Every city in Clark County wants
to be in new C-TRAN boundary
Each of Clark County’s seven cities has indicated a
desire to be included in a new C-TRAN boundary, according to Clark County
commissioner Betty Sue Morris.
A decision to shrink the boundary of the transit agency
is expected to be made during a hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, in
Foster Auditorium at Clark College.
The new boundary would shrink from the entire county, to
city limits of six of county’s cities, plus the city limits and urban growth
boundary of Vancouver. Vancouver’s urban growth boundary extends northwest to
include Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek and a sliver along Interstate 5 to just north
of the Clark County Fairgrounds.
The hearing is being held by a select committee, the
C-TRAN Public Transportation Improvement Conference, created by the C-TRAN
board. The PTIC comprises the three county commissioners and a representative
from each of the seven cities.
C-TRAN service boundaries are collapsing because of
financial cutbacks that are in response to the transit agency’s loss of motor
vehicle tax revenue in 1999 with the passage of Initiative 695. That source
accounted for 40 percent of C-TRAN’s annual revenue.
C-TRAN presented voters with a .03 percent sales tax hike
last November, but the measure failed. C-TRAN supporters have suggested that the
agency go back to voters this fall to try again.
The new service would mean that all buses between cities
would be “express” buses; they would not stop for passengers in rural areas.
C-TRAN has created a speakers bureau, as a means of
reaching out to all possible audiences to explain the new boundaries and other
cuts in services. For further information, call
906-7303.
Transportation Alliance
makes points, hears options
State financial support to relieve the I-5 choke point is
absolutely necessary, a delegation led by Vancouver Mayor
Royce Pollard told lawmakers in Olympia
yesterday. Lawmakers and transportation officials responded that local support
and local funding will be part of the equation.
Tolls, a source of local support for Columbia River
bridges, are just as necessary, lawmakers and state transportation officials
repeated. Legislators also indicated that thought is being given to increasing
gasoline taxes to support future transportation projects, but, also, that state
funding alone won’t get the job done.
With Pollard in Olympia Thursday were representatives of
the Clark County Transportation Alliance, including Identity Clark County, the
Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Columbia River Economic Development
Council, the ports of Vancouver and Ridgefield, and cities of Battle Ground,
Washougal, Camas, Ridgefield, and Clark County.
Bi-State Coordination Committee
to talk transportation in Vancouver
The Bi-State Coordination Committee meets at 7:30 a.m.
Thursday, March 31, in the Vancouver Clark County Elections Building, 1408
Franklin Street. Discussions center on the I-5 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes in
Hazel Dell and Delta Park. Growth forecasts for the Portland metropolitan area
and Clark County will be reviewed.
The bi-state committee was organized to foster
cooperation between Oregon and Washington at the Columbia River border.
Members of the committee are Metro Councilor
Rex Burkholder, Vancouver Mayor Royce
Pollard, Clark County commissioner Steve Stuart,
Multnomah County commissioner Serena Cruz,
Portland commissioner Sam Adams, Battle
Ground city manager Eric Holmes, Gresham
councilor Dave Shields, C-TRAN executive
director Lynne Griffith, Tri-Met general
manager Fred Hansen, Port of Vancouver
executive director Larry Paulson, Port of
Portland executive director Bill Wyatt,
Washington Department of Transportation southwest Washington administrator
Don Wagner, and Oregon Department of
Transportation Region 1 manager Matthew Garnett.
News briefs
A two-day job fair for prospective candidates for 200 jobs
at the Vancouver Hilton Hotel begins at 9 a.m. Monday, March 28, in the
Vancouvercenter Building, 700 Washington Street. The job fair continues until 6
p.m. Monday and repeats from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 29.
g The Vancouver Farmers Market opens
its 2005 season Saturday, March 26, in a new location,
The Columbian’s parking lot between 6th
and 8th Streets at the extension of Grant Street. The market will be open
between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays through April, after which it will also be
open on Sundays.
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