Clackamas County Commissioners Demand I-205 Diversion Estimates

The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners wrote Gov. John Kitzhaber today with a warning: If they don't get good estimates on how tolling the Columbia River Crossing might affect Interstate 205, they'll officially oppose the project. The letter (PDF), dated today, says the commissioners have asked Kitzhaber three times in five years for how tolling Interstate 5 would affect I-205 and "have failed to release satisfactory answers." As WW reported, consultants CDM Smith have been preparing an investment grade analysis for tolling the $2.7 billion CRC. Emails obtained by WW show that state officials have long known that tolls on I5 would fill I-205 to capacity. The Oregonian reported last week that the commissioners were likely to send a "letter with teeth" regarding the proposed Oregon-only Interstate 5 project to replace bridges into Washington state, expand interchanges on both sides of the river and extend MAX lines to Vancouver.
www.wweek.com/portland/blog-30867-clackamas_county....html

Columbia River Crossing Interim legislative committee appointed!!

House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney appointed a 24-member legislative committee to hold hearings on a revived Columbia River Crossing plan Friday. No date has been set for hearings, but the two Democratic leaders of the Legislature and Gov. John Kitzhaber agree that hearings should be forthcoming. Oregon Sen. Bruce Starr (left), R-Hillsboro, talks with Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, as the legislature wound down in July. Starr and Johnson are key votes in the Oregon Senate on transportation issues. Johnson says she wants more information before she votes on the Columbia River Crossing. The bridge project faltered in the summer when the Washington Senate refused to allocated $450 million for the bi-state plan. Since then, Oregon leaders have devised a scaled back, Oregon-led project that could move forward with only Oregon’s $450 million allocation.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/colu...river