East Columbia Neighborhood Association
2209 N. Schofield Street
Portland, OR 97217
Kayla Dunn 18 February 2022
Interstate Bridge Replacement Program
Kayla.Dunn@interstatebridge.org
Dear Ms Dunn,
Thank you for the ongoing opportunity to review and comment as plans evolve to replace the Interstate Bridge that carries I-5 traffic between Oregon and Washington. Public involvement is a key component of developing a project like this but it comes at a cost. Public participation involves many hours of open community discussion and relies on many individuals being focused on values and goals, while being guided by past personal experiences.
Replacing the Interstate Bridge is much more than removing on old structure and adding an improved new one. It is an opportunity to improve the livability of our greater community. The Environmental Impact Study, Purpose and Need statement, produced for the original CRC project included:
- Growing travel demand and congestion
- Impaired freight movement
- Limited public transportation operation, connectivity, and reliability
- Safety and vulnerability to incidents
- Substandard bicycle and pedestrian facilities
- Seismic vulnerability
It is difficult to decern how the present Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project addresses these. To date involved public participants have asked for traffic flow and congestion study information. Apparently, they are not yet available. Information on the bridge size and layout have been requested but this information is also not available. Elements from the Common Sense Approach, CSA, promoted by George Crandall and mass-transit advocate Jim Howell, and Robert Liberty, offer interesting solutions to acknowledged transportation ills created at the Interstate Bridge and adjacent highways. Though rejected in the past, elements of the CSA should be placed back on the table for consideration. The present IBR process feels too much like a redo of the failed Columbia River Crossing project.
Those of us that live in the area are greatly impacted by incredible traffic congestion and the air pollution associated with it. Congestion alone, impacts general livability as trips are planned or canceled based on traffic conditions. Local and interstate commerce is hampered by congestion influenced travel times. Routinely, north bound I-5 traffic is backed up between Marine Drive and Rosa Parks from 8am until 10am and again from 4pm until 7pm. East bound traffic on North Marine Drive, at the MLK, I-5 interchange is impassable daily from 4pm to 7pm
The East Columbia Neighborhood Association is unable to recommend any of the proposed IBR plans due to a lack of factual information. Specifically, we need to understand traffic flows, congestion expectations, and related functional information. We believe that the right IBR solution solves the traffic congestion at peak hours, limits backups that impact neighborhood travel, and routes freight traffic onto appropriate roadways at Columbia Blvd. and Lombard Street.
Sincerely,
Gary M Kunz, Chairman
East Columbia Neighborhood Association
cc:
Mayor Ted Wheeler mayorwheeler@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty joann@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Mingus Mapps Mappsoffice@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Carmen Rubio comm.rubio@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Dan Ryan CommissionerRyanOffice@portlandoregon.gov
Representative Travis Nelson Rep.TravisNelson@oregonlegislature.gov
Bi-State Legislative Committee – Oregon
Co-Chair Senator Lee Beyer Sen.LeeBeyer@oregonlegislature.gov
Co-Chair Representative Susan McLain rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov
Senator Brian Boquist Sen.BrianBoquist@oregonlegislature.gov
Senator Lynn Findley Sen.LynnFindley@oregonlegislature.gov
Senator Lew Fredrick Sen.LewFrederick@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Shelly Boshart Davis Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Karin Power Rep.KarinPower@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Greg Smith rep.gregsmith@oregonlegislature.gov
Bi-State Legislative Committee – Washington
Co-Chair Senator Annette Cleveland Annette.cleveland@leg.wa.gov
Co-Chair Representative Brandon Vick brandon.vick@leg.wa.gov
Co-Chair Senator Lynda Wilson Lynda.Wilson@leg.wa.gov
Co-Chair Representative Sharon Wylie Megan.Walsh@leg.wa.gov
Senator Steve Hobbs steve.hobbs@leg.wa.gov
Senator Ann Rivers ann.rivers@leg.wa.gov
Representative Jake Fey jake.fey@leg.wa.gov
Representative Paul Harris paul.harris@leg.wa.gov