Eugene City Councilor Heading to Recall over Transit Expansion

Eugene's a funny, funny town. While the City of Eugene is moving towards eliminating new methane gas hook-ups for cooking and heat, they also have this NIMBY revolt against middle housing. The ostensible hippie progressivism has this real conservative streak.

Last night early returns on a recall effort that was specifically centered on planning for a bus rapid transit system expansion suggest the incumbent, who supported transit expansion, will be turned out of office.

Recall Petition centers transit and congestion
(Lane County Elections)

Climate advocates supported the incumbent
via Twitter

No growthers wanted her out
via Eugene Weekly

Syrett was broadly favored by climate advocates, but an old-guard no-growther, whom Salemites have sometimes cited with approval, echoed classic NIMBY arguments, hitting protecting trees, open space, and livability, and linked her to those evil developers, "a strident cabal." 

There are still votes to be counted, and further process in the courts. Former Secretary of State Bill Bradbury thinks there are problems with the petition's truthfulness and there is litigation to cancel the petition and annul the election. So this is far from concluded. 

Ordinarily we wouldn't comment here on a non-Salem election, but the themes of autoism and congestion and of anti-transit look like something people might shop in other communities, and are central interests here. We will likely check back in on this. Salem can learn from Eugene's missteps and difficulties, as well as their successes.

Previously, on an earlier stage in the disputed transit plan:

• "In Eugene, City and Transit District Collaborate on Analysis of Arterial Corridors" (2019)
• And more recently in a discussion of Our Salem, "Cherriots and Our Salem should give more Thought to Future BRT." (2022)