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| Community Engagement Opportunities – Summer Fairs and Festivals |
| Summer is just around the corner, and that means fairs, farmers markets, summer concerts and other community events are beginning to fill up the calendar. At these events, the IBR team will be out talking with the community, sharing information and answering questions about the efforts to replace the aging Interstate Bridge. The program’s first tabling event of the season took place June 1 when we attended the Latino Community Resource Group’s Multicultural Resource. More than 50 people stopped by our booth to learn more and to provide feedback. If you’re out and about this summer, stop by our booth, say hello, and check out the latest updates. Here are a couple of the places you can expect to see us this month: Vancouver Juneteenth Freedom Celebration — Saturday, June 15, Esther Short Park NE Cully Sunday Parkways — Sunday, June 16, Fernhill Park |
| What’s Been Happening |
| Equity Roundtable — Pathways to active transportation: Strategies and solutions |
| The IBR program hosted its eighth equity roundtable discussion on May 21 exploring the topic of active transportation. Active transportation is any human-powered means of travel, such as walking, biking, running, skating, and using a wheelchair or stroller. The IBR program plans to include a shared use path as part of the structure that will replace the I-5 bridges across the Columbia River to improve the substandard and unsafe conditions for those who use active transportation to travel over the bridge currently. During the equity roundtable, Program Administrator Greg Johnson was joined by IBR Principal Climate Officer Mara Krinke, IBR Active Transportation Design Lead Natalie Owen, The Street Trust Executive Director Sarah Iannarone, and Disability Rights Washington’s Director of Disability Mobility Initiative Anna Zivarts. The group participated in a conversation moderated by TriMet Community Affairs Manager Coral Egnew that touched on everything from how the design of active transportation has evolved over the years to strategies to build safe and inviting active transportation facilities that encourage use. “We have an urban design team that is looking very closely at active transportation access to, in and around transit facilities, looking at where bus stops are located, how to get people from both sides of Hayden Island to the transit station, and really looking at ways to activate those spaces and connect them to existing facilities,” Natalie Owen said. Sarah Iannarone commended the IBR team for its commitment to equity and for putting out “world-class” public and active transportation designs. She said that, once IBR’s investments are made, the region must continue to expand options for public and active transportation to ensure the widest number of people possible have easy access to these new facilities across the Columbia River. “I do think the IBR team has done a really nice job developing the equity framework, and I want to give the team some real props on the robustness of that,” Iannarone said. You can watch the full conversation here. |
| Construction opportunities and resources webpage |
| The IBR program has created a new webpage to host information regarding the proposed packaging and delivery of investments. The new page contains the preliminary information shared with attendees at the May 6 Construction Industry Event including a map of the conceptual packaging sequence and a list of the 28 proposed packages with a short description of the work, estimated cost range, duration, delivery agency and potential procurement methods. These are initial proposals that can change as the program advances toward construction. The program will continue to seek feedback from contractors and other industry representatives, as well as look for opportunities to create smaller contract packages that encourage participation by small businesses and those owned by women and minorities. |
| Recent Meeting Summaries |
| Community Advisory Group (CAG) — May 9 The Community Advisory Group received an update on recent activities and a presentation on tolling for IBR including assumptions for what tolling will look like, an overview of the roles and responsibilities of different agencies involved in setting and implementing toll rates and policies, and an overview of the traffic and revenue studies analyzing potential toll rate scenarios. They were then presented with a breakdown of recent community engagement efforts and an overview of the work underway in the Community Benefits Advisory Group. Equity Advisory Group (EAG) — May 20 The Equity Advisory Group received a program update and listened to a presentation from the IBR Urban Design team regarding the design of transit stations. They learned about the program’s equity objectives guiding this design work and how those principles are applied to locations such as the Vancouver Waterfront and Hayden Island Transit Stations. Members also heard an update on tolling for IBR including assumptions for what tolling will look like, an overview of the roles and responsibilities of different agencies involved in setting and implementing toll rates and policies, and an overview of the traffic and revenue studies analyzing potential toll rate scenarios. Community Benefits Advisory Group (CBAG) — May 23 The Community Benefits Advisory Group heard a program update before receiving a brief presentation on potential community benefits including access to visual aids to promote education of overall program design, development of affordable housing, opportunities for community centers and repurposing existing retail areas for community development. These topics were discussed in small groups before reporting back to the full group for larger discussion. |
| Myth vs. Fact |
| Myth: The IBR program’s proposal for a replacement bridge will be too steep for pedestrians and cyclists to use comfortably. Fact: The program is currently working to implement designs for a shared use path that meets or exceeds the safety and ability standards laid out within the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This will connect the shared use path on the replacement bridge to the regional network of shared use paths on either side of the river by utilizing ramps of 3-4% grade with landings of approximately 1% grade that would bring users up to bridge profile height. Once the ramps on either side of the river connect with bridge profile height, the shared use path on the bridge itself will not exceed 4.5% grade across its apex; the maximum slope standard identified by the ADA is 5%. |
| On the Horizon |
| Upcoming Advisory Group Meetings & Events |
| Bi-State Legislative Committee Monday, June 10 — 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Community Advisory Group Thursday, June 13 — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Equity Advisory Group Monday, June 17 — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bi-state Tolling Subcommittee Friday, June 21 — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Community Benefits Advisory Group Thursday, June 27 — 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. |
| IBR Office Hours |
| Do you have questions and want to speak to a real person? We answer questions on a range of topics, including design, equity, Disadvantaged and Small Business Enterprise opportunities, community engagement, financial plans, and much more! Join us for IBR office hours, in person or virtually, and get your questions answered! NOTE: No new technical data will be available until the release of the environmental documentation. Please make a 30-minute reservation at least 24 hours in advance. There are three ways you can make a reservation: Visit: SignUpGenius Email: info@interstatebridge.org Call: 888-503-6735 Please provide your contact information and what you would like to talk about. We will confirm your appointment and provide meeting details upon confirmation. See you there! |
East Columbia Neighborhood Association 