UPDATE BELOW: They’ve gone out and scored a loan from Bank of America for Milwaukie Light Rail extension for $20 million. The Voters were going to the polls to stop it on Tuesday. This is why people hate politicians. They ignore the people’s will at every turn. How many turns?? Look here for a few.
More from the Portland Tribune here:
Commissioners authorized the payment on Aug. 22 with a 3-1 vote on a renegotiated agreement that reduced the county’s payment obligation from $25 million in consideration of in-kind property and time that the county had contributed. TriMet had agreed to public-safety and aesthetic changes to the project that the county had requested.
The Oregon Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal of a temporary restraining order that prohibited Clackamas County from seeking financing to fulfill its obligation. Thelma Haggenmiller’s appeal followed a series of lower-court actions seeking to halt the financing effort.
“The Supreme Court granted a temporary stay to look at it for a few days, and then they said we were legally free to move forward,” Chandler said.
Jim Knapp, the Oak Grove resident who began the drive for Measure 3-401 on the Sept. 18 special election ballot to block local funding for TriMet’s $1.49 billion light-rail project, said his group would seek another mechanism to reject the payment. Knapp has begun gathering signatures for a referendum against Clackamas County’s Aug. 22 decision to pay TriMet for its promised share of funding light rail.
John Ludlow who’s vying for Clackamas County Chair just sent out another time line of the big Screw You Clackamas County Commission just committed against the voters. In an email with the subject line, “Portland Creep Forced Upon Clackamas County, Ludlow laid it out:
How It All Came To Be
Friends,
A lot of people wonder how Milwaukie Light Rail was revived after a couple public votes killed what was then called the North-South Light Rail project.
Here in this 2001 JPACT meetings document it is crystal clear.
Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT)
November 1,2001
Meeting Notes
Excerpted from that 2001 JPACT document under the “SOUTH CORRIDOR UPDATE”
is this:
“Every option was looked at but light-rail because as they [South Corridor (SC) Policy Group] were going through this process they had made a determination, based on the 1998 vote and subsequent public listening posts, that light rail was not going to be a project they would proceed with in this corridor.”
So what happened?
The Policy Group says some unnamed people referred to as “the public” requested the group add back light rail and to make it able to move forward without a pubic vote.
“the Policy Group added Milwaukie and 1-205 light rail options to the study due to the public’s request, particularly in S.E. Portland and the City of Milwaukie. The public requested that the Policy Group make these projects cheaper. They asked if Metro could change the alignment, routes, and stations. Also, if there were things that Metro could do that would enable light rail to be significantly less expensive and be able to move forward without a vote? This is what the South
Corridor Policy Group is looking at currently.
A little over a year later Metro’s South Corridor Policy Group “unanimously recommended” light rail while claiming to have “strong public support”.
Here is that announcement:
South Corridor Policy Committee members step up to face future transportation needs
Metro news release – Feb. 14, 2003
Contact: Gina Whitehill-Baziuk, 503-797-1746
Contact: Gina Whitehill-Baziuk, 503-797-1746
The South Corridor Policy Committee has unanimously recommended construction of two phases of light rail as the preferred major transit investments in the southeastern portion of the region.
Metro Councilor Brian Newman, who chairs the committee, supported the recommendation. “Light rail was being selected over other options considered after analysis showed that it would have the highest number of riders, the fastest travel times, the best connections to neighborhoods and centers as well as strong public support,” he said. Read More: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=3370
That was how the regional partners began to force the unwanted light rail into Clackamas County. The county used Urban Renewal borrowing to pay TriMet $39 million for the Green Line and was going to create an UR district on McLoughlin to pay TriMet $25 million for their share of Milwaukie Light Rail. Measure 3-386 halted the plans for Urban Renewal and now the county is preparing to use the general fund without public approval.
In that 2001 JPACT meeting document:
“The light rail alternatives in this corridor can cost between $350 to $400 million dollars.”
