Vancouver/C-Tran Transit News

[360Rich]

Vancouver wants C-Tran to manage transit
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
BY JEFFREY MIZE, Columbian staff writer

A high-capacity transit system expected to be part of a new Interstate 5 bridge would likely require C-Tran to ask voters to raise the sales tax.

How much money would be needed to operate and maintain the system is one of the many unknowns of the Columbia River Crossing project, along with the mode of transit - light rail or bus rapid transit - and what route the line would take through west Vancouver.

-snip-

Full article - http://www.columbian.com/news/localN...news179566.cfm

[360Rich]

Light rail gains support in Vancouver
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
BY JEFFREY MIZE, Columbian staff writer

Almost two out of every three Vancouver residents support extending light rail to their city, according to a phone survey of 600 city residents.

http://columbian.com/news/localNews/...news186493.cfm

[PuyoPiyo]

^^^Awesome

[sequoias]

So that means C-tran will be held responsible for light rail, but what about MAX ? Does that mean they will use C-tran light rail trains to downtown Portland?
Or it will be a transfer station somewhere at the border?

[zilfondel]

^ no, transfers from light rail -> light rail aren't practical; they would likely come to some sort of joint operating/funding agreement.

[360Rich]

Not sure where this belongs in the new SSP:Local Portland layout. Please feel free to move it if it is better suited elsewhere.

Downtown businesses and leaders pool temporary ideas for soon-to-be-empty transit center
BY MEGAN PATRICK VBJ Staff Reporter
September 28th, 2007

When the Seventh Street Transit Center vacates downtown Vancouver, there will be a harsh, unforgiving concrete patch left behind that has become the focus of much conversation around town.

C-Tran owns the 50- by 200-foot stretch of concrete just north of the center island on Seventh Street between Main and Washington streets, and planners are putting their heads together to design a beneficial use for the property to demonstrate what urban development can be.

The only catch – it has to be temporary.

The Columbia River Crossing task force has strongly indicated that if any future high-capacity transit is routed on Washington Street, a transit station would be needed at Seventh Street, said Lynn Halsey, director of operations for C-Tran.


Mel Stout, Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc.
An early concept of what the demonstration plaza at the soon-to-be-vacated Vancouver Seventh Street Transit Center could look like. This design will be a springboard for further discussion about the design.

Because the Federal Transit Administration paid 80 percent of the cost of establishing the transit center and the FTA would be involved with the CRC project, if the property is needed, it is unlikely the FTA would approve a request that the property be considered surplus until a final decision is made, he said.

The task force could start making decisions about rapid transit in the next year, but it could be eight to 10 years before the property is actually needed – a long time for the critically placed space to sit empty while the rest of downtown is actively redeveloping, said Lee Rafferty, a Vancouver’s Downtown Assoc. board member and co-owner of Spanky’s consignment shop.

Although any temporary redevelopment will be a C-Tran project, the VDA has taken the reins in designing a “place holder” use for the property and has started to bring in partners, such as Washington State University’s extension agency, Clark PUD, the city parks and recreation and transportation departments and the Esther Short Neighborhood and Uptown Village associations.

When C-Tran announced the change in service last spring, Rafferty and other downtown business owners were excited at the prospect of bringing positive energy to the transit center.


Megan Patrick_VBJ
C-Tran will soon vacate the Seventh Street Transit Center, and the Vancouver Downtown Association with partners is helping to design a temporary demonstration plaza in the concrete slab that will be left behind.

The area has become ground zero for crime activity, not necessarily by bus customers, but the people who try to hide in the shadow of bus activity, Rafferty said.

The negative goings-on have been a deterrent to attracting shoppers downtown, she said.

The vision: sustainability

So far, planners envision a small, inviting and pedestrian-oriented plaza with sustainable lighting, landscaping and reuse of existing materials.

This could mean the reuse of concrete slabs removed from existing structures as planters, curbing or seating, reuse of current signage, efficient use of water runoff and irrigation for water conservation or educational kiosks, said Identity Clark County Executive Director Ginger Metcalf, who has been involved in the project planning.

