Pike opinion: A common-sense solution to traffic congestion and more jobs

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Here we are again, hearing the same ultimatums from two blue governors, declaring that without light rail, there will be no Interstate 5 bridge replacement. This time around, it’s Oregon Governor Brown joining Washington Governor Inslee, telling residents of Southwest Washington they know what’s best for us. They didn’t get the memo that an overwhelming majority of residents are opposed to light rail in Clark County. Let’s set that aside for a moment.

Clark County has two big problems: too few cross-river bridges and not enough good-paying jobs on this side of the Columbia River.

Traffic is getting worse on both interstate bridges. Thousands of new residents are moving here from other parts of the country. New residential neighborhoods are springing up in every corner of the county. If the same development focus was applied to attracting advanced manufacturing jobs, we’d be sending fewer workers across the river to Oregon. And, a more diversified industrial tax base would provide much-needed property tax relief for Clark County residents.

It’s no secret traffic congestion is hampering our ability to attract new businesses. The silver bullet for solving both our congestion problems and attracting new living wage jobs is the construction of new corridors between Oregon and Washington. This won’t be easy since a growing number of community leaders have already decided that replacing the I-5 bridge is their top transportation priority. This is a short-sighted approach. Our growing region demands an overarching corridor strategy that will deliver real transportation solutions to relieve congestion.

Reliable data must be provided to policymakers on how many new corridors are needed now and in the future as well as how those corridors should perform. State senators from Southwest Washington are setting a plan in motion to replace the I-5 bridge. This is unfortunate because Oregon’s I-5 corridor is failing. Absent of additional corridor understanding, any I-5 investment is of limited value without a longterm vision for improvements south of the Columbia River. In short, any new bridge built in the same corridor that dumps freight haulers and commuters into the existing Portland traffic morass would do nothing to fix congestion. A shiny new I-5 bridge will only result in a nicer parking lot heading south on I-5.

Money is another problem. New bridges don’t fall from heaven like manna; they require taxpayer dollars to build and maintain. Both Oregon and Washington have passed historic new gas taxes over the past few years, hindering their ability to bond future transportation projects. This means that tolling is about the only option available to fund new bridges. It’s reasonable to expect that most commuters and freight haulers could support tolling if these funds were used to build new corridors that actually provided congestion relief. Make no mistake: the current push to replace the I-5 bridge will result in new tolling costs without any measurable relief. How will drivers feel about that?

Thankfully, a few local legislators including state representatives Ed Orcutt, Vicki Kraft, Brandon Vick and Larry Hoff are insisting that any new bridge projects they support provide meaningful congestion relief. Let’s hope these folks follow through on this commitment by insisting on new corridors ahead of a shiny new parking lot described as a bridge. 



Citizens are demanding real solutions to our congestion problems. This will require the Oregon and Washington delegation to put their differences aside and focus on real solutions that citizens support. Legislators must identify new corridors, develop a 10-year, 25-year and 50-year plan, and ultimately address the bridge on I-5. 

Getting back to light rail.

Mass transit (both light and heavy) rail systems perform best on dedicated corridors that are constructed underground. The Metro in D.C. is a perfect example of efficient transit. Portland’s aging light rail technology that puts cars, freight haulers, buses, railcars, bicyclists and pedestrians on the same path is a recipe for congestion problems and longer commute times. It also puts the safety of all those users at risk.  

Driverless cars are already sharing the roadway with other vehicles. More of them will follow, creating safer and more efficient travel on our roads and highways. This new technology will shape future highway design and should be integrated into the planning of new corridors.

Driving is also an important privilege in any free society. As citizens, we must guard against those in government who wish to limit our ability to move about our towns and cities in our preferred mode of travel. As citizens, we have an obligation to play a central role in mega-transportation project discussions. Remember, we will be the ones footing the bill for what gets built. Whoever ultimately represents Washington residents at the table with Oregon must first listen to constituents ahead of any pre-determined solution made “behind closed doors.” On this point, there must be no compromise. 

{{tncms-inline content="<p class="p1"><em>Liz Pike is a retired Washington State Representative who served three terms, from 2012 to 2018. Today she operates Shangri-La Farm, a small-scale organic farm in Fern Prairie outside of Camas with her husband Neil and also teaches oil painting classes. She can be reached at 360-281-8720 or pikeadvertising@comcast.net. <span>Her column, "View from the right side" can be found once a month in The Reflector. </span></em></p>" id="32314c1f-0a37-415c-ba97-0aa945c33a67" style-type="bio" title="About the author" type="relcontent"}}