Letter to the editor: Disappointed transportation package won’t address climate change 

Posted

I am encouraged to see the Washington State Legislature has passed a $16 billion transportation package. I am disappointed most of this money will not address climate change. Around $1 billion will go to the Interstate Bridge Replacement program. The $4 billion IBR Preferred Alternative plan is mostly adding a 12-lane highway bridge across the Columbia River and over the top of Vancouver. It does little to reduce climate change or help people who don’t own an automobile. Unfortunately, passenger rail service is not included in the current IBR scope of study.

Battery powered passenger rail cars are being used in Germany to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Passenger rail cars could be used for people to travel from Vancouver to Portland in less than 10 minutes. The IBR planned bridge will not reduce current commute times for bus, MAX, or automobile. C-Tran express bus 105 takes 25 minutes to Portland now. The current Cascades Train from Vancouver takes 15 minutes. A dedicated regional rail trip could take less than 10 minutes from Vancouver to Portland. The IBR solution will add more air pollution to Vancouver. It will also become a large concrete urban heat island over the top of Vancouver and Hayden Island. Bicycles and wheelchairs will find it hard to climb the steep ramp from Vancouver on to the bridge and brakes may fail on the descent. A smaller interstate highway bridge such as the Common Sense Alternative II as suggested by AORTA would cost $1 billion and could avoid tolls with the transportation package. Two directional regional rail tracks are much cheaper to build than a 12-lane freeway, yet can carry more people.

I hope the transportation package will include reducing climate change by changing direction away from more freeways and more efficient rail transportation. This public money package is for 16 years of transportation spending. Climate change solutions cannot wait for another 16 years of fossil fuel emissions. 

Dave Rowe,

Battle Ground