As long as I’ve been living in the Portland area (just over 20 years now), they’ve been trying to replace the drawbridge that connects Interstate 5 across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington with something that causes less traffic congestion. (Like maybe not a drawbridge.)
We were very close to getting the project approved in 2012 at a cost of $3.4 Billion with both DEMs and Chamber of Commerce GOPers on board. One controversial component of the project was a light rail connection to the TriMet rail system that serves the Portland Metropolitan area on the Oregon side. As the Vancouver mayor explained it, " I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating – Vancouver and Clark County residents have the cheapest buy-in to one of the most successful light-rail systems in the world, the MAX system. There is over $5 billion invested in light rail across the river. We can tap into that system at a very minimal cost. We’d be foolish not to. The bi-state Columbia River Crossing initiative is making plans for the future of our community for 50 years and beyond. This project should not happen without integrating light rail that comes into downtown Vancouver. If the final alternative doesn’t have a light rail component, I will not support it.[44]". On the Oregon side, their preference is to incentivize fewer cars crossing the River by providing public transit options.
As the vote neared to approve the $500 million in State funds for the project in the Washington legislature, we heard more and more about how the “Crime Train” from Portland was going to allow the handful of black people South of the River to come rape and pillage the good citizens of Vancouver and Clark County. The funding lost by one vote.
Now we’re making another attempt at it, with the cost now at $13.5 to $15.2 Billion for the same project. Much of that $10 Billion overage will be paid for by tolls. As a matter of fact, economists are telling project planners that the required tolls will likely reduce the current 134,000 daily trips over bridge down to 84,000/day. You’ll likely be driving 65 mph all the way to downtown Portland during the morning rush with the lack of traffic.
Want to guess who’s complaining about the tolls?
intercst