There is no official design yet, but Vancouver-based Harper Houf Peterson Righellis has loaned a landscape architect who has provided three plans of what the site could look like. The plans incorporate design elements used in the Main Street redevelopment plan.

So far, there have only been three parking spaces incorporated into the design on the south side – one where an electric car can plug in and recharge, one for a Flexcar and another for a carpool vehicle.

Parked vehicles act as a barrier to pedestrians, both visually and physically, Rafferty said.

“This is going to be exciting, new and cutting edge,” she said.

Clark PUD has expressed interest in demonstrating forward-thinking energy use with LED lighting and solar technology. A WSU extension agent who penned a pamphlet on urban trees has also offered perspective about what landscaping may be appropriate.

The plaza could be used as an outdoor classroom, where students can learn about sustainability, or as a showcase for student art projects or performances.

“There are unending possibilities,” Metcalf said. “It’s just a matter of how far our resources and imaginations will take us.”

The funding

The VDA will provide funding for the temporary redevelopment.

Starting two years ago, the group took advantage of a state tax credit incentive program and because of pledges by Bank of Clark County and The Columbian, it has $133,000 in the bank and is looking at gaining another $133,000, split by Albina Fuel and First Independent Bank at the end of the year.

The program is aimed specifically at revitalizing dead, decaying and pedestrian-oriented areas of downtowns, and the VDA has banked the proceeds so far for a worthy project that will bring a lift to the area.

Rafferty said the VDA believes this is the project.

“We could just put up a chain link fence and keep people out of that area, but what would that help?” Rafferty said.

Setting the pace

Making downtown approachable and vibrant impacts business, Metcalf said.

“This project was conceived by the VDA, an organization of businesses with a specific interest in making downtown an attractive place to shop and do business,” she said. “Vacant lots are not attractive, and we envision a place for patrons to shop, have dinner and enjoy the entertainment of downtown.”

Rafferty said the VDA is hoping further improvements downtown will inspire business and property owners to spiff up their places with a new awning or new coat of paint.

“Somebody has to set the pace,” she said. “We’re hoping property owners and shopkeepers can look at the area with new eyes and see there is greater potential.”

The VDA hopes to have a concept and partners identified by the end of October and by spring have installations at the site.

The transit center was scheduled to vacate Seventh Street with the opening of the new transit center in Hazel Dell on Sept. 30, but the unveiling of the new center is delayed due to design issues.

C-Tran is working with the city to return Seventh Street to two-way traffic. C-Tran will pay to have the bus shelters removed and to replace a street light, and the city will install a traffic signal and re-stripe the road.

http://www.vbjusa.com/stories/2007-0...he_future.html

[PuyoPiyo]

Hmmm that is something I will not be used with because I always stop at there in 7th street for the city bus. I think it would be nice to have a downtown without a transit center, let the city buses spread around the downtown.

[CouvScott]

Thursday, October 11, 2007
BY DON HAMILTON, Columbian staff writer

Here comes another mass transit study.

The Vancouver chapter of the American Institute of Architects has been exploring the feasibility of running streetcars through Vancouver not so much as a commuter connection but as a way to link Vancouver neighborhoods.

Organizers say it would complement, not compete with, any other mass transit system the city adopts.

"It could connect with light rail or anything else going on," said Don Luthardt, president of the organization's Vancouver chapter this year.

The project is the third Vancouver mass transit study now in the works. The others are:

- The Columbia River Crossing, which plans to run either light rail or express buses on the new Interstate 5 Bridge it's planning. A decision on the mode will come this winter. The route isn't certain but would run roughly two miles north from the river to the Lincoln neighborhood.

- The Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council is also studying high-capacity mass transit, not just for Vancouver but the whole county. The study is looking at what types of transit systems in which corridors would make sense considering the county's ­expected growth. The study is only a study, however, and the project has no ­authorization to construct anything.

Now the plan by the architects is maturing. It may not have the technical expertise of the Columbia River Crossing or the bureaucratic heft of the Regional Transportation Council, but the group has a vision of how a streetcar could bring the community closer together.