“The bus rapid transit projects in this corridor cost between $65 and $70 million dollars.”
“The busway option is designed to try and give some of the benefits that can be obtained from a light rail line at less costs then light rail.”
Here is how they concocted “strong public support” and avoid a public vote.
“The South Corridor Policy Group has initiated a more grass roots public involvement process for this project then they have had in the past. Prior efforts had large citizen advisory committees. In this effort, local advisory committees in S.E. Portland, Milwaukie and Clackamas Regional Center are looking at very specific issues in each segment of the corridor. This was set up in response to the citizen’s request.”
“In the end, all of the information from the public process will go to the Policy Group. From that Policy Committee, the recommendation will be set forth and will go to City Councils in both Portland and Milwaukie, to the County Commission for Clackamas, the Tri-Met Board, and the ODOT Commission. Then, they will make their own recommendation, which will come to the Metro Council where the locally preferred alternative will be adopted. By the time all studies are completed and finalized, this project should be ready for funding by re-authorization in 2003.”
Here is the shift in priorities:
Andy Cotugno stated that every person on the JPACT committee could make a motion on what the next priorities are to be. Since there is already a motion in place that says that Delta Park is a high priority project for JPACT and there are outstanding issues on Sunrise Corridor and Powell Blvd. He would suggest there be a future agenda to define how priorities are chosen and suggest that there be categories begun for the next priorities. There are categories that should be the focus of ODOT and there are projects that should be the focus of the freeway systems. JPACT has a set priority for light rail corridors and there is the question of the arterial system. He further stated that there are different kinds of things that JPACT ought to be re-examining. Particularly how JPACT does the funding allocation process and he proposes starting as soon as this current allocation process is concluded.
Clackamas County Infrastructure needs.
Clackams County Commissioner Bill Kennemer— “Clackamas County’s infrastructure is in need of improvement. … He also stated that when there is talk about future growth it is projected to go to
Clackamas County.”
And “He commented that when looking at the base amounts, 44.4 percent goes to Washington County and its cities, the City of Portland gets 11.8 percent, Multnomah County gets 28.4 percent and Clackamas County gets 15.1 percent, which he stated is hardly equitable.”
Clackamas county under-represented
“Clackamas County, they are severely under-represented. [Rogers] said that Washington County will agree that Clackamas County has been under-represented for a long time and would encourage the expenditure of funds there, but it is somewhat politically difficult, when Washington County has a number of projects prioritized for funding that were not necessarily the picks they wanted.”
SOUTH CORRIDOR UPDATE
Richard Brandman explained that the South Corridor (SC) Policy Group had gone through an
alternatives analysis and looked at a variety of measures including busways, high occupancy vehicle
lanes, commuter rail, river transit and bus rapid transit. Everything option was looked at but light-rail
because as they were going through this process they had made a determination, based on the 1998 vote and subsequent public listening posts, that light rail was not going to be a project they would proceed with in this corridor. They completed the alternatives analysis process and are now initiating a
supplemental draft environmental impact statement. The draft is a federal document and they hope to
have it completed next fall. They are trying to develop a project in time for the next federal reauthorization, which is in October of 2003. He stated that the Policy Group is in development of a
finance plan. He thanked the JPACT committee for the $4 million dollars that they received through the
MTBP process and explained that the money will assist them in completing the environmental impact
statement.
He further stated that the Policy Group added Milwaukie and 1-205 light rail options to the study due to
the public’s request, particularly in S.E. Portland and the City of Milwaukie. The public requested that
the Policy Group make these projects cheaper. They asked if Metro could change the alignment, routes, and stations. Also, if there were things that Metro could do that would enable light rail to be
significantly less expensive and be able to move forward without a vote? This is what the South
Corridor Policy Group is looking at currently.
Mr. Brandman stated that the Policy Group is currently studying several different options and all of
those options are equally viable because there is no money that has been defined to build them and all
have different costs associated with each of them.
