And with those costs in mind, Madore introduced three potential items to send to a vote. One will ask voters for their opinions on light rail, bus rapid transit and an east county bridge spanning the Columbia River.I would oppose such a vote for such a bridge unless a WEST county bridge were included as an alternative.
The number one priority for surface transportation between Oregon and Washington mush, of course, be additional bridges. But the problem is that building a bridge further east of the 205 will do, essentially, nothing to assist in the problems confronting the I-5 corridor.
A bridge WEST of the I-5 MUST come before a bridge east of the I-205... a construct that would, like the CRC itself, do nothing to assist the I-5 corridor.
This needs to be added to the advisory vote list.
Something like:
"Of the choice between building an additional bridge without light rail besides the 2 we have now, should that bridge be built east of the 205, or west of the I-5?
1. East.
2. West.
It's simple, really, and I will not support anything that doesn't include that option.
I've argued against wasting time 3rd-bridging it when Portland calls the shots but I cave - it's probably useful to inform Clark County citizens if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I will reiterate that the MOST IMPORTANT thing next time is the person who sits across the negotiating table from Portland. It can't be Steve Stuart, Tim Leavitt, Jim Moeller, or anybody of their ilk. And Madore/Mielke ain't up to it either. (I'd sure like to be that guy.)