It started in the spring of 2006, when the American Institute of Architects granted its Vancouver chapter $15,000 to launch what it called the Vancouver USA Streetcar Feasibility Study. It was done in part to mark the 150th birthday of both the American Institute of Architects and the city of Vancouver. Other chapters around the country are carrying out other types of community improvement efforts this year, Luthardt said, to mark the organization's sesquicentennial.


A 'livability' issue

The Vancouver organization doesn't see its streetcar plan detracting from the other transportation studies under way.

"This is about how to help the community increase livability," Luthardt said.

On Saturday, about two dozen people attended a forum to consider ideas and the report of the meeting, released Wednesday, outlines the group's intentions.

Few details about the project have been set. No routes or construction costs have been spelled out and no fare structure has been chosen. Luthardt envisions a line serving the city, not beyond, with a focus on downtown, nearby neighborhoods, Clark College and the planned riverside development at the old Boise Cascade property.

Portland has had its streetcar system since 2001, not as a commuter line but as a people-mover. The line now extends from Northwest Portland through downtown and south along the Willamette River to the South Waterfront district. The line also has plans to expand east across the Willamette, through the inner eastside, and eventually south to Lake Oswego.

The Vancouver City Council toured the Portland Streetcar last month, and the architect group will brief the elected officials again. Luthardt hopes the group will turn its final report over to the city by the end of the year. But the organization won't abandon the effort.

"Our goal is not to have it sit on the shelf," he said. "Eventually it's going to have to go to the real experts."

Update

- Previously: Two mass transit studies are under way in Clark County.

- What's new: The third and most recent study is being prepared by the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

- What's next: The architect group expects to turn over its final report to the city of Vancouver by the end of the year. There are no plans to develop the recommendations.

[PuyoPiyo]

This project, the Confluence Project Vancouver Land Bridge, is the one I always forgot to make the thread for, but anyway here it is. Those picture are captured by myself.







Those sign are found near the Fort Vancouver gate.



Yupp Yupp it's under construction now, can't wait to walk across that bridge!

[CouvScott]

Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tom Koenninger is editor emeritus of The Columbian

Let's dream a little - about the time streetcars ran on the streets of Vancouver, and across the Interstate Bridge to Portland.

Some remember, as kids, putting a penny on the streetcar track ahead of the trolley, and collecting the crunched, pancaked coin after the car passed over it. Many recall the shake, lurch and rattle of the old cars. It was nostalgic, if not romantic.

And "The Trolley Song" lyrics: "Clang, clang, clang went the trolley; ding, ding, ding went the bell; zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings. ?"

That time has gone, or has it? The trolley could return to Vancouver streets, but not cross the bridge. The bridge link may be completed by light rail to connect with Portland's MAX line near the Expo Center. Trolley tracks are built into existing streets, and a streetcar line could act as a collector system for light rail.

Trolleys still run in 25 states, with the St. Charles line in New Orleans ranked as the oldest continuously operated line in the world. San Francisco's vintage cable cars still clatter along.

Streetcars, or trolleys, which disappeared from the Portland scene in the 1950s, have returned to increasing ridership, said Rick Gustafson, executive director of the nonprofit Portland Streetcar, Inc., owned by the city. "It's sort of amazing how popular the streetcar is," Gustafson said. Ridership, now about 10,000 daily, is increasing 20 percent a year. "We've experienced a strong response" in businesses along the line, he added.

Portland has 10 streetcars. Trolley service extends eight miles through the Pearl District to Portland State University and to the South Waterfront.



Modern version is big improvement

Streetcars returned to Portland in 2001. Not the rattlers, but smooth-gliding electric rail cars, with comfortable seats and easy access. They were manufactured in the Czech Republic by the Skoda-Inekon Group, the same company that built the three trolleys now being tested in Seattle. The air-conditioned trolleys can hold up to 140 people, and will make 11 stops - every two to three blocks - over the 1.3-mile Seattle route.

The line will serve the Denny Triangle and South Lake Union areas, just south of the University of Washington campus. It will connect with light rail, regional buses and the monorail.