• Portland-Milwaukie segment: Bus Rapid Transit, Busway and Light rail.
• Milwaukie segment: Baseline and Bus Rapid Transit, there has already been a determination
that no other high capital cost project makes sense, the result of the technical process as well
as the public process.
• Gateway-1-205 segment: Baseline and Light Rail.
• Milwaukie/Clackamas Regional Center: Baseline, Bus Rapid Transit and Busway.
He explained that bus rapid transit is a low capital project that can be implemented to improve the flow
of buses through the corridor at a far less cost then most capital projects. The light rail alternatives in
this corridor can cost between $350 to $400 million dollars. The bus rapid transit projects in this corridor cost between $65 and $70 million dollars. Improvements include: time signal system through newer technology, bypass lanes for buses, extended right turn lanes for buses and more park and ride lots. The busway option is designed to try and give some of the benefits that can be obtained from a light rail line at less costs then light rail.
The South Corridor Policy Group has initiated a more grass roots public involvement process for this
project then they have had in the past. Prior efforts had large citizen advisory committees. In this effort,
local advisory committees in S.E. Portland, Milwaukie and Clackamas Regional Center are looking at
very specific issues in each segment of the corridor. This was set up in response to the citizen’s request.
In the end, all of the information from the public process will go to the Policy Group. From that Policy
Committee, the recommendation will be set forth and will go to City Councils in both Portland and
Milwaukie, to the County Commission for Clackamas, the Tri-Met Board, and the ODOT Commission.
Then, they will make their own recommendation, which will come to the Metro Council where the
locally preferred alternative will be adopted. By the time all studies are completed and finalized, this
project should be ready for funding by re-authorization in 2003.
JPACT knew light rail was not wanted.
JPACT knew Clackamas County was under-represented.
JPACT knew Clackamas County’s infrastructure was in need of improvement.
Who is JPACT?
MEMBERS PRESENT AFFILIATION
Rod Monroe, Chair Metro
Rod Park Metro
Bill Kennemer Clackamas County
Fred Hansen TriMet
Rex Burkholder Metro
Craig Pridemore Clark County
Karl Rohde City of Lake Oswego, representing Cities of Clackamas Co.
Kay Van Sickel ODOT
Larry Haverkamp Gresham
Royce Pollard Vancouver
Maria Rojo de Steffey Mult Co.
Robert Drake Beaverton, representing Cities of Washington Co.
Bill Wyatt Port of Portland
Roy Rogers Washington County
Stephanie Hallock Ore DEQ
Vera Katz, alternate Portland
Neil McFarlane, alternate TriMet
GUESTS PRESENT
Lynn Peterson TriMet
Robin Roberts Governor’s office
Ron Papsdorf Gresham
Nancy Kraushaar Oregon City
Ross Williams CST/CLF
Deb Wallace WDOT
Clark Berry Washington Co.
Danielle Cowan City Of Wilsonville
Shelly Romero Mult. Co.
Brian Newman Milwaukie
Linda Floyd Wilsonville/smart
Charlotte Lehan Wilsonville
Mike McKillip Tualatin
Betty Atteberry Westside Economic Alliance
Dean Lookingbill RTC
Kathy Lehtola Washington Co.
Lou Ogden Tualatin
John Rist Clackamas County
Karen Schilling Mult. Co
Gail Achterman Oregon Transportation Commission
Dave Williams ODOT
Bill Stewart The Oregonian
Dave Lohman Port of Portland
Susie Lahsene Port of Portland
Dick Steinbrugge City of Portland
John Morgan City of Wilsonville
Connie Kratovil Parsons Brinckerhoff
Bernie Bottomly Tri-Met
Josh Alpert Charlie Hale’s Office
John Gillam City of Portland
Robin Katz Port of Portland
Thayer Rorabaugh City of Vancouver
Dennis Lively City of Milwaukie
Gary Katsion Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
Ed Abrahamson Multnomah County
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