MINUTES OF THE JOINT METRO COUNCIL

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING/JPACT PUBLIC HEARING

Tuesday, June 14, 1999

Council Chamber

Vice Chair Bragdon called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM. He noted that Chair Kvistad and Councilor Washington were both away on Metro business.

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

1.  INTRODUCTIONS

Vice Chair Bragdon explained tonight’s hearing would close a public record process regarding river crossings which started in 1994. He noted that although the Sellwood Bridge was owned by Multnomah County, 70% of the trips across it were related to Clackamas County.

Chris Deffebach, Transportation Department, went to the map and pointed out key findings and how different options were chosen. She went over the results of the studies and mentioned again that the significant use of the Sellwood Bridge was from Clackamas County. She noted different ways to improve conditions and support development of both sides of the river and pointed out some potential new crossing locations. In addition to the Sellwood Bridge, she said they looked at the Ross Island and I-205 bridges, while recognizing those projects would not address the needs of the southern part of corridor or support the growth management plans for the Clackamas County area. She said they found that fully rehabilitating the bridge would cost more than replacing it, and closing it for pedestrian and bicycles only would not meet their growth management plans for Tacoma Street.

Charlie Commissioner Hales, Commissioner, City of Portland, informed the committee that he would have to leave the hearing early due to multiple commitments, but assured them and the audience that he would carefully read the transcripts of the testimony offered. He commented that he had been on committee

thisproject is an example of what people hope to see in a public process but sometimes t hink they would not see. Compliment defebauch for listening to neighborhoods. Secondly, sign of health is that when it comes to traffic issues, they try to pass the hot potation to each other but mila nd pdx and metroworked very well tog to

third, mostimportant to me is that land useplans for communities ought to take precendence over transportation plans. TPservs growth. Recommenation has mchinery and neighborgood future. Sign of health we can do that. Ty to chris and andy. And citizens and mayor Mayor Tomei of milwaukie. Lot of conversations

2.  COMMUNICATIONS FROM REGIONAL PARTNERS

Mayor Carolyn Tomei, City of Milwaukie, echoed commissioner Commissioner Hales. P[lease with process and hot potato was not passed off to others. Prepared statement. (See copy in permanent record of this meeting.)

Vice Chair Bragdon thanked her for being involved a lot

Councilor Atherton asked about bike ped recommendations. Wella ware on west side. Do you have anay specific recommendations how to improve that?

Mayor Tomei said no, need more studies and improve connectivity throughout region. We are working on those. Thanked linn whose idea it was to look at briegge

Vice Chair Bragdon said also included connectivity of springwate trail.

Andy Cotugno, said more than study, rightof way acquisition.

Vice Chair Bragdon

Mayor Tomei thanyou

Diane Linn, Multnomah Commissioner, City of

east and west of sellwood bridge. Mult co is technically responsible for bridges. Share our perspectives. Discussions reflec her strong feelings about mpact on sellwood. Agree with Commissioner Hales that we must make sure out transportatio nplans and actions fit into and are coordination with land use plans. Without that we are at crss purposes to each other. Tacoma is classified as a mnain street and we are looking forward to.

if there was ever a regional issue, this is one. 3 county impact on bridge. Impressed with neighborhood and people involved. Proactive and part of discussion for solution. Sounds like Mayor Tomei had already started to come up with mitigating ideas. She would like tos ee whole discussion be at community level to consider all of the different tpes of plans and impacts

hope to see concerted effort to deal with problem at south end and get agreement by citizens and community leaders.

Commissioner Hales commented that looking forward, neighborhood isse, impressive

challend to city and county to say, we have avoided prospect of bridge they didn’t want, or in sellwood, bridge out of scale with tacoma st, now what do we do. Have to leave and review testimony later, but wanted to

tell us what youwould ahve us do, try to make this agreement about what we don’t wanat as a first step of what we do want. Apaprecaite you help.

