No Tolls on The Bridge!

Home Lift Bridges CRC Arises Tolls Lower CRC Cost Low Cost Copy of I205 CRC Information CRC+CC Docs CRC's_Plans

2016 update:  Revival of the CRC (and Tolls?) began with Trimet


TriMet refuses to terminate the light rail agreement with C-Tran. TriMet General Manager, Neil McFarlane said in a letter:

   “For its part, TriMet views the agreement as valuable and important to retain in the event that those milestones are achieved and a viable project emerges from future bi-state discussions. Given this view, TriMet will take no action to formally terminate the agreement.”


TriMet chief: Reconsider I-5 bridge

http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/274030-149359-trimet-chief-reconsider-i-5-bridge

http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/sep/24/trimet-chief-need-for-i-5-bridge-remains/


8 things that wrecked the new I-5 bridge (and who could bring it back)

http://www.kgw.com/news/8-things-wrecked-new--5-bridge-and-who-could-bring-back/948530

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/investigations/2015/11/20/8-things-wrecked-new--5-bridge-and-who-could-bring-back/76138204/


Identity Clark County ready to tackle challenges

“ICC is “working quietly” with parties on both sides of the river, building on what the CRC already completed.


“It’s the elephant in the room – the I-5 Bridge comes up in every conversation about economic development,” McKibbin said. “The aging I-5 Bridge remains the single largest unresolved transportation issue facing Clark County.””

http://www.vbjusa.com/news/spotlight/business/identity-clark-county-ready-to-tackle-challenges/


Jan 5, 2016 RTC  MEMORANDUM

I-5/Columbia River Corridor

TThe functionally obsolete bridges over the Columbia River constrict commerce flow and related corridor highway deficiencies compromise safety, freight mobility and economic development. Progress is needed towards addressing these known deficiencies.

http://www.rtc.wa.gov/packets/board/2016/01/201601-06-CCTA.pdf


Clark County Council repeals policies against Light Rail; for a toll free I5 bridge; more toll free bridges:

The following listed resolutions adopted by the Clark County Council on December 22, 2015 are 14 hereby repealed and rescinded:

1. RESOLUTION NO. 2015-12-20, POLICY FOR ANY NEW Columbia River BRIDGE 16 PROJECT & NEW TOLL-FREE EAST COUNTY BRIDGE;

2. RESOLUTION NO. 2015-12-21, FORMATION OF TOLL-FREE EAST COUNTY 18 BRIDGE TASK FORCE;

3. RESOLUTION NO. 2015-12-22, FORMATION OF TOLL-FREE WEST COUNTY 20 BRIDGE TASK FORCE;

4. RESOLUTION NO. 2015-12-23, LIGHT RAIL POLICY;

https://www.clark.wa.gov/sites/all/files/the-grid/d1_010516_BOCC_ResolutionFullCouncilPolicyDecisions.pdf


Resurrecting the Columbia River Crossing

The multi-billion dollar Columbia River Crossing (CRC), with its likely $8 tolls and Portland’s light rail, has quietly been resurrected this past year. Governor Jay Inslee’s recent visit emphasizing “a new I-5 bridge is critical” was the exclamation point.   www.thereflector.com/opinion/article_f49b399c-c538-11e5-9dd4-5b6b69ef3b09.html



Inslee: “We have to have an Interstate 5 corridor that is not built on wooden piers and signed by the Woodrow Wilson administration, that is imperative. We have to fix that corridor,” Inslee told The Columbian’s editorial board.  http://www.columbian.com/news/2016/jan/13/gov-inslee-new-i-5-bridge-is-critical/



Jerry Oliver: First, about light rail. Its benefits and drawbacks are well-known. It’s expensive and disruptive to build, and it doesn’t always fulfill its promise of attracting transit-oriented development. And in the case of Clark County, the politics surrounding rail are so polarized they can make a much larger road and transit project a nonstarter.


If the main goal is to move people — and that’s what we need to do to break our river crossing bottleneck — bus rapid transit service might be a better option.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2016/jan/24/strictly-business-lets-span-i-5-bridge-differences/


Will Columbia River Crossing rise again? http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/292455-169454-will-columbia-river-crossing-rise-again



Light Rail to Vancouver Rides Again  http://www.wweek.com/2016/02/24/light-rail-to-vancouver-rides-again/


TriMet bonding bill raises specter of Columbia River Crossing http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2016/03/trimet_bonding_bill_raises_spe.html

Feb 2016: TriMet trying to get legislation to allow building outside

of its current service area (ie: Light Rail to Vancouver).


An official analysis of Oregon SB 1510, from Oregon’s legislative counsel, confirms that TriMet could merely resume some trivial service to Clark Co. to be legally allowed to finance and build C-Tran’s share of the CRC light rail. It also allows Trimet to accept payments:


2. Does SB 1510-A authorize TriMet to pay for transportation infrastructure in Clark County, Washington?

SB 1510-A authorizes a mass transit district to use funds from an expanded set of sources on the secondary transit supportive system, which includes surface transportation infrastructure in any county in which the mass transit district operates. Therefore, the question of whether TriMet would be allowed to use funds from those sources for improvements in Clark County turns on whether TriMet operates in Clark County.

.....

It follows from our answer to Question 2 that if the CRC had

been built and SB 1510-A is enacted, TriMet would be authorized to finance surface transportation

infrastructure in Clark County using moneys from an expanded set of sources.    (highlight added)

Excerpted from: Letter to Julie Parrish from DEXTER A. JOHNSON, Legislative Counsel (Oregon)


The money would come from a new income tax on all workers in Trimet’s district.  SB 1521 will provide TriMet a massive new revenue stream capable of funding the CRC, PowellDivision BRT & SW Corridor Light Rail.



State Web Site Refrences:  SB1510    SB1521