Streetcar service will begin Dec. 14, said Ethan Melone, project manager, Seattle Department of Transportation, for the South Lake Union Street line.

Seattle.gov , a Web site for the city, lists the cost at $50.5 million, half raised through a local improvement distinct, and the remainder from federal, state and local governments. Over the next 15 years, 15,000 to 23,000 new jobs and 8,000 to 10,000 new housing units are projected along the line.

How serious is Vancouver about streetcars? Vancouver City Council members rode the Portland line last month. Mayor Royce Pollard, who makes no secret of his affection for light rail, also likes streetcars. He envisions them serving neighborhoods, and making connections at light rail stations. Intense development, and new housing along the lines - "the economic vitality is greater than light rail" - was another plus, he noted. Streetcars could start at Boise Cascade on the waterfront, and run to Clark College and to a light-rail station near Kiggins Bowl. There could even be a line along Fourth Plain, the mayor speculated. The city asked Gramor Development to include streetcars or another form of transit in plans for developing the waterfront area.

That ties in with the dream of a former Vancouver fire chief, the late Jim Brown, who wanted to see streetcars on the city's waterfront.

Another group looking at a "small, local streetcar loop system within the downtown vicinity" that might have opportunities for expansion is the Vancouver chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Vancouver is paying consultant and former Portland Commissioner Charlie Hales up to $40,000 to assist in a streetcar study (The Oregonian, 10/11/07).

Meanwhile, the question of bus or light rail transit across the new Columbia River bridge - which might or might not affect a streetcar system - is yet to be decided. Seattle's Melone says new trolleys are "clean and quiet and don't rumble," a fit for light rail, too.

[PuyoPiyo]

I think if they link the street cars or light rail to Boise Cascade site, it will help the 10,000 residents envision project to be successful.

[zilfondel]

streetcars are most successful when they are a key component of the planning, design, and financing of a new or rebuilt city district. They don't "magically" happen development to occur, but since so much effort is spent on them, they end up guiding a lot of the design for a district, like the Pearl or SoWa.

Will be interesting to see what South Lake Union will end up being like.

[CouvScott]

Monday, November 12, 2007
BY DEAN BAKER, Columbian staff writer

Four of the artists whose work shapes the Vancouver Land Bridge will answer questions during a free sneak preview of the project on Friday.

The bridge will be open to foot traffic for the occasion, and the artists will describe their concepts.

The four artists are:

- Johnpaul Jones, founding principal of Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects of Seattle, lead architect and designer for the bridge and interpretive trail. He worked in collaboration with the artist Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

- René Senos, senior associate at Jones & Jones, a key contributor to native landscape architecture and design.

- Lillian Pitt, a Warm Springs-Wasco Yakama artist, whose work includes the bridge's Welcoming Gate and Seating Baskets.

- Peter Attila Andrusko, a master artisan in stone, glass, metal, wood and other materials, who created a stone circle for the site that weighs more than 400 pounds.

Ground was broken two years ago for the $12.25 million bridge. Construction has been slowed by heavy rains this fall. A dedication is scheduled for spring 2008. Completion is expected in August, at which time the site will be fully accessible to the public.

The bridge is one of seven art installations included in the Vancouver-based Confluence Project. Each features Lin's work. Waterways merge or traditional peoples have gathered at each of the sites.

Other sites are at the Port of Ridgefield; Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River; the Sandy River Delta at Troutdale, Ore.; Celilo Park near The Dalles, Ore.; Sacajawea State Park in Pasco; and Chief Timothy Park in Clarkston.

The Vancouver pedestrian and bicycle bridge is at the confluence of the Columbia River and Klickitat Trail, a trade corridor that for centuries connected Native American tribes from both sides of the Cascades.

For as many as 35 Native American and European cultures, this confluence is the most historically significant area in the Pacific Northwest. Fort Vancouver was built on the site of the tribal crossroads 20 years after Lewis and Clark passed this point.

The 40-foot-wide bridge spans state Highway 14, reconnecting Fort Vancouver National Historic Site to the Columbia River waterfront. The adjoining landscape is being restored with native plants similar to those that existed in the area at the time of Lewis and Clark.

