CRC Advisory Panel Appointed


The Governors of Oregon and Washington have appointed a ten-member advisory panel to represent the “project sponsors” for the Columbia River Crossing.

While everyone involved is arguing that consensus is required among the group, the transportation commissions and legislatures of the two states have final decision authority.

No big surprises in the membership, but perhaps one small one. Metro is represented not by JPACT Chair Rex Burkholder, who sat on the stakeholder committee for the last several years and has been a strong project supporter, but by President David Bragdon, who was a more moderate voice crafting a compromise position and call for more local control.


0 responses to “CRC Advisory Panel Appointed”

  1. Some of the most powerful political leaders in the two states will serve on the 10-person Project Sponsor’s Council, including Portland Mayor-elect Sam Adams, Vancouver Mayor Royce E. Pollard and Metro Council President David Bragdon.

    Funny how its never actual “people”, ya know, like citizens.

  2. “resident David Bragdon, who was a more moderate voice…”

    That’s a joke, right? Saying Bragdon is more moderate than Bikeholder is like saying Stalin was more moderate than Marx.

    BTW, Minnesota just finished a 5-lane each way bridge for less than $250 million. It’s light rail capable and half as long as the CRC. Plus, it allows ship traffic underneath. Let’s see: $250 million as opposed to $4.2 billion — 15x more money for CRC.

    CRC has already cost $70 million just to study it.

    Something is very wrong here.

  3. I was extremely pleased to see Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart named to the committee. He is representing his constituency and putting their interests first unlike the Adams regime and Metro/Bragdon who are trying to makeover a bridge project into a special interest social engineering project.

  4. Terry –

    When you say that Sam Adams is not representing his constituency, do you seriously believe that there’s anyone who voted for him who didn’t know he was pro light-rail? Come on. Like him or not, he has a clear record as Commissioner in charge of transportation, and that record was on full display during the election. Opponents often called him “sam the tram” or “streetcar sam”. Everyone remotely paying attention knew what Sam Adams stood for (agree or disagree), and had an inkling of how he might govern.

  5. Bob,

    I have no objection to light rail, or bicycle infrastructure for that matter, on the Columbia River Crossing as long as transit riders, and for bicycle infrastructure, bicyclists, pay for it – NOT motorists! The people on the Washington side of the river rightly object to motorist tolling and only see it as a last resort to help pay for what should be a federally funded project. The Adams regime and Metro/Bragdon want to “dictate” motorist tolling for social engineering purposes and use the money to support alternative modes of transport. As for the election, not only is the Adams name is far more familiar than the other candidates, but Adams played dirty back door politics throughout his campaign. Additionally, he had younger voters, the bicycling community and developers behind him because of all the taxpayer financed freebees he promised to hand out to them.

  6. What Terry and others fail to understand or acknowledge is that when we offer transportation options that are safe and reliable, some motorists will switch to them, bikes or transit or whatever, and no longer use “their” spot on the roadway…leaving it for others. Talk about a win/win, and in the case of bikes, at very little cost. Remember I can be in the bike lane next to you OR in my car in the lane in front of you.

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