Camas City Councilor offers her views on the I-5 Bridge replacement project

Leslie Lewallen 
for Clark County Today

The word is getting out — bureaucrats have spent and wasted taxpayer money for far too long, even when taxpayers have said no. Nearly a decade ago, the failed Columbia River Crossing project wasted nearly $200 million. Now, the rebranded Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project has already burned through $400 million — $200 million each from Oregon and Washington—only to propose nearly the same plan that failed in 2014.

This should be a wake-up call for every municipality in Southwest Washington. At a time when voters are consistently rejecting tax increases and demanding more accountability for government spending, we cannot afford to blindly push forward with a failing transit model. Our taxpayer dollars should not be held hostage by false narratives that claim we are “too far along in the process to stop” or that federal funding will disappear if we refuse light rail. We can stop, and we should stop. In fact, rejecting light rail may actually save taxpayers money while allowing us to explore better transit solutions that truly serve the needs of Southwest Washington.

The problem isn’t just the overall cost — it’s how that money is being spent. Before a single shovel has hit the dirt, an estimated 10% of that $400 million has already gone to consultants. That means Washington taxpayers have spent $20 million on public relations firms and consultants whose job is to sell us on a project we’ve already rejected. Wasteful spending and a bureaucratic “we know better than you” attitude are alive and well in our own backyard.

One of the most expensive aspects of the IBR plan is the inclusion of light rail across the I-5 Bridge. The plan calls for a mere 1.9 miles of light rail extending from Oregon into Washington, with a staggering price tag of $2 billion in capital costs and $20,238,570 in annual operating and maintenance costs. In comparison, Express Bus Service is estimated to cost $1.5 million annually. If history has taught us anything about government projects, these numbers are only the starting point — they will likely skyrocket.

Beyond the sticker shock, there’s another key issue: public transportation ridership is at an all-time low. There is no evidence to suggest that light rail ridership will suddenly increase to match the optimistic projections of those pushing this project. Worse, light rail won’t fix the congestion that actually impacts commuters in Southwest Washington every day. Instead, it will siphon off billions in taxpayer dollars while offering little real benefit to the people who need better, faster, and more efficient transit solutions.

Beyond cost and inefficiency, light rail would bring Portland’s problems into our Southwest Washington communities — including homelessness, drug use, and crime. Communities like Vancouver, Camas, and Washougal have worked hard to bring in new businesses and revitalize areas like the Vancouver Waterfront and downtown districts. Extending light rail across the I-5 Bridge threatens that progress by making it easier for the crime and disorder affecting Portland’s transit system to spread into our neighborhoods and commercial centers.

On February 4, the Camas City Council, a member of C-TRAN, unanimously passed a resolution opposing light rail in the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project. Why? Because the project is simply too expensive.

Now is the time for all of us — residents, local leaders, and municipalities — to stand together and push back against this unnecessary expense. Camas took the first step, but this fight is bigger than just one city. If we work together and make our voices heard, we can ensure that Southwest Washington gets the transportation solutions it actually needs — without wasting billions on an outdated and ineffective light rail system.