C-Tran officials are considering asking voters to approve a sales tax to help cover the steep cost of extending light rail into Vancouver as part of a new Interstate 5 Bridge.
At a Tuesday meeting, C-Tran’s board of directors learned it will cost $21.8 million a year to operate and maintain a planned TriMet light rail extension, along with additional express buses, between Portland and Vancouver.
Agency staff working on the project to replace the I-5 Bridge briefed the board members at their regular December meeting.
“That number — it seems so outrageous,” said Bart Hansen, who represents the Vancouver City Council on the C-Tran board of directors. “I’m trying to take this seriously, but it’s hard for me.”
C-Tran’s highest paid employees
Leann Caver, Chief Executive Officer: $241,667
Scott Patterson, Deputy Chief Executive Officer: $205,000
Laura Merry, Deputy Chief Executive Officer: $205,000
Afthab Zainudeen, Chief Information Officer: $205,000
Steve Witter, Interstate Bridge Replacement Project Director: $199,992*
* This position is funded by a grant through the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program.
Based on discussions with TriMet staff, C-Tran expects the proposed new bridge’s light rail to cost about $20.2 million to operate when it opens in 2033, plus $1.6 million for additional express bus service. The agency anticipates fares will cover about a quarter of that. With both states expected to split the cost, Washington will be on the hook for $7.2 million — $6.8 million to operate and maintain light rail and about $400,000 to operate the additional buses.
Staff estimate that operating light rail costs about five times what it does to operate buses. Light rail, however, can seat more people.
The transit agency previously insisted it wouldn’t pay for light rail operations in Washington, but the board voted to change C-Tran’s conditions of approval for the bridge proposal last month. Now, the agency “may participate in funding the operations and maintenance of the bistate transit” component of the bridge project.
Agency staff presented several options for funding the added cost of light rail and new bus operations: a 0.1 percent or 0.2 percent sales tax increase; a high-capacity transit sales tax up to 0.9 percent; and a high-capacity sales tax charged in just a portion of C-Tran’s taxing district. Any of these measures would require voter approval.
Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle insisted staff also look for funding from the state.
“Bistate transit — that happens nowhere else in the state of Washington,” McEnerny-Ogle said.
The Federal Transit Administration requires the replacement bridge to include high-capacity transit to be eligible for funding from that agency.
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program chose light rail as the project’s high-capacity transit option in 2022. Each of the partner agencies, including C-Tran, approved that plan.
The bridge project considered but rejected bus rapid transit, which C-Tran runs successfully in Clark County.
John Willis, former deputy program manager for the bridge project, said at the time that light rail had higher demand than bus rapid transit.
As far back as 2019, however, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Oregon lawmakers would insist on a light rail extension. He also praised the idea of connecting to Portland’s MAX system.
It’s unclear if the incoming Trump administration will still require high-capacity transit.
