Governors of Oregon and Washington have decided on a double-deck bridge design for Interstate 5, which would increase the height. I still support the single deck of two side-by-side bridges with twice the space between them — as with the I-205 bridge — for pedestrians.
Tolling would be never-ending due to the cost of periodic replacement of hardware and software, and escalating costs of operation, and maintenance would also increase overtime as wages increase. Tolling would also decrease the number of people from Oregon shopping in Southwest Washington.
Light rail would run from Sixth Street north to McLoughlin Boulevard, then east to Clark College and back. How many east-west streets downtown would be blocked? (Check out Interstate Avenue in Oregon.) Plus the ugly overhead power lines. Remember that Mill Plain and 15th Street are truck routes to the Port of Vancouver.
For bus transit, I propose the left lanes of northbound and southbound I-5 be designated express lanes for buses and car pools, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., between Salmon Creek Park & Ride to Portland’s Rose Garden transit station. The express lane could then be for commercial traffic between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., and emergency traffic anytime.
