The Community Advisory Committee for the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project held its final meeting on Feb. 7 to determine its recommendation of a locally preferred alternative which will inform a recommendation by the project steering committee on Feb. 28. Of the 23 members of the CAC, 16 voted in favor of streetcar, 2 favored enhanced bus, 1 preferred no-build and 1 abstained from voting. Three members were absent from the meeting.
To describe their support for streetcar, CAC members said:
- Streetcar provides a fast, reliable travel option besides Highway 43. It’s the only alternative that adds capacity and continues to operate fast despite gridlock.
- Streetcar facilitates quality housing, access to jobs, and density where Lake Oswego wants it. This could encourage a diverse population in Lake Oswego and have a positive effect on schools.
- Streetcar in Johns Landing is all about neighborhood redevelopment so their math is different – it’s not about cost they’ll pay out but money coming back in property taxes and system development charges to improve the neighborhood and the City of Portland.
- Everyone pays federal taxes and that money is spent whether Portland and Lake Oswego get any of it or not. This project provides an opportunity to bring some federal dollars home and Portland and Lake Oswego should compete vigorously because Oregon sends significantly more money to DC than we get back.
- Streetcar creates opportunities to improve fish passage in replaced or repaired culverts, add native vegetation, improve habitats and remove invasive vegetation. It would include remediation of 31 known hazardous sites in compliance with applicable state and federal standards.
Asked why they don’t support the no-build, one CAC member said it’s the “head in the sand option” that pretends system is okay today and nothing will change in the future to affect corridor conditions. Support was lacking for enhanced bus on several counts: it doesn’t address congestion on Highway 43, wouldn’t encourage development and redevelopment in Johns Landing and Lake Oswego, is slower and less reliable, carries fewer riders and costs more to operate and maintain.