Bill Kennemer, Clackamas County Commissioner, said we in clak co want to be good partners too,. On this issue. Have not heard many answers. Couple of things tht do come to mind, is we are putting a emphasis on commuter bus. Want to see transit improved tremedously. Other thing is we have placed as high priorty in new urban rese4ves, the location of jobs. Travel shorter distances and honor

Vice Chair Bragdon noted sharon kelley arrived.

3.  PUBLIC HEARING - SOUTH WILLAMETTE RIVER CROSSING

Ray Polani, Co Chair of Citizens for Better Transit, 6110 SE Ankeny St., Portland, OR 97215-1245. Ataachment w/agenda....... no new bridge. Mentioned bullets...... still attachment w/agenda. Jpact recommended no fjrther consideration of brige but something obviously mus tbe done. We have and are growing. And will experience further growth. The challenge is to make it people bot autos and bikes. Shuttle can be low cost smashin success. Make it so, let us win/win.

Ken McFarling, 7417 SE 20th Ave., Portland, OR 97202-6213, see written testimony in permanent record of this meeting.

Vice Chair Bragdon pointed out page 41 was reference to bridge

Jim Howell, AORTA, 3325 NE 45th, Portland, OR 97213, 2325 ne 45th portland, OR representing hearing quite a bit about forgotten bridge. (Yellow handout) shuttle system different than rail. Over 1000 buses a day ccessing milwaukie and lo transit centers. Check back of sheet for how shuttle would fit into bigger picture. Mentioned rr lines on map plus bridge could have been purchased 3 yaers ago for 9 mil, now option not there. Diagree w/ken,. Have to be public owned to provide services. Bothers, connection is not in RTP. We think this shoul;d be Commissioner Hales’ first project.

Councilor Atherton asked about federal regulations.

Mr. Howell said equipment on those tracks has to be requirements, there are passenger self pwered equipment that meets those standards

Vice Chair Bragdon federal rr administration. They do reg rr regardless of whether they are interstate or not. Developingprotptype accepptable to them. Spcific item in our list taken to federal delegation

Mr. Howell added this technoligy did not have to be developed, there are 29 rail deisel cars available for sale in toronto.

Art Lewellan, L.O.T.I., 3205 SE 8th, #7, Portland, OR 97202, brooklyn neighborhood, se portland provided written testimony,

strongly disagree with JPACT judgement. Ask david for copy

he feels ross is worst bridge in town. Needs work.. continued w/written statement. ODOT denies and passes buck. It was a mistake to remove the sidewalks from the morrison bridge. Supported regional towncenter concepts. It is time to make sure. Wants to know why ODOT can’t do it.

Councilor Atherton asked when the resurfacing of ross was scheduled

Kay Van Sickel, ODOT, around first of year

Mr. Lewellan said first of octoner

Ms. Van Sickel said tht was bids buyt work would start. Why it can’t be widened is because it has already been as wide as it would hold

Councilor Atherton sked about railing

Vice Chair Bragdon said ballustrates were part of what needed

Ms. Van Sickel

Doug Allen, 734 SE 47th Ave, Portland, OR 97 thanked for web page. 3 basic points. Regular bike communiter. Also trolley fan. Why not have bike path suspended under bridge. Obvious idea not seen from top of bridge. Could be potential inexpensive and friendly sort of thing. 2nd point is key to ross island bridge finding way to give them priorities,. Multiple approaches and. Observing tp scene 3rd. Glad to see rr bridge option covered. Skokie swift

between transit centers, point to point shuttle, no stops.

Vice Chair Bragdon said part of mitigation plan for ross island did allow for bus lanes,. We will see how it works.

