A Bi-State Project: Lessons Learned

Bruce Warner, Director Oregon Department of Transportation

I-5 Corridor

Columbia River Crossings at Portland-Vancouver

WASHINGTON BNSF Rail Bridge Port of Vancouver Port of Portland

Vancouver

I-5 Bridge I-205 Bridge Portland International Airport

Portland

OREGON

Duration of Morning and Evening Peak-Period Traffic on the I-5/Columbia River Bridge and Approaches in 2000 and 2020

Year 2000

9 10 11 12 A.M.

1 2 3 8 4 7 6 5 9 10 11 12 P.M.

1 2 3 8 4 7 6 5

Year 2020

9 10 11 12 A.M.

1 2 3 8 4 7 6 5 9 10 11 12 P.M.

1 8 7 6 5 4 2 3 Photo: Port of Portland

Freight Rail Congestion Comparisons

(over 96 hour period)

Measure

Freight Trains Passenger Trains Average Speed Hours of Delay Delay Ratio

Portland/ Vancouver

555 38 12.3 mph 402.0 hrs 18.2%

Chicago

1977 1542 12.5 mph 813.0 hrs 20.0%

Phase 1 Committee Charge

• What is the Magnitude of the Problem in the Corridor?

• What Is the Cost of Inaction?

• What Improvements are Needed?

• How Can the Improvements Be Funded?

• What are the Next Steps?

Phase 1 Findings

• Doing nothing in the I-5 Corridor is unacceptable.

• There must be a multi-modal solution in the I-5 Corridor - there is no silver bullet.

• Transportation funds are limited. Paying for improvements in the Corridor will require new funds. • The region must consider measures that promote transportation-efficient development. – balance of housing and jobs – better traffic management • Region needs to develop strategic plan for the Corridor.

Community Forum Approximately 80-100 members Cross-section of Community Meets six times at major milestones and additionally as needed.

Neighborhoods, Businesses, Interest Groups General Public Governors’ Task Force 28 member committee of representatives from Washington and Oregon.

Members are from private business, community groups, environmental groups, and the public sector.

State and Regional Decision-making Bodies:

•

Bi-State Committee

•

Metro and the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council

•

Oregon and Washington Transportation Commissions

Involvement of the Community

• Task Force membership • Community Forum • Design workshops • Public input at milestones • Environmental justice stakeholder meetings • Public comment at meetings

I-5 Partnership Public Outreach Activities

• • • • • •

Mailings E-mail

(up to 45,000 people) •

Canvassing

• 7 rounds of

open houses/public meetings Visits

with neighborhood, business and other groups

Website -- information and surveys

(over 4,500 primary computers have accessed the site over 330,000 times)

News features & Advertisements Information sites

-- billboard, media -- libraries, coffee shops, etc.

Regional Economic Effects of the I-5 Corridor/Columbia River Crossing Transportation Choke Points

prepared for

Oregon Department of Transportation

presented by

Lance R. Grenzeback Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

May 2003

Comparison of River Crossings in Selected U.S. Metropolitan Areas of Similar Size Metro Area

Norfolk Cincinnati Kansas City

Portland Vancouver

Pittsburgh St. Louis

Population

1.57 million 1.65 million 1.78 million

1.92 million

2.36 million 2.60 million

Body of Water

Hampton Roads/ Chesapeake Bay Ohio River Missouri River

Columbia River

Three Rivers Mississippi River

Hwy Xings

4 7 10

2

>30 8

Rail Xings

0 2 3

1

3 2

Freight Impacts

• Congestion will spread into the midday period, which is the peak-travel period for trucks • Annual vehicle hours of delay on truck routes in the I-5 corridor will increase by 93 percent from 13,400 hours in 2000 to 25,800 hours by 2020 • Congested lane-miles on truck routes will increase by 58 percent, and • The cost of truck delay will increase by 140 percent to nearly $34 million

National Freight Flows for Goods with Origins or Destinations in Oregon or Washington

Source: Cambridge Systematics based on Reebie Associates TRANSEARCH data, 1998

Oregon-Washington Origins and Destinations for Truck Freight Crossing the I-5 and I-205 Bridges at Portland-Vancouver With Tonnage of Freight on Truck Routes Used to Access Bridge Note: Commodities shipped to or from British Columbia are assigned to Whatcom County Origins and Destinations of Truck Freight Crossing I-5 and I-205 Columbia River Bridges, 1998, All Commodities 0 0.05

0.25

1.0

2.5

10 (million tons) Volume of Truck Freight on Routes Used to Access I-5 and I-205 Columbia River Bridges, 1998, All Commodities 0 0.25

0.75

2.5

5.0

33.0

(million tons)

Source: Cambridge Systematics based on Reebie Associates TRANSEARCH data, 1998

Oregon-Washington Origins and Destinations for Rail Freight Using the Portland-Vancouver Rail Triangle With Tonnage of Freight on Rail Lines Used to Access Triangle Note: Commodities shipped to or from British Columbia are assigned to Whatcom County Origins and Destinations of Rail Freight Shipped via Portland-Vancouver Rail Triangle, 1998, All Commodities 0 0.05

0.25

1.0

2.5

10 (million tons) 0 Volume of Freight on Portland Vancouver Rail Triangle Access Routes, 1998, All Commodities 0.25

0.75

2.5

5.0

33.0

(million tons)

Source: Cambridge Systematics based on Reebie Associates TRANSEARCH data, 1998

Lessons Learned

• Limit project scope to I-5 Corridor.

• Do not force a solution.

• Be patient and be prepared to spend money.

• Work hard to keep all interests/stakeholders at the table.

• Be multi-modal.

• Focus on the economics.

• Ensure equal 50/50 participation by both states.

• Be sensitive in dealing with bigger partner/smaller partner.