Emerald Express (EmX)

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The Emerald Express (EmX) is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It is provided by the Lane Transit District (LTD) which is the public transit authority in Lane County, Oregon.

LTD chose bus rapid transit after a review process in which several transportation options, including light rail, were considered. It was decided that the BRT option was the best fit for Eugene-Springfield's size and current transportation needs.

An EmX bus in downtown Eugene on January 6, 2007, a week before the line began service

The EmX system is made up of sections of dedicated bus lanes in most areas, with normal roads in between. The route is 60% dedicated bus lane. The vehicles are given signal priority via ground-loop signaling to the traffic control system, with special traffic signals at intersections. As of February 2007 the system is not completely working; buses have to achieve careful positioning to communicate with the signaling loop, and light priority is not always immediate. Early tests of the system caused the light control systems to crash when signal priority was requested, resulting in blinking reds in all directions until an engineer could reset the terminal. LTD continues to work with the control software vendor to iron out the bugs. The vehicles have two sets of doors on both sides, allowing loading from platforms on either side. For the first few years there will be no fare. The vehicles are equipped with continuously variable transmission which allows for quick but smooth acceleration from stops and through the various road segments.

Franklin Corridor near Agate Street under construction

The first line of EmX, the Franklin Corridor (or EmX Green Line), began service on January 14, 2007. It runs from the Eugene Station in downtown Eugene to the Springfield Station in downtown Springfield, and also serves the University of Oregon. A proposed second line, the Pioneer Parkway Corridor, is currently being planned and construction could begin in 2007. This line would link downtown Springfield to a new regional medical center being built in the Gateway District of North Springfield. LTD eventually plans to run EmX along all main transportation corridors in the metro area.