The land bridge will provide passage for pedestrians, cyclists and nonmotorized vehicles from the Kanaka Village area in Fort Vancouver to the Columbia River. Visitors will have sweeping views of Fort Vancouver, the Cascade Mountains, the Columbia River and Mount Hood.

Construction of the project is a partnership of Confluence Project members, the National Park Service, the city of Vancouver and the Washington State Department of Transportation, and made possible through federal, state and private funding.

[PuyoPiyo]

C-Tran launches new facility, logo, changes



Friday, November 16, 2007
BY DON HAMILTON, Columbian staff writer

C-Tran throws a party today to open its newest and biggest transit center, unveil a new logo and inaugurate a series of service changes.

The public is invited to the ribbon-cutting at the new 99th Street Transit Center at Stockford Village. C-Tran will pass out travel mugs and offer goodies provided by local merchants Applebee's, Safeway and Burgerville.

"This is an exciting time for C-Tran and our customers as we will soon implement the most significant service change in the agency's history," said Jeff Hamm, C-Tran's executive director and CEO. "Not only will these changes provide many of our riders with better service, but we hope to attract many new riders to the system as well."

The service changes include:

- Closure of the Seventh Street Transit Center in downtown Vancouver, with transfer points shifted to other downtown spots.

- The Safe Stop program, a new policy allowing passengers to get off between bus stops after 8 p.m.

- Extended service on many routes.

- New service to the Delta Park/Vanport light-rail station in Portland.

- Reintroduction of transfers for all-zone and express cash fares.

The kickoff party may be today but the new services will begin Sunday, with the entire C-Tran system operating free on Monday.

The name of the new transit center reflects the growing Stockford Village business center along 99th Avenue around Interstate 5.

Its location also reflects the transportation demands created by the increasing population north of Vancouver, especially Ridgefield and Battle Ground. The new transit center will offer three express routes to downtown Portland.

C-Tran's new logo and the bus route number will be larger on the new bus stop signs. The new logo - the letter "C" surrounded by a royal blue circle with arrows at each side - is set against a baby blue background on the signs, said Scott Patterson, C-Tran spokesman.

"We want the route number to stand out and we want the logo to stand out," he said. "The more color, the more you take away from the ability to see the information on the sign."

Seventh Street will reopen to auto traffic soon. C-Tran plans to keep its service center there for now but may relocate it if interest lags, although the agency wants to keep some kind of presence downtown.

The long-term future of the Seventh Street site remains uncertain, but its fate seems tied to plans for the new Interstate 5 Bridge. The 39-member Columbia River Crossing panel is planning a new bridge with mass transit. No matter what mode is chosen, be it light rail or express buses, Seventh Street would be a natural first Vancouver stop coming off a new bridge, Patterson said.



If you go

- What: A ribbon-cutting party for the opening of C-Tran's 99th Street Transit Center at Stockford Village. The C-Tran system will be free Monday to mark the new transit center and other service changes.

- When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today.

- Where: The 99th Street Transit Center at Stockford Village, 9700 N.E. Seventh Ave.

- Information: Call C-Tran's customer service line at 360-695-0123 or go to www.c-tran.com .



Don Hamilton can be reached at 360-759-8010 or don.hamilton@columbian.com

[PuyoPiyo]

This is awesome news for me because I ride the city bus, not driving. Amazing!

[Tim the Enchanter]

Do you know if they will honor trimet fares again, I remember they used to do this, but as far as I know they stopped doing that.

[PuyoPiyo]

Originally Posted by Tim the Enchanter

Do you know if they will honor trimet fares again, I remember they used to do this, but as far as I know they stopped doing that.

Well they sell some of month pass for All-Zone which include TriMet. If you go in the city bus and give $6, then they will give you the All Day All Zone pass which include the TriMet.

[PuyoPiyo]

Walkway Through History: Land bridge links admirers

Saturday, November 17, 2007
BY DEAN BAKER, Columbian staff writer

In a grand splash of umbrellas, 300 ebullient, rain-soaked walkers got their first look Friday at the Confluence Project's Vancouver masterpiece: a 1,500-foot-long walkway through history.



