The community advisory committee for the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project met last week to learn about and discuss growth projections for the next 25 years in the Highway 43 corridor. The committee is preparing to make a recommendation on transit alternatives between the two cities: enhanced bus service, streetcar or no-build.
Agencies involved in the project will consider the committee's recommendation, public comments and technical analysis before selecting a transit solution for further study later this year, carefully weighing trade-offs to make the most of public resources to meet future travel demand while protecting the character of neighborhoods in the corridor.
The presentation to the community advisory committee began with a reminder that the four-county metropolitan area is expected to increase in population by 1.3 million people over the next 25 years. In the area between Lake Oswego and Portland, the bulk of the growth is expected in downtown Portland, with Johns Landing and Lake Oswego also showing significant increases in residents and jobs. The presentation also provided an overview of the process for forecasting how many riders might use the enhanced bus and streetcar if they are built, at the time they open and in 2035. Metro works with county and local planners to review and hone the growth projections based on local zoning and plans and to review ridership projections.
Because some community members had expressed frustration at earlier meetings, process improvements were made to be sure members have an opportunity to understand and discuss presentation topics with the right balance between too much detail and not enough information. Feedback from members after the meeting indicated many appreciated the committee's dialog and look forward to more discussion next month. Ellie McPeak, the committee chair, pointed out that the discussions at previous meetings have highlighted community concerns and helped improve the analysis.