Dear: Jim Karlock,
In response to your request for records dated January 31, 2010,:
” Please provide copies of all documents in your posession that claim that the federal government requires light rail as part of the CRC project. “
Please find the answers to the your questions below:
There are no documents in our possession that claim that the federal government requires light rail as a part of the CRC project. The Columbia River Crossing project worked with the public, the CRC Task Force, local agencies and elected officials to develop the problem definition and the purpose and need statement. The purpose and need statement received concurrence from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and identifies six problems which the CRC project will address: growing travel demand and congestion; impaired freight movement; limited public transportation operation, connectivity and reliability; safety and vulnerability to collisions; substandard pedestrian and bicycle facilities; and, seismic vulnerability.
To address the problem of limited public transportation operation, CRC analyzed several transit modes, including light rail, local buses, express buses and bus rapid transit in consultation with the public, the task force and local agencies and elected officials. Transit alternatives analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) were identified through this public process and received concurrence by FTA and FHWA. Technical findings in the Draft EIS show that light rail would provide faster and more direct access to key destinations, which would help attract more daily transit riders than bus rapid transit. The project’s local partner agencies considered the technical findings, the Task Force recommendation and about 1,600 public comments when they selected a replacement I-5 bridge with light rail as the CRC’s Locally Preferred Alternative in summer 2008. These project elements were selected because they could best address the transportation problems on I-5 identified in the purpose and need statement.
With this letter, your request for records dated January 31,2010 is complete.
If you have any further questions you may contact me at 360.816.2188.
Sincerely,
Tonja L. Gleason C.P.A.
Public Disclosure Coordinator
Columbia River Crossing Project
700 Washington Ave. STE 300,
Vancouver, Washington 98660
360.816.2188
www.columbiarivercrossing.org
