What we need most is a new efficient Interstate 5 bridge. We need to move raw materials, people, and products in our area without costly delays. If that doesn’t happen, business owners and manufacturers will find it easier to relocate than put up with the expense and inconvenience. Then we’d have even fewer jobs to commute to. The bottleneck of the drawbridge must be replaced.
Mass transit is also necessary both from need and as a plan for the future. Decades ago, mass transit was the norm because people couldn’t afford to own cars. Now mass transit is so strongly considered because there is not room on the road for everyone to drive at once. Other cities in the world and in America employ mass transit effectively, and much of that is in the form of light rail. It works elsewhere and it’s right on our doorstep on the other side of the river. No need to invent something else.
This bridge is necessary for the safety and economy of Vancouver, Portland, the metro region, and the West Coast. Light rail is only contentious to stick-in-the-mud Vancouverites. Get on the train and on the project to better our region instead of making us look like backward hicks.
Pete Aller
Vancouver
