Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler
On Monday, Dec. 14, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, formally called on the Interstate 5 bridge replacement project leaders to extend a Dec. 18 deadline for applications to its advisory groups and create “commuter representative” positions to ensure the project meets the needs of the people that will use the bridge on a regular basis.
In a letter to Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Roger Millar and Interstate Bridge Replacement Project Administrator Greg Johnson, Herrera Beutler shares a growing concern from Southwest Washington residents that the current process is repeating fundamental mistakes made by the failed Columbia River Crossing project.
“Bring to the process now citizens who will give blunt and honest feedback about mass transit, tolling, lane capacity, and costs,” Herrera Beutler wrote. “There is no value to commuter representatives in name only who are polite, quiet, and don’t raise objections on these issues. Consider giving a formal role to the engaged critics and citizen watchdogs of the CRC project. Invite the messy and honest conversations now. Highlight their feedback, rather than burying it in the footnotes of a report. Most importantly, listen to and heed what these people have to say.”
