CRC Planning Poohbahs Consider "Pre-Completion" Tolling (Hint: Pay Now Get Soaked Later)

August 10, 2011

SHARE
Photo Credit Andrew Hall

Momentum builds for tolling the existing Interstate Bridge to save up for a new bridge for light rail. This week the CTran board approved an “Impact” statement for the new Columbia River Crossing. The planners are floating the idea of tolling ASAP and do something–who knows–with the money:

CRC planners have said there is a possibility of “precompletion” tolling to collect money for the project sooner. That is, drivers would pay a toll to cross the existing I-5 Bridge that’s spanned the Columbia River for decades, before the new bridge is open.

When you understand that motor vehicles will have to shoulder the burden of the cost of building this light rail bridge you begin to get the picture of what a boondoggle this Columbia River Crossing is.

I want a new bridge. I think a draw bridge on one of the most important interstate routes in the country is downright silly in the 21st century. But let’s be honest. We could build a heckuvalot cheaper bridge with more capacity for less than the $10 billion dollars economist Joe Cortright predicts the bridge in its current form will cost.

If you remove light rail you remove an estimated 30%-40% of the cost. If you remove some of the major interchange work you cut the cost even more.

Critics of the plan opine that all the interchange work was thrown in to make the light rail portion look smaller. CRC folks asked for funding from the FEDERAL TRANSIT dollars NOT HIGHWAY FUNDS. That’s an important distinction because by adding hundreds of millions of dollars in interchanges (without adding any news lanes of traffic) they reduce the percentage of light rail to construction and get light rail mostly paid for by the Feds.

Speaking of the interchanges Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt is still talking about tolling those:

“The concept of pre-completion tolling, I, personally, have some heartburn with,” said Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt, one of nine C-Tran board members.
Leavitt suggested exploring the idea of tolling onramps to the new system south of the actual bridge. That could collect revenue from Oregonians who will use and benefit from the new infrastructure connected to the project — in the Jantzen Beach area, for example — without crossing the river, he said.

The most ignorant statement in this article comes from someone who knows better:

“I want to make it crystal clear,” said Clark County Commissioner Marc Boldt, the C-Tran board chairman.

“no CRC-related expenditure will materially result in a reduction to current transit service levels.”

No offense, Marc, you seem like a nice guy, but all you have to do peek across the river to discover how much light rail has blown a hole in other transit modes. (here here and here)

Tell ’em where you saw it. Http://www.victoriataft.com