadheading is operating an empty bus between the bus yard and where it begins or ends service). That would increase fuel consumption, emissions and operating costs to provide the same level of service. Smaller buses also are less durable and require more frequent replacement.

EmX is provided on highly traveled routes and its frequent service, faster travel times, easy boarding and ability to carry bicycles on board attracts many more riders than traditional buses. That means labor costs and fuel expenses are spread across more passengers, reducing the cost per customer served.

Pushing for more, smaller buses instead of EmX service on major routes would serve fewer people and would be more expensive.

George Trauger, Director of maintenance

AIASWO 2010 People's Choice Awards

Roosevelt Crossing | ErikBishoff.com

Well... the results are in (and have been for awhile). I spent the better part of the day updating the AIASWO.org (American Institute of Architects - Southwestern Oregon) chapter page with a list of the winners. For more information, follow this link and/or read on!

"The AIA Southwestern Oregon People's Choice Awards is an annual public outreach event held at the Eugene Celebration whose purpose is to present recent work of architects and landscape architects and to encourage the public to critically engage the built environment. The emphasis is not on winning but on sharing and honoring all the work undertaken to make buildings and landscapes important and meaningful in our daily lives.

2010 brings a new award category in the form of the Mayor's Choice for Architecture. View Mayor Piercy's presentation video on YouTube by following this link.

Finally, if you would prefer to view the 2010 People's Choice Award images in a higher resolution PDF document (85.3mb), please click here."

Jaqua Center | ErikBishoff.com

I'm happy to say that I have had the opportunity to capture two of the award winning buildings, and Mayor Piercy's favorites, myself. Enjoy!

Sponsors, Inc. - Roosevelt Crossing Transitional Housing

I'm happy to say that one of my next shoots will be for ESSEX construction's newly completed project, the Sponsors, Inc. Roosevelt Crossing facility. The Roosevelt Crossing is a live-in facility for former inmates. The trio of buildings has the capacity to house over 70 men and women in three buildings on an acre of land. The property is wedged between Highway 99 and Roosevelt Blvd. in West Eugene on a very busy intersection. It should prove to be a challenging shoot as the buildings are fairly close together with a good amount of infrastructure (in the form of powerlines, traffic signals, signage, etc) to get in the way.

That being said, I'm looking forward to shooting a Bergsund DeLaney project... I've always been fond of their work. Even their more monumental projects are usually tastefully integrated into the neighborhood using simple and attractive materials with an honest, straightforward approach.

The Slow Home

I know I'm a big nerd but... what can I say... floor plans (especially residential floor plans) get me excited. When I would be working with students at the University who felt that that facades and green technologies (there... I said it) are more important than floorplans, circulation and living spaces, I had to really fight the urge to roll my eyes at them. What is more important than the spaces in which we live and spend the majority of our free time? (Just my $0.02)

Anyway... not only do I appreciate the principles that those behind this page embrace, I also apprecaite that the active forum and educational approach they are taking to spreading their message. Clearly they aren't only interested in selling their latest book or creating a larger client base. They seem truly dedicated to their careers and their craft. Bravo!

2009: The missing year

Where did it all go?

Actually, 2009 was never here. For me I mean that almost literally... it was a blur... but as for my blog...

2009 was one of the most difficult years of my adult life. Accepting my first post-school job right out of the gate was a real treat. I was thrilled to be starting my internship at the largest, and arguably most successful, Architecture firm in Eugene. However, this was also the busiest year for said business and, with a recession looming, it seemed wise to not hire too many more individuals to take up the slack. Weekend work, a baby on the way, and long nights resulted in a very demanding year. On top of that, I had already accepted 12 wedding shoots with the expectation that I wouldn't be able to find architecture work just out of school.

So no posts in 2009.

I'm back to "photographying" and being a stay-at-home, searching-for-work, Dad while weathering the recession. More posts in 2010!