By: Dylan Rivera
The Oregonian
January 23, 2008
Original article
VANCOUVER (Wash.) -- Rush-hour commuters between Portland and Vancouver could be charged as much as $5.12 a day to use a new Interstate 5 bridge project, which appeared to gain important political support Tuesday night.
Tolls as low as $1.28 each way would be charged during off-peak hours when the proposed bridge opens in 2017, to encourage motorists to avoid rush hour and use transit. Peak-hour motorists would be charged $2.56 each way.
The tolls were among new information that emerged Tuesday about the Columbia River Crossing, a proposed $4.2 billion replacement of the bridge and renovation of six highway interchanges in North Portland and southwest Washington. The project is intended to relieve congestion, improve safety and encourage transit use.
Although commitments are not final, project planners say a third of the $4.2 billion project cost could come from tolls, a third from federal transit and highway funds, and a third from state and congressional money.
The meeting of a 39-member task force comprising elected officials, transit agencies, neighborhoods and other interest groups also covered environmental impacts of the project.
For the first time in years, task force members stated their preferences among five alternatives. Most favored a new bridge that would include a light-rail extension, although Clark County has shown signification opposition to light rail in the past.
Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart said he still has questions about the light-rail alignment through Vancouver and wants assurances of no local construction cost. But for the most part, he said, he would support light rail as part of the project.
"I'd ride it. I'd pay for it. I'd vote for it today," Stuart said.
Dick Malin, of the Central Park Neighborhood Association in southwest Washington, said supporting a new bridge was a "no brainer" given the increased safety from wider lanes and earthquake proofing. Some task force members had asked for study of reusing the two spans that make up the current bridge to save money.
Malin said he would support light rail because the alternative, a rapid bus system, would require Portland-Vancouver travelers to change vehicles to board MAX trains at the Expo Center in North Portland.
Until Tuesday, it was unclear how many local officials and groups felt about the massive project, though state and federal leaders have made their views known.
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire have supported replacing the existing spans, dating to 1917 and 1958. The U.S. Department of Transportation has called the project a national priority, and U.S. Reps Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer, both D-Ore., have said they are committed to it.
Do nothing, and the current six hours of I-5 congestion within five miles of the bridge each day would grow to seven hours southbound and 13 hours northbound by 2030, project staff said.
In the past year, the task force asked transportation experts from both states to study these alternatives:
Build nothing.
Replace the existing bridges with a new bridge, including either light-rail or bus-only lanes.
Use the existing spans to carry northbound traffic and build one to carry southbound traffic, including either light-rail or bus-only lanes.
Building a new 12-lane bridge with a light-rail extension and fixing six highway interchanges appears to hold the best hope of reducing congestion, improving safety and increasing transit ridership, staff said.
Tolls, environmental issues and truck access were among the concerns in public testimony to the task force.
"Say no to tolls, period," said Toby Dittrich of Vancouver, who runs seatbelt.com, a transportation safety Web site. "People are going to rise up."
Some transit activists and environmentalists urged commitment to tolls as a way to encourage transit use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Dylan Rivera: 502-221-8532; dylanrivera@news.oregonian.com
