Opinion: IBR creates 50,000 road refugees

Lars Larson argues IBR's tolling plan would push 50,000 daily commuters off I-5 onto I-205. — Lars Larson argues IBR’s tolling plan would push 50,000 daily commuters off I-5 onto I-205.

🎧 IBR’s Toll Plan: 50,000 Commuters Pushed Off I-5

Lars Larson says ‘citizens can’t make that green as fast as Northwest politicians spend it’

Lars Larson
The Northwest Nonsense

Help me understand something.

Lars Larson

The region needs a new bridge on I-5 over the Columbia River.

Incompetent politicians claim they’ve been working toward that for 21 years without actually getting anything done.

Well, they did spend $500 million of your money, but no shovels in the dirt yet.

Now, we find out that the tolling plan to pay for a new bridge will push about 50,000 daily commuters OFF the bridge to make way for elites?

Doesn’t sound very Democratic to me, but it’s the product of the Democrat Party elected officials calling the shots.

And if you think you’re out of harm’s way commuting on I-205, think again.

Those 50,000 road refugees fleeing tolls on the new bridge are joining you to jam up the I-205 Glenn Jackson Bridge even more.

The region and Uncle Sam have pledged $5 billion for the bridge, but the price tag is three times that, and no one knows where to find the other $10 billion.

Not to mention, the toll financing, which voters seem certain to reject, is based on more than 125,000 thousand folks who use the bridge now … but like I mentioned, 50,000 of them will flee to toll-free I-205.

And you wonder why ODOT demands more billions. Citizens can’t make that green as fast as Northwest politicians spend it.