Two items of note for the Columbia River Crossing:

1) The City of Vancouver is soliciting qualifications for designers to “help refine a vision and concept for the new open space under the proposed Columbia River Crossing alignment.”

2) Metro Councilor Liberty’s alternatives panel is next Tuesday, and we’re happy to point you to the full set of alternatives submitted by the community (PDF, 7.8M).

Metro Councilor Robert Liberty Convenes Panel Discussion

of Alternatives to Current Columbia River Crossing Proposal

7 to 9 PM Tuesday September 14, 2010

The Columbia River Crossing project is a $2.6 to $3.6 billion proposal to widen I-5, rebuild and replace freeway interchanges and extend light rail between Vancouver and North Portland .

The Columbia River Crossing project in its current form is facing very serious financial and political challenges.

Metro Councilor Robert Liberty believes it is important to begin a community discussion of some alternatives to the current proposal, in the event it is infeasible.

Over the last several months he has solicited suggestions of alternative approaches to the problems which the current CRC is supposed to address. He has asked a panel of experts and community leaders to gather for a group discussion of the merits of these proposals.

The panel discussion will be held on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 from 7 to 9 PM in the Portland Building auditorium, 1120 SW Fifth Avenue in downtown Portland. The location adjoins the transit mall and can be accessed by all TriMet buses and light rail vehicles.

Confirmed panelists are:

· Gary Toth, Senior Director, Transportation Initiatives with the Project for Public Spaces & former Director, Project Planning and Development, New Jersey Department of Transportation

· Mary Nolan, Oregon House Majority Leader

· Chris Girard, President/CEO of Plaid Pantry

· Keith Lawton, transportation consultant; previously Transportation Planner, Metro, Portland, Oregon 1975 – 2004.