For years, commuters in the southwest part of the region have had familiar complaints – long commutes, clogged avenues, streets with no sidewalks or bike lanes. But in a hilly area that spans three counties and six cities, how do you get people moving in a way that makes sense? That's the question being studied by Metro, which is holding an online open house this month as part of its Southwest Corridor study.
What's the Southwest Corridor? Here's a look at the region's latest big transportation project.
What sparked the initial interest in a Southwest Corridor? Why Barbur Boulevard?
Heaps of public comment encouraged Metro to take the reins of this regional project. The leading complaint, traffic congestion, drove the plan, but community planning soon became a top priority. Neighboring southwest communities wanted to see better connections between the region's business districts and transportation corridors, and Metro had the resources to map it out. While the east side of the Willamette River has several MAX lines, reaching out to Gresham, Clackamas, the Expo Center the and the airport, Southwest resident are left buses and the WES commuter rail line. Metro planners saw Barbur Boulevard as the corridor with the least amount of access to high capacity transit.
So is this ultimately a light rail project?
With costs rising for light rail projects, and federal money for those projects decreasing, it's looking like light rail – if it is selected for the corridor – would be decades away from construction. Still, Southwest Corridor partners are studying it as a possibility, even if it's a possibility that will have to wait until 2030 or beyond.
In the meantime, most of the focus seems to be on smaller-scale improvements – sidewalks, bike lanes and improved access to services nearby residents' homes.
Are basic land use and transportation developments trickier in the Southwest because of the hilly environment?
Definitely. Sidewalks and roadways are much cheaper to lie out on flat terrain, and drainage systems require more complex planning on a slope.
Is this solely a transportation project?
No. While transportation is the thread that holds these communities together, Metro’s hoping to serve a larger goal: working together as a region to meet the needs of each community, whether it be through land use planning, redesigning central areas or general connectivity between communities. It may seem like a vague mission at the moment, but the public’s feedback will narrow down each area’s needs to create a more feasible plan.
How can Metro effectively collaborate with so many communities to produce a top-notch end product?
Metro’s working closely with a variety of partners at least two times a month to hear angles from each town and neighborhood on the project. It’s not easy to tackle a project with such a wide scope, so patience and time play a big part in the process. Results from Metro’s online open house should add additional insight on the region’s needs.
What are the most interesting corridor suggestions Metro’s heard from the public?
Escalators up Marquam Hill, “slugging” (carpooling with strangers), tunneling light rail or traffic under OHSU, traffic calming infrastructure and cable railways are just a few creative options gathered from neighborhood meetings, online comments and community outreach. A funicular was also suggested, but don't hold your breath waiting for a Stumptown version of Angel's Flight to climb up Pill Hill anytime soon.
What is the biggest challenge Metro has faced in developing the plan?
Money. Once upon a time, projects like this could count on significant federal support, in large part because so few cities were planning big transit projects. But as Portland became perceived as a model for other cities, places like Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Charlotte have launched light rail systems, and the federal funding percentage match for new projects has decreased.
That means that planners will have to take funding likelihood into consideration as they suggest solutions for southwest region commuters. With many leaders saying it'll be decades before a big mass transit project is funded, they're left to ask: What could be built instead?
What’s the time frame with this project?
It’s hard to say, but definitely more than 20 years. The first stages of construction – whether it be for transit expansions, land use redesign, or whatever the public wants to see first – will start once Metro, project stakeholders and the involved communities settle on a plan, which could take at least a year.