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

Sunderland Right-of-Way Vacation
February 17, 2022
In our part of town, there is a stretch along Marine Dr. between 33rd Ave. and Bridgeton Rd. where the 40 Mile Loop remains unfinished. It is a trail that runs westward along the south of Marine Dr. up until it crosses under the 33rd Ave. bridge, where it ends abruptly at a private property owned by WPC Marine LLC, and leased to Herc Rentals, a company that sells & leases heavy industrial equipment.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) retained an unimproved right-of-way for the 40 Mile Loop trail that cuts across WPC Marine’s property, and the lease agreement with Herc Rentals allows them to use it for vehicle storage. Recently, WPC Marine has requested that the City vacate (do away with) the right-of-way and incorporate that property into their site.

The “40 Mile Loop” is actually a 140-mile-long connected trail system that encircles much of Portland. It was first envisioned as part of Forest Park when the City was being beautified for the upcoming Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition of 1905. Over the years, an expanded idea was to connect a series of parks around the city by a trail that would be suitable for walking and bicycling, as well
as some opportunities for strollers, wheelchairs, skating, skateboarding, horseback riding, canoeing, and kayaking. With the encouragement of the City, suburban cities, federal agencies, conservationists, and civic groups, an alliance known as the 40-Mile Loop Land Trust was formed to continue advocacy for the project; but to this day, a continuous loop has yet to be established.

The impact on us of vacating this right-of-way would be that those of us in Bridgeton and East Columbia who might want to enjoy taking the 40 Mile Loop eastward would be out of luck. There are few residents in Sunderland, where the right-of-way is located, and their neighborhood association is not consistently active, so they haven’t weighed in.

As part of its process for deciding on such requests, the City considered a number of criteria, including adopted plans for public services, transportation, utilities, storm water, viewpoints, landscaping, pedestrian amenities, and community or commercial uses; and whether such criteria might be handled in alternate ways. There is no necessity for a public benefit criterion, so they didn’t need to require any showing that the vacation is in the public’s interest – only that it doesn’t hurt the public’s need.

The City’s Planning & Sustainability Commission (PSC) held its evaluation of the issue on January 25, and decided that the above criteria do not prevent them from granting the landowner’s request. It considered that, while a deviation of the path around the private property would add some 90-degree turns, which are not ideal, it makes the most sense. Based on that recommendation, the Bureau of Development Services (BDS) approved the vacation with the condition that the property owner will grant a 30-foot easement for construction of the recreational trail. It is an appealable decision.
Patrick Henry
East Columbia Land Use Chairman
patrickhenryinator@gmail.com

The government is currently planning an Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Project, and we are at a critical stage where
we have an opportunity to influence its design – a design that can either worsen our neighborhoods for decades to come,
or vastly improve them to the envy of other small communities. Please read on and weigh in with your opinions!
A. Concerns for our neighborhoods:
 There is the potential for damage to our neighborhoods from a poorly-considered IBR project.
 Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) projects a doubling of truck traffic from Marine Dr. by 2035.
o Freight traffic along Marine Dr. is damaging to our neighborhood.
o Diverting freight traffic away from Marine Drive east of the interchange would be beneficial.
 Local access between Bridgeton, East Columbia, Kenton and Hayden Island that avoids interacting with I-5 or
its feeder routes would be beneficial to all four communities.
B. A holistic approach to the local traffic plan needs to be developed along with state and federal policymakers that
includes:
 the IBR project, including construction of a secondary bridge for local traffic to Hayden Island, as well as
replacing the old I-5 bridge with a bigger, seismically updated one.
 integrating IBR design elements with local PBOT and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)
planning.
 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) levee improvement project along Marine Dr.
 consideration of neighborhood traffic flow.
 a long-term public amenity plan for waterfront property where roads enter I-5 once the City takes over all the
land for IBR; a recreational and entertainment “North Waterfront Park” that could rival the ones downtown and
in Vancouver.
C. Plans should include:
 Disincentivizing of direct truck traffic between Marine Dr. and I-5. See diagram.
o Install a traffic light @ 33rd Ave.
o Install a flashing light & crosswalk across Marine Dr. at Bridgeton Rd. for 40 Mile Loop traffic.
o Install a roundabout at Marine Dr. and 6th Dr. wide enough for trucks, routing them southward on 6th
Dr. and thence either north onto I-5 or south onto MLK Jr. Blvd. as a primary local access route.
o Thereby make Columbia Blvd. & Lombard the preferred routes for truck traffic going onto I-5, and
relieving rush-hour backups.
 Install access for truck traffic from Columbia Blvd. directly onto I-5 North.
 Route local traffic to Hayden Island along N. Vancouver Way north to a new bridge going from Expo Rd to N.
Center Ave. on the island.
D. Input from the people living in East Columbia is vitally needed, and soon.
 Ask the agencies involved for details about what they are planning – we need to know.
o ODOT & WDOT seem to be in charge of most of the IBR planning.
 ODOT Director’s Office
 355 Capitol St. NE, MS11, Salem, OR 97301-3871
 1-888-275-6368
o You might say, “I live in East Columbia. We would like to see in detail what is being considered as to
construction plans for roads, interchanges, etc. on the Oregon side of the IBR project.”
 Relay your thoughts on these issues to me so I can put together a statement that represents what the
people in East Columbia want to happen with this IBR Project. What parts of the above do you agree with,
what do you disagree with, and what do you have to add?
 If you are interested in more information about the IBR by email, please let me know.
Patrick Henry
East Columbia Neighborhood Association (ECNA) Land Use Chairman
patrickhenryinator@gmail.com
503-754-1605
503-974-4947Bridgeton Neighborhood Association (BNA) NE 6th Drive Plan (Revised 2-8-2022)

