At its Feb. 3 meeting, the Camas City Council opposed light rail for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. TriMet is demanding Washington taxpayers foot part of the $2 billion cost of the 1.8-mile light rail extension into Vancouver. They are also demanding we pay over $7 million per year in operations and maintenance costs for light rail.
We know our C-Tran buses offer better, more flexible service. They are cheaper to operate and faster than the MAX Yellow Line. Currently, fewer than 1,000 people ride C-Tran Express buses to Portland. There is no need for high-capacity transit over the Columbia River.
Rep. John Ley, R-Vancouver, has introduced HB 1869, which would prohibit Washington from paying the capital costs for a transit organization not in our state. It would potentially free up to $500 million for our state’s transportation needs. Citizens around Clark County should ask their city councils to join Camas in opposing light rail. We don’t need to be paying for Portland’s overpriced light rail that almost nobody will ride.
