Letters to the Editor: Aug. 8, 2024

On light rail and tolls on interstate bridges In 2012, voters in every city in Clark County rejected the C-TRAN ballot proposition to extend Oregon’s MAX light rail into Clark County over the Interstate 5 (I-5) Bridge. Ignoring these votes, a proposed I-5 Bridge Replacement (IBR) is planned to extend MAX light rail into Clark County anyway, and charge tolls to cross interstate bridges. Currently, C-TRAN buses and vans offer public transit across the Columbia River and only about 1% to 2% of trips across the bridge use transit. Buses and vans cost vastly less than the more than $2 billion estimated for unnecessary fixed track light rail. The $7.5 billion 2022 cost estimates for the I-5 Bridge with light rail could balloon to over $9 billion when cost increases are revealed in 2025. Funding IBR includes state and federal dollars, and tolling vehicles on I-5, and likely I-205. NoTolls.com explains high toll costs in northern Washington state, where up to 50% to 68% of the tolls has gone to pay for the tolling system. Candidates that oppose light rail and tolls on the bridges include Republican candidates Joe Kent (3rd Congressional District), John Ley (18th Legislative District), Brad Benton (18th Legislative District), Hannah Joy (17th Legislative District) and Lucia Worthington (49th Legislative District). Republican candidate (3rd Congressional District) and Camas City Councilmember Leslie Lewallen opposes adding toll roads. (leslieforwashington.com/issues/) John Ley notes: “The 3-mile light rail extension consumes over one-fourth of the project cost, at $2 billion. TriMet is demanding we pay for half of the “local contribution” to buy 19 light rail train cars … TriMet is demanding new taxes from both Oregon and Washington residents, to pay for operations and maintenance costs. Oregon never contributed to the O&M costs of C-TRAN’s Express bus service in (and out of) Portland, for the past three decades.” (electjohnley.com/ley-asks-c-tran-board-to-reject-interstate-bridge-replacement-proposal). Proponents of the light rail and tolls include Democratic Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (3rd Congressional District), Republican candidate Philip Johnson (18th Legislative District per 2022 C-TRAN board vote, and Democratic state Sen. Annette Cleveland (49th District) and Democratic state Rep. Sharon Wylie (49th District), who pushed both as legislators for years. Margaret Tweet, Camas

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