Should Highway 503 be expanded to a freeway with Jersey barriers?
Washington Department of Transportation is asking for public comments at 6 p.m. Feb. 28 via Zoom online. The subject is the state Highway 503 corridor improvement plan. The public should ask for a study of adding passenger rail service on the county-owned Chelatchie Prairie Railroad that parallels Highway 503.
Regional passenger rail service would be faster than auto travel and could connect to Portland. Federal funds for such a study are available through the bipartisan infrastructure law. Does the public want to have a choice to pay a toll or take a train?
