BG mayor reacts to $21.8 million per year light rail cost

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Light rail across the Interstate 5 Bridge replacement could cost a little over $20.2 million a year, and Battle Ground Mayor Troy McCoy sees no benefit for Battle Ground and surrounding northern Clark County communities.

McCoy was recently appointed to the C-TRAN Board of Directors in November. Since then, he attended two meetings.

In the first meeting, McCoy said, they struck language regarding C-TRAN not funding any type of transit unless it’s bus rapid transit.

“I abstained from that vote because it was not on the agenda,” McCoy said. “I went back to [Battle Ground City] council … and I asked council … ‘Council, where are we at on this?’”

He said the council members told him they did not want to fund light rail, so that is how he will be voting on the issue.

McCoy explained that his position on the C-TRAN board is not a personal representation.

“It’s not Troy on a committee like that. It’s Troy representing Battle Ground Council who’s representing the city of Battle Ground.”

In November, the C-TRAN board voted to change the language that C-TRAN will not be responsible for any costs associated with the operation and maintenance of light rail in Vancouver proper nor Clark County, including any new park and rides constructed as part of the project. The new language now reads that C-TRAN may participate in funding for the operation and maintenance of bi-state transit, including any new park and rides that could be constructed or co-located station maintenance, security and other operational support as agreed to and part of the project.

McCoy said, in the Dec. 10 meeting, the intent of the light rail discussion was not on the agenda, which makes it difficult for him to vote on items because he has not spoken to the City Council ahead of time. He added that, on one hand, he doesn’t want to kill the bridge project, but on the other he doesn’t want the city of Battle Ground paying for light rail.

“... If the city of Vancouver wants to implement a tax on it and have their citizens vote on it, then I think that’s their right. That’s their purview,” McCoy said. “Regardless, I don’t think a vote passes up here anyway, so I think the point is moot. It’s been asked and answered several times. I don’t see a benefit for the city of Battle Ground other than the bridge being built would be a benefit. I don’t see light rail as a component as a benefit.”



According to the presentation on Dec. 10, costs for light rail to be included in the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Project, with light rail operations and maintenance funding with opening day fiscal year 2023 dollars with an average inflation rate of 4.5%, would be roughly $21.8 million. Alone, light rail operations and maintenance would cost $20,238,570.

To help fund the cost, C-TRAN proposed additional sales taxes. C-TRAN saw 76% of its 2023 revenue come from sales tax, 3% from fares, 13% from grants and 8% from other funding sources. The presentation to the board highlighted that existing options for light rail funds may include seeking voter approval for a 0.1% or a 0.2% sales tax increase, a voter-approved high capacity transit sales tax up to 0.9% across the Public Transportation Benefit Area or up to 0.9% in a sub-district if voters approved.

“The presentation and the discussion we had with the board, I think for us the key takeaway was the direction that the board provided for staff to go kind of re-engage some elected officials up in Olympia to explore what potential other sources may be available,” Scott Patterson, C-TRAN deputy chief executive officer, said. “And so you know that is something that C-TRAN will be working on over the next few weeks; recognizing that we’re in the midst of the holiday season … and then going forward from there, I foresee us just having, in all likelihood, … updates just discussing the progress that we’re making and keeping an eye on some of the significant updates that the project itself will be working on over the course of the next year and those primarily revolve around the updated transit ridership modeling that we expect, I think, to see perhaps early next year, maybe in late January, February of 2025.”

What could benefit Battle Ground and around?

McCoy said he does see Battle Ground benefiting from C-TRAN’s “Current,” which operates like a rideshare service similar to Uber or Lyft.

“I’m not super happy that we’re the only city in Clark County that doesn’t get Current,” McCoy said. “It’s been promised to several people that have been on that board in the past, and it has not surfaced.”

McCoy added that Route 7, which serves Battle Ground, is experiencing ridership above pre-COVID levels.

“Battle Ground, it’s big ridership-wise,” McCoy said. “We use C-TRAN a lot, but yet we get the least amount of services. … What about interconnectivity? What about Ridgefield to Battle Ground? What about La Center to Battle Ground? Honestly, if I got to wave the magic wand, I’d rather see small little vans going around Battle Ground picking up people and [taking them] to somewhere like Walmart and then a couple of express buses to Yacolt, the mall, Ridgefield, or the [ilani] casino …”

McCoy believes a bus service to and from the ilani Casino and Resort would lower DUI rates and create safer roads.

Patterson acknowledged that McCoy is very interested in the city of Battle Ground being added to the on-demand service the Current provides. Patterson said that it may be in the next couple of years that Battle Ground sees that service. Along with the Current, Patterson added that C-TRAN is exploring east-west connections in northern Clark County as part of its 2045 plan with concepts of routes unveiled in the early parts of 2025 with a town hall series to Clark County communities.