First the Columbia River Crossing sponsors talked of an ‘iconic’ bridge as a gateway between the two states – we got a concrete slab.
A world-class bikeway was envisioned – instead the design looks like a dank cave.
Now the Trib reports that Hayden Island residents who were once told that this bridge would unite their community are up in arms that the cost-reduced version of the bridge will be a ‘Berlin Wall’.
How many more folks does this project have to alienate before we go back to the drawing board?
15 responses to “CRC Keeps Throwing Supporters Under the Bus”
I am not sure a wall is that much worse than 12 plus lanes of columns. Walk under I-5 on N Russel some time, and its only half as wide, if that. Hardly people friendly.
Hayden Island should be pushing for a “Broadway Bridge” for local traffic, transit and bike/walk, so they don’t need to use the freeway at all to get to the main land.
Or from their perspective a better options would be a tunnel for I-5’s thru traffic, the conversion of the old bridges for local traffic and transit, and the removal of I-5 altogether between Columbia Blvd and the tunnel portal in Clark county.
A “Steel Bridge” style solution would be interesting, with the freeway, light-rail and an express cycleway on the top deck, and a surface street to the island with a local cycleway on the bottom deck.
The “Broadway Bridge” idea gave me another one: “Steel Bridge.” Lower deck could hold a surface street and local cycleway. Upper deck could hold the freeway and an express cycleway.
To the original topic of dividing Hayden island:
No. No, no, no, no, nooo.
This is ridiculosity in its purest form.
Their idea of making it better is to destroy the busiest and only grocery store there and making sure no one could get from one side to the other?
Not exactly genius.
End of rant mode.
So where are the guard towers and the machine guns going to go? I though the PDX-related height restrictions would prevent the construction of a Berlin Wall. :)
Of course the original Interstate Bridge was an arterial bridge with light rail or the streetcar to Vancouver. Then in ’58 or so ODOT came along to do the interstate freeway on the cheap by just building another bridge and converting the arterial bridge. ODOT should just give Hayden Island and the rest of us the old arterial bridge with light rail back. Call it a “frontage road” which happens to cross the Columbia and have transit only lanes. Why local trips on an Interstate freeway? Its bizarre.
I like this line of thought: at what point is a bridge no longer humane? when is the net benefit less than the liabilities it creates. I would say we have already crossed the line.
In my opinion, more and more people are starting to see CRC for what it really is: a never-ending social engineering program designed to purposely focus energy on a white elephant, while more important and worthwhile issues are neglected or ignored entirely.
n my opinion, more and more people are starting to see CRC for what it really is: a never-ending social engineering program designed to purposely focus energy on a white elephant, while more important and worthwhile issues are neglected or ignored entirely.
What he said!
Apparently Vancouver’s mayor-elect Tim Leavitt has at least partially reversed himself on the issue of CRC tolling, moving from “absolutely not” to “maybe as a last resort”.
Naturally. Once election victory is secure, politicians can afford to re-embrace reality. :)
I feel bad for Royce Pollard. I may have disagreed with him about the CRC, but at least he spoke honestly about what it was going to take to get it done.
You wonder why so many politicians are crooks and liars–it’s in large part because being honest tends to get you voted out.
The way to win elections is to promise ponies.
I feel bad for Royce Pollard. I may have disagreed with him about the CRC, but at least he spoke honestly about what it was going to take to get it done.
I agree completely. He had some nice visions for what Vancouver could be, but it seems a nice city isn’t what’s wanted up there.
Dave, Scotty, Chris,
“But it seems a nice city isn’t what’s wanted up there”.
You are soooooo right, Dave. The folks who were born here want it just like when the first Burgerville was opened. Now I can’t say I blame them. It was — and really, still is — a wonderful “big small town”.
What torques me is the Orange County crowd who brought the money they netted from selling their bungalows in Anaheim, came here and bought McMansions, and now want to turn the country into Orange County, especially with the high “I got mine, screw you” quota.
Their spokesman is the ubiquitous sell-out, “Helicopter Don”.