TriMet endorses Vancouver, Milwaukie light rail projects
Posted by Dylan Rivera, The Oregonian July 09, 2008 12:42PM
TriMet's board of directors gave a limited endorsement Wednesday morning to a new $4.2 billion Interstate 5 bridge, with a light-rail extension from North Portland to Vancouver.
The board also endorsed a route for a $1.4 billion rail line from downtown Portland to Milwaukie, a separate project that once was envisioned as one continuous line from Milwaukie to Vancouver.
The favored Milwaukie route would connect Oregon Health & Science University with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. It also would have one Milwaukie stop at Lake Road near downtown and extend south of Milwaukie to Park Avenue in Clackamas County.
"I'm really excited about the potential for that line and the whole north-south coming together," said Rick Van Beveren, who represents Washington County on the board.
Milwaukie Mayor Jim Bernard and Clackamas County Chairwoman Lynn Peterson spoke in favor of the Milwaukie project.
The board's statement on the Columbia River Crossing, as the Vancouver project is known, only called for a new bridge with light rail and space for pedestrian and bike uses. It did not address the number of lanes in a new bridge or the route a rail line should take in Vancouver.
TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen said "it makes sense" to provide at least three lanes in each direction for through traffic, about what the bridge has now, and a shoulder for stalled vehicles. But he spoke against the design by Oregon and Washington bridge planners, which called for three auxiliary lanes in each direction. Those would be short lanes that would extend on and off ramps, bringing the bridge to 12 lanes.
Auxiliary lanes would be acceptable if they help meet safety and efficiency goals, but not adding car traffic, Hansen said. "Auxiliary lanes are not there for adding additional capacity for the bridge."
-- Dylan Rivera
dylanrivera@news.oregonian.com