This could be a critical meeting for the Columbia River Crossing since one of the requirements for the Federal application is identifying the source of operating funding for the Light Rail Component.
The C-Tran board meets tomorrow night to review options for financing the operations. It’s unclear to me whether or not they will actually vote on a plan. Here’s coverage in the Columbian of the meeting and outline of the plan options.
Meeting details:
7 p.m. Thursday, September 26th
Vancouver Community Library
901 C St.
9 responses to “C-Tran Reviews CRC Financing Plan”
Again? Another shot at the CRC? Does anyone even listen to the voters? This just pisses me the hell off. I don’t believe that after all the work and money spent to try to get this passed (which failed in the Washington Senate/House), they are trying again. Do the bureaucrats in moneyland just close their eyes when the people say no and only listen when the word yes appears? ENOUGH WITH THE CRC. It’s a waste of money and won’t go through. End of story.
This whole charade of is a pretty good comedy show
I think the plan will be along the lines of, “Let’s let Oregon pay for as much of it as possible.”
For C-tran bus riders, this could turn a 1-bus ride into a bus ride to the Vancouver max station, transfer to Max, ride max to downtown Portland, then transfer to a TriMet bus to finally get to work. I think I understand why Vancouverians don’t want light rail. It will totally screw up their bus service to work in Portland, and that might convince some of them to drive, exactly the opposite of what light rail supporters (and I include myself in that group, generally) want to see happen.
then transfer to a TriMet bus to finally get to work
Wouldn’t you have to do that today (unless you’re able to ride the Marquam Hill bus)? I know that given the slowness of the Yellow Line, the express bus option can be better to get to downtown Portland during rush hours.
Mr, Dibbly,
The plan is to continue direct service to downtown Portland from the 99th Street TC and Salmon Creek Park’N’Ride. The 105 all day service to and from Portland would be eliminated and replaced with some sort of BRT-like service in the I-5 corridor, probably from WSUV to a Max transfer for those who desire it at the 13th Street station and and downtown loop.
But the peak hour commuter expresses will still run.
The CRC project is a basic and necessary upgrading of I-5 with an opportunity to extend light rail for the many thousands in Vancouver who would use it or in other ways gain some benefit with the economic development LRT or BRT would induce. The only other expansion of I-5 is in the Rose Quarter area to minimize the accident-prone merge connection to the Banfield and to improve hazardous street traffic and crosswalks in preparation for development there.
Wsdot is the principal screw-up on the CRC. In 2008, single-deck bridge designs (river clearance 140′-150′) were dropped and double-deck became the model Wsdot ‘star-chitects’ preferred. The first idiotic design released in 2011 didn’t last one month of peer review before rejection as “structurally unsound.” The current double-deck design is similarly questionable, but Wsdot directors have learned that keeping the public uninformed protects their paychecks, nevermind integrity.
After Wsdot, the CRC commission member Port of Portland failed to serve the public good for their idiotic marine terminal proposal for West Hayden Island. It makes no sense to install Rail spurs and an oval track facility there as it severely restricts the use of the only Columbia River railroad crossing in the area. Next on the commission to blame are Hayden Island commercial interests who couldn’t care less that the proposed ‘spagetti ramp’ interchange design is a rear-end pile-up death trap and traffic nightmare at entry/exit ramp convergences. Finally, we must blame anti-light rail activists who have the mental ability to drive but not enough sense to see how they’re driving themselves into the poor house. “Cars cost less in Vancouver,” greasy car dealers would have them believe with religious fervor.
“would use it or in other ways gain some benefit with the economic development LRT or BRT would induce…”
There we go with that “economic development” again. But, I guess there has to be a way to provide plenty of jobs for everyone, though—-including the new, internationalized welfare class, packin’ up here by the freight train load.
Looks like they approved the financing plan:
http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/sep/26/c-tran-board-approves-light-rail-financing-plan/
Since I live about a block away from the clark college ending of the yellow line, I would be happy as a clam one train ride to killingsworth instead of a bus to a train.