Community Partner Bulletin

PBEM EventsFebruary BEECN TrainingMonday, February 28, 6 pm – 7:30 pmLearn about the radio communication sites that will be set up all over Portland after an earthquake. This informational session and training is free and open to all. If you want to become a BEECN volunteer after this training, there is a brief application process.  Full info and event registration.Reminder Basic NET Training (in person)Saturdays, 2/26, 3/5 & 3/12, 8:30 am – 5 pmBasic NET is a free 28-hour training that will prepare you to help your community after a major disaster. And you get a cool helmet! More details: Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs) are Portland residents trained by PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods. NET members are trained to save lives and property until professional responders can arrive. These volunteers are specially trained to help others without putting themselves in harm’s way.  NET members are:1. Prepared to be self-sufficient for two weeks during any emergency.2. Able to provide emergency assistance to their family and immediate neighbors.3.  Able to work within an emergency response team to save lives and property in their neighborhood. 4.  Able to guide untrained volunteers who want to help others during a disaster. You must attend all three classes and one final field exercise on either March 19 or March 26. Required: Proof of full vaccination, six-foot social distancing, and a KN95 or N95 mask (provided if needed). More info and registration.Earthquake Exercise with PBEM and Community PartnersWednesday, March 9, 9 am – 1 pmFEMA is hosting an online “tabletop exercise” to practice an earthquake scenario and our responses. This 4-hour exercise is designed for community-based group participation (not individuals). Anyone representing a community organization in the Portland metro area is welcome to join.  Experience with these kinds of exercises is not needed! If your organization has done some planning for disasters or would like to be better connected with other organizations, this is a great way to test your plans or make connections. The goal is not to have a perfect response, but to see how events might unfold and where we can better prepare. Emergency managers will be paired with organizations to support them during the exercise.  Sign up here.Mental Health First Aid with Portland COADThursday, March 31, 9 am – 3:30 pmThe votes are in — thank you for your input! This six-hour certification class is being co-taught professionally by Kate Hubbard. Free of charge; PBEM will cover the cost of each student’s three-year certification. Please note: Participants must complete two hours of prework in order to access the online class. More information and signup here.

Other EventsDIY Weatherization Workshops with Community Energy ProjectMake your heating work smarter, not harder this season. Lower your energy bills, stay comfortable in your home, and save natural resources. Qualified participants receive a FREE kit of supplies. Wednesday, February 16th, 4:00pm-5:00pm Friday, February 18th, 4:00pm-5:00pm Thursday, February 24th, 5:30pm-6:30pm Community Energy Project – Workshop Calendar Workshop FlyerTIPNW Volunteer Training & RecruitmentTIP Volunteers are called by law enforcement, fire, medical and hospital personnel to respond to scenes of sudden or unexpected death (natural, homicide, suicide, accidental, infant), industrial accidents, sexual assaults, violent crimes and other traumatic incidents to provide immediate emotional and practical support to families, friends, witnesses and victims.  TIPNW is offering a training academy in March: Adult training flyer TEEN training flyer  To register or find out more, call 503.823.3937 or visit tipnw.org.

COVID-19 Information

Community organizations: Order home test kits and PPE OHA Testing Kits & PPE Form/Formulario de Equipos de Prueba y Equipos de Protección Personal The Oregon Health Authority is sending over 1.45 million test kits to community organizations. iHealth test kit instructions in English, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese and more languages on their website.   Free at-home COVID-19 tests in the mailEvery home is eligible to order 4 tests for free. https://covidtests.gov

Request N95 masks from Multnomah CountyIf your organization serves people with disabilities, immunocompromised people or others at risk for severe COVID illness, your organization can request N95 masks and other supplies here:   Multnomah County Resource Request form Please email at eoc-community-resources-unit@multco.us or call 503-988-8940 if you have any questions or need help filling out the request form.

Date: February 26, 2022
Time: 10am until it’s finished
Location: Meet up at 8900 NE Vancouver Way
Please RSVPs by E-mailing: Serilda00@yahoo.com
Come one, come all, and help clear our amazing neighborhood of unsightly
trash! We are joining forces with Neighbors Helping Neighbors who will
provide us with equipment, protection, and a brief safety training as we
clear up our beloved community. We hope to see you there (even for 30
mins) to help lend a hand in this effort.
Please consider donating to help defray NHN’s expenses. Donations can be sent via Cashapp to $Serilda
or checks can be mailed to the East Columbia Neighborhood Association at 2209 N Schofield Street,
Portland Oregon 97217.