The bridge over state Highway 14, now scheduled for completion next summer, links the reconstructed Fort Vancouver with the Columbia River at the site of a wharf used by pioneers 170 years ago. It was opened Friday for 90 minutes for a sneak preview, then closed again so finishing work can continue.

"It's just wonderful," said Roger Wendlick, a history buff who has spent the past decade studying Lewis and Clark's adventures and Pacific Northwest history full time. "It's the best Confluence Project I've seen, and I've seen several."

The crowd agreed, stopping to shake hands, chat and register approval as they strolled over the bridge, trying to catch views of Mount Hood through the rain, and taking a fresh look from a new angle at the river, the replica fort, Pearson Field and Vancouver's resurgent downtown.

"This is just the beginning," said Superintendent Tracy Fortmann of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. "There's a lot more to come." On the waterfront, partners plan to re-create the salmon-packing warehouse, boat works and hospital located there in the 1830s. The site will be just east of the existing restaurants.

On Friday, however, the $12.25 million bridge was the whole show.

"This bridge is an icon in our community," Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard told the crowd. He said it blazes a trail for the future tourism and connection among civic groups.

"We yanked the land up and pulled it over the bridge like a blanket," said Seattle architect Johnpaul Jones, who designed the bridge in concert with his associate René Senos and artist Maya Lin, designer of the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The earth-covered pedestrian bridge is 40 feet wide and festooned with native plants such as Oregon white oak and red alder, Western red cedar, camas, evergreen huckleberry, serviceberry and Nootka rose.

"The new plantings are saying 'thank you' for this rain. In the spring, we'll come back when they are in bloom," said Jane Jacobsen, executive director of the Confluence Project. A dedication of the bridge is expected then.

The bridge, pale gold in color and winding in an arc, stands at the confluence of the Columbia River and the Klickitat Trail, a trade corridor that for centuries connected American Indian tribes from both sides of the Cascades. For as many as 35 Indian and European cultures, this was the most significant area in the Pacific Northwest. Fort Vancouver was built on the site 20 years after Lewis and Clark passed it. It was operated by the Hudson's Bay Company, a British firm that made fortunes in the fur trade.

The bridge is one of seven Columbia River art installations included in the Confluence Project, which commemorates the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's exploration of the West. Each features Lin's work. Other sites are at the Port of Ridgefield; Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River; the Sandy River delta at Troutdale, Ore.; Celilo Park near The Dalles, Ore.; Sacajawea State Park in Pasco, and Chief Timothy Park near Clarkston.

Among the guests Friday were Lillian Pitt, a Warm Springs-Wasco Yakama artist who made a welcoming gate for the bridge, and Peter Attila Andrusko, a master artisan in stone, glass, metal and wood who created works for the site.

The river entrance is decorated with crossed paddles and an Indian woman's face. Indian basket-weave designs deck the bridge.

Benches, drawings, photographs and petroglyph-style sculptures are on the bridge along with reminders of the area's later history: the Hudson's Bay Company, a World War I spruce mill, and the Kaiser Shipyard.

Construction of the project is a partnership of Confluence Project members, the National Park Service, the city of Vancouver and the Washington State Department of Transportation. It was funded by donations and state and federal grants.

(PuyoPiyo's speaking: You can find pictures and videos clicking on this article's link)

http://www.columbian.com/news/localN...s-admirers.cfm

[Tim the Enchanter]

I have an all zone bus pass (as im in PDX), and was curious if they were gunna let people ride on c-tran again with the use of a all zone pass or day ticket from trimet.

[PuyoPiyo]

Originally Posted by Tim the Enchanter

I have an all zone bus pass (as im in PDX), and was curious if they were gunna let people ride on c-tran again with the use of a all zone pass or day ticket from trimet.

Hmm all I can find is this zone map, it appeared that All-Zone does include Vancouver, but I am not sure if can transfer from TriMet to C-Tran?

http://trimet.org/fares/zones.htm