Lars Larson shares his opinion of the latest developments in the proposed Interstate 5 Bridge replacement project
Lars Larson
The Northwest Nonsense
Trimet and ODOT need to accept that their two billion dollar boondoggle light rail on the I-5 bridge is a dead train rolling.
Consider that the city of Camas, a member of C-TRAN, just voted unanimously to oppose any light rail on the bridge as too expensive and not worth the cash.
TriMet is broke and rapidly burning down its billion dollar cash reserves.
ODOT faces a one-third of a billion dollar shortfall just this year.
And Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek just made all transportation projects 10 to 20 percent more expensive, by her own estimate, by insisting on unionized labor.
Federal transportation has only put up one of the two billion for the project.
My bet is Donald Trump won’t put up a single dime for this mess.
As it stands, the plan to connect 1.9 miles of light rail from Oregon to Washington ranks as the single most expensive train project anywhere on Earth at more than one billion bucks a mile
Today, legislator John Ley introduced a bill that would ban any funding from Washington state to an out of state transit agency, in this case, TriMet.
You see, TriMet is drowning in costs and they’re looking for Washington taxpayers to throw them a life ring.
I say let ‘em sink, kill the billion dollar choo choo, and build a new bridge that actually serves the needs of citizens.
Listen to The Lars Larson Show weekdays noon-3 p.m. (Northwest show) and 3-6 p.m. (national show). He is a Vancouver resident.
Also read:
- Opinion: Transit agencies need accountability not increased state subsidy
Charles Prestrud argues that Washington transit agencies face rising costs and declining ridership due to governance structures that lack public accountability. - Opinion: Does tailgating cause speeding?
Target Zero Manager Doug Dahl examines whether tailgating contributes to speeding and explains why following too closely increases crash risk with little benefit. - Free fares on New Year’s Eve is a big hit with C-TRAN riders
C-TRAN’s New Year’s Eve free-fare program provided extended late-night service and a safe transportation option for riders across Clark County just after midnight. - Four Western WA counties granted $6.6M in federal funds for road safety programs
Four Western Washington counties will receive $6.6 million in federal funding for road safety projects, including an EMS pilot program in Clark County. - VIDEO: WA and OR lawmakers irked as update on I-5 Bridge costs still missing
Washington and Oregon lawmakers expressed frustration after planners failed to provide updated cost estimates for the I-5 Bridge replacement during a recent legislative oversight meeting.
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