Light Rail

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•  Light Rail will import crime to Clark County

•  Light Rail slower and less agile than buses–that we already own

•  Massive Light Rail costs for literally no benefit

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Light rail has a connection to most of the problems with the CRC’s plans—and in many cases a large connection. The persistent inclusion of light rail in the CRC project stems from progressive transportation ideology—as literally no practical planning evidence supports light rail. Vancouver citizens seem to get this as they have voted in a number of measures to stop light rail funding. The situation may have best been summed up when the Oregon’s Supreme Court decision stated that the massive CRC project is only a “political necessity” to persuade Clark County residents to accept a light rail line to Vancouver. Specific problems with light rail in a bridge solution are:

1. Slower than buses:  Light rail projected transit time to from Vancouver to downtown Portland is slower than the current bus, by nearly 20 minutes.
2. Crime increase:  When light rail moves through inner cities to suburbs—there is a known problem with transporting crime from one area to another. This has happened in Gresham and around the Clackamas Town Center. Vancouver would be subject to this problem.
3. Tolls: Estimated to be as high as $8 per trip–or $2000 per year for the average commuter.
4. Cost to business:  This includes increased insurance rates for businesses and residents near light rail lines, new taxes for law enforcement, and loss of street parking for businesses.
5. Overall track record:  Light rail is a financial disaster in both Portland and Seattle, where populations are much higher. Ridership numbers on both systems are significantly lower than were projected. When light rail fails, it degrades over time, but does not go away easily.

For Further Details on Light Rail in CRC Plans

General information

• Columbia River Crossing should not include light rail – Senator Curtis King – 6-3-13
• Light rail proposed path in Vancouver
• Cascade in the Capitol: Light Rail to Vancouver vs. CTRAN Express Buses – Testimony on HB 2800
• CRC: Sacrifices real solution for sake of light rail
• CRC light-rail critics in Clark County led by a retired Navy skipper – Oregonian
• Oregon’s Supreme Court says light-rail politics drove plans for a new I-5 bridge.
• Proposed light rail extension to Vancouver testimony of Cascade Policy Institute
• Clackamas County commissioners letter to TriMet asking to stop Portland-Milwaukie light rail in Portland
• Washington State Senate Letter 1-31-2013 – ‘Need to Eliminate Light Rail“
• Stopping Light Rail
• Railroading Vancouver
• CRC light rail testimony.March 2012
• St. Paul, Minnesota problems with their first year of light rail construction.

Tolls

• Under the Local Impact tab, see link section called: Tolls will take away money from our local economy

Extreme costs/debt

• Why should Vancouver pay $2.57 million annually to maintain a light rail extension into Vancouver for Portland’s TriMet light rail trains?
• C-Tran and local taxpayers will be responsible for the hundreds of millions of dollars short-fall for Light Rail.
• Plans for the $3.5 billion megaproject include upgrades to Portland’s Steel Bridge.
• TriMet’s unfunded liability was $832 million as of 2009 and has now grown to 1.3 billion of debt.
• TriMet is in jeopardy of not meeting its present or future plans because of significant structural problems related to its finances
• Ruby Junction and Steel Bridge Costs.
  • http://stopcrc.com/docs/ACUITY_GROUP-3-Ruby_Junction_and_Steel_Bridge_Costs.pdf
  • http://stopcrc.com/docs/ACUITY_GROUP-3-Ruby_Junction_and_Steel_Bridge_Exhibits.pdf

Vancouver Citizens resistance to light rail

• http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/nov/06/voters-soundly-reject-c-tran-measure-outcome-deliv/
• http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/post/election-results-and-recent-polling-show-vancouver-does-not-support-light-rail
• http://prop1no.com/
• The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Chapter 81.104 on high-capacity transportation (HCT) systems requires voter approval.

Impact to Vancouver

• The light rail estimated to eliminate 125 on-street parking spaces
• CRC has three park-and-ride garages slated to be built in downtown Vancouver for light-rail commuters – expected to cost $158 to $176 million.
• Vancouver’s parking garages and lots lost about $1.97 million in 2011.
• TriMet wants more of Vancouver than just rail to Clark College – they plan to take it all the way back across 205.
• No light rail in Vancouver

Crime imported

• Clackamas Town Center Crime Statics have increased with Light Rail
• Crime Near Light-Rail Stations
• Sheriff blames crime increase on MAX line 
• Gangs and crime ride into town on MAX, survey finds
• To reduce crime, police and security increases will incur more costs to tax payers
• Crime on Portland-area MAX trains increases.

Buses vs. light rail

• A summary of key metrics clearly shows that light rail compares poorly to buses.
• Buses are faster, more flexible and one incident does not shut the system down.
• The CRC Plan for Light Rail: A Step Backwards for Transit Customers- by John A. Charles, Jr.