Area resident Shauna Walters reacts to IBR Administrator Greg Johnson’s presentation to Battle Ground City Council
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
In the Feb. 18 Battle Ground City Council study session, IBR Program Administrator Greg Johnson and IBR Assistant Program Manager Frank Green were invited by the council to give a presentation on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project. This presentation was meant to be informational as a precursor to possible action by the council to oppose the pricey light rail component of the project.
The general attitude espoused by Mr. Johnson was that this project is a done deal and no amount of input from the public is welcomed nor will it be heeded. When describing the people who oppose the project, Mr. Johnson referred to them as “…gadflies who follow the programs saying oh my God they’re fear mongering…” speaking about the stability of the bridge in the event of a major “Cascadia” event. I hate to tell ya Mr. Johnson, neither the old bridge nor the new one will withstand a catastrophic event like Cascadia.
According to vocabulary.com, A gadfly is an irritating person, a nuisance who will often ask too many questions or lob lots of criticisms in order to get his or her way. I urge my fellow gadflies to stand up and continue to push back on this expensive and unnecessary boondoggle.
Shauna Walters
Vancouver
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In 2020, C-TRAN bus ridership over the I-5 Bridge plummeted and remains well below 2019 levels. Spending $2 Billion plus to construct light rail and the $Millions required annually to maintain and operate light rail is vastly more expensive than CTRAN buses that meet the need today, and can do so in the future.Actual recent ridership data of weekday daily transit (CTRAN bus) passenger trips across the I-5 Bridge in the NEPA format required has not been shared by IBR or CTRAN at the presentations to cities in Clark County, probably because the numbers are so low. An Undated graphic from IBR shows very few bus riders – 3,200 weekday person trips across the I-5 Bridge on transit (CTRAN buses) Compare toIn 2006 CRC, ~3,300 weekday daily transit (CTRAN buses) passenger trips across Columbia River on I-5.
How many weekday daily CTRAN bus passenger trips across the I-5 Bridge over the Columbia River were there for the years 2006-2024 ? If trip numbers were higher, perhaps they would be part of the informational presentations givenIn 2012, every city in Clark County REJECTED the CTRAN Ballot proposition to raise the sales tax to extend MAX light rail over an I-5 Bridge Replacement into Clark County.
See:
Over half Interstate Bridge proposal allocated to transit, pedestrians and bicyclists
With his dismissive attitude, Mr. Johnson would be right at home on Vancouver City Clowncil. We had better check to see if he is on the appointments list to replace the next Clowncil Critter who decides to step down early…
Shauna Walters opinion of Greg Johnson, IBR PD and assistant Frank Green, was stunning to me with all the public opposition to the IBR. If they were elected officials there would be a move to impeach both of them. When it comes to using our tax dollars we do have a right and duty to tell our elected officials “yes or no” and that should be it. Our state legislature has a super majority of Democrats so they think they can do almost anything. This IBR is a positive thing to them but a negative thing to me locally. The big negative is light rail. The other big thing is the height of the bridge for shipping. Well the new federal transportation secretary Sean Duffy will hear from many of us. I think the IBR will either be put on the federal back burner and eventually burn out or shelved all together until a new IBR project will win the voters over.