Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle also asked for specific language to be added to a Transportation Improvement Program amendment, seeking “in writing” assurances of light rail to go to Library Square, but other RTC members balked at that request

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

The mayor of Vancouver won one political battle on Tuesday night but lost another at the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council (RTC).

The RTC did approve a resolution recommending that the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBR) extend light rail to Library Square near Evergreen Boulevard as part of its initial phase of construction. It is a similar resolution already passed by the Vancouver City Council as well as the C-TRAN Board of Directors.

However, after hearing from IBR leader Carley Francis, most of the rest of the RTC members would not go along with Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle’s amendment to change the language in one of the additions to the 2026-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Even close allies to the mayor, including Erik Paulsen of the Vancouver City Council and Clark County councilors Sue Marshall and Wil Fuentes, voted against the mayor’s proposal.

Currently, the language in the TIP asks for a design for the light rail transit elements “north and south of the Columbia River bridge replacement.” The mayor asked for more specific language, for the design of light rail transit “from Expo (Center in Portland) to Library Square.”

The mayor said she wanted it in writing that TriMet would go to Evergreen Boulevard.

In March, the IBR, along with Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, announced that with current available funding, and with the hopes of starting construction in two years, the bridge replacement project would have to be done in phases. The first phase would focus mainly on the replacement bridge, the removal of the existing bridge, as well as infrastructure for light rail that would end at the Waterfront Station, high above the ground on the bridge. The rest of the project that covers infrastructure projects along the 5-mile corridor of the bridge would come later — including the extension of light rail to Library Square in downtown Vancouver.

Since that decision was made, Francis and her team have told local political leaders on multiple occasions that the IBR cannot include extending light rail to Library Square unless the highway portion of construction is included. The two — light rail and the interstate — are connected. In other words, that would require an entirely new — and likely more expensive — design for the first phase, which is called the Core Set of Projects.

Francis told the RTC on Tuesday that any changes to the language of the TIP could cause a delay in the federal government’s Record of Decision that the IBR hopes to receive this summer, or even potentially risk funding that has already been allocated.

With that warning, the rest of the RTC voted 12-2 against the mayor’s language change, with one abstention.

The timing of all of this was interesting, as well.

The Transportation Improvement Program was one of four items on the consent agenda that was passed unanimously soon after the start of Tuesday’s RTC meeting.

Moments later, by a 10-5 vote, the RTC passed the resolution to recommend that the IBR extend light rail to Library Square sooner rather than later.

That is when McEnerny-Ogle motioned to reconsider the previous vote on the consent agenda, hoping to change the language in the amendment regarding transit design.

“The city of Vancouver would like the opportunity to work with TriMet or any other agency,” the mayor said, referring to a design for light rail to Library Square. “That should be in writing.”

She went as far as to say that if the design for transit to Library Square is not in any document, “it will not happen.”

McEnerny-Ogle added: “The city does not have any confidence in language unless it’s in writing. There is nothing in writing.”

Francis, the interim program administrator for the IBR, assured the mayor and the rest of the RTC that it is the goal of the IBR to bring light rail to Library Square eventually.

“That is absolutely our intention to get to Evergreen,” Francis said.

When the mayor’s amendment for a change of language failed, the council had to, once again, vote on the amendments to the TIP … with the same language that had passed unanimously almost an hour earlier.

This time, it passed, but with one no vote: Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle.

It should also be noted that in another vote on another amendment, seven members of the RTC voted against protecting the smaller cities in Clark County from having to pay for light rail.

During discussion of the resolution, Mahsa Eshghi, representing Camas on the RTC, asked for a language change.

While the city of Camas is in support of a replacement bridge, “light rail does not really add any benefit to our community,” Eshghi said.

She motioned to exclude small cities from financial obligation of capital and operational costs associated with light rail. Her motion failed 7-6 with two abstentions.

Those who voted against protecting the smaller cities: McEnerny-Ogle and Paulsen of Vancouver; Marshall and Fuentes of Clark County; as well as Temple Lentz, representing the the Ports of Vancouver/Ridgefield/Camas-Washougal; Devin Reck of the Washington State Department of Transportation; and Bill Iyall of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.