John Ley’s Oct. 16 letter, “Build a simple bridge, no tolls required,” was spot on.
For those who remember, “The failed CRC was a ‘light rail project in search of a bridge,’ adding $850 million to the cost of ‘the bridge too low.’ Will special interests force light rail on Clark County?”
Oregon’s traffic geniuses are aware of their own two-lane Rose Quarter bottleneck, but they continue to ignore it while asking taxpayers to pony up for false solutions.
Vancouver and Portland elites are still desperate to force light rail and its black hole of never-ending, ever-increasing taxes on citizens who already know that this will do nothing to solve traffic problems.
A simple bridge, even a tall one like the Longview bridge, is cost-efficient to build and is low in maintenance costs, with no tolling needed.
Insisting on light rail skyrockets costs and has no benefit to anyone except the politicians, managers, planners and governments whose pockets it would line.
Several bridges in key locations would dramatically reduce traffic jams and travel time, giving people choices for more efficient commuting to and from their desired Portland destinations and allowing long-distance I-5 and I-205 travelers to pass through the area without causing congestion.
Planners know all this, but I guarantee you they are still angling for a way to force a light rail boondoggle on citizens.
As John Ley writes: “Will Oregon step up and solve traffic congestion problems on all of I-5, including the Rose Quarter? Build a simple $800 million bridge. Tolls not required!”
The time for questions is over.
Citizens need to tell politicians that bridges are needed, and light rail is not acceptable.