Ms. Van Sickel said they wre providing a lane for buses to access ross island bridge and give them some benefits. Also working with city of pdx for parking for freer flow of bus traffic. We have worked diligiently and keeping bridge open as much as possible during construction

Mr. Allen asked

Ms. Van Sickel said city of pdx and trimet decision

Vice Chair Bragdon said kennemer

Councilor Atherton asked about bus preem[tion

G.B. Arrington, Director of Strategic Planning, Tri-Met, said

Austin Pritchard, SMILE, Sellwood Moreland , 1636 SE Marion Portland, OR 987202 said his comments overlapped the committee who would testify soon. As far as recommendation of jpact, he commende their report. He was disappointed that the second bridge was not recommended but pleased that 4 lane bridge was not recommended. Emphasize recommendation to mitigate traffic on tacoma street. Felt htis ought to be major consideration

Kevin Downing 6206 se 21st, neighborhood meeting onjpact recommendations. Showed big chart with commentary for record. Generally favorable about recommendations. People are spending more money on houses here becuase they waant tight knit community not overwhelmed by traffic. Values and issus we are looking to foster and develop even more. Have asked for increased density along tacoma street. If we ahve 4 land bridge that will not happen. Urge recommendations but there is some skepticism because and that is we have experienced over many yars the impact of being a preferred crossing point. Showed another chart for record. Tunnels into west side and comces out at terwilliger blvd. Other flies over and connects with johnson creek expressway. Experienced a widening of tacoma street to accommodate travel across river. In order for these recommendations to be real you have to take them seriously. We want tacoma street back as part of the nrighborhood. Intend to move forward with reqyuest to improve street. In order for that t work we have to makesure upsteram pressures to cross are also being addrssed. You need to be aware of it wh en looking at future projects. Need to incorporate the decisions because. Counting on today is

we recognize even though we are deemphasizing the bridge we

there is oaks bottom, oaks park, antique row, restaurant row coming up, we look to be able to manage them in a way we can

was gonig to pound shoe but recommendation at this point is to make sure tacoma gets downgraded in street classification so he urged as part of refcommendation that

thank you for allowion gtime and commend staff for work and efforts.

Vice Chair Bragdon funny hat. Recommendations not interpreted as a do nothing thing. It is based on other ch oices that need to be confronted

Councilor Atherton confirmed that he was recommending instead of being a transit corridor, now it be downgeraded to

Mr. Downing said there were 2 destinations. Land use calling for new commercial district. Layering of decreased density off the corridor tomakeup . other is street designation and how it functions. Classified now as major arterial.

Councilor Atherton said it was prt of functional

Vice Chair Bragdon said it wa snot part of zoning

Councilor Atherton said pictures looked old, when was bridge built”

1925

Councilor Atherton asked if straigh gas tax at that time

Vice Chair Bragdon said county

Mr. Downing said county

Councilor Atherton asked where refenues came from

Sharron Kelley, Multnomah County Commissioner,

Andy Cotugno, Transportation Director, go bond

Vice Chair Bragdon said 3 done at same time,

cotugno said

athergon said may see wheels clicking away. Somethign to talk about. Lots of people talking baout gas tax use for auto. Manyu facilities were originally footpaths.

Mr. Downing said no rails, always rubber tire crossing.

Councilor Atherton auto users subsidizing? Trugh is 2 way street.

Mr. Downing

Councilor Atherton said he was thinkning of something for rtp.

Lee Leighton held up cell ophone and said it’s gov. 6113 se 17th ave. Been involved in process long time. Talked to neighbors about scope of study and purpose. Bridge needs to be fixed up so lets do it. Maybe we sholuldn’t, what is the role and how big hsoul d it be. Now major regionalplanning study. Excellent job communicating with neighbors. Ed did great job with committeed. That group started out with people looking at

region 2040 concept was practical. Sellwood moreland neighorhoodplan. Continue to belive strong high capacity transit opportunity. Refer to howell and downing testimony. Would like to see committee push a little harder to emphasize the structures of tacoma as neighborhodo plafe andmain street, remove street designation.

Kelley commented she was proud to watch peter get doctorate

Peter Findley Fry. Central eastside industrial council. Conclusions are good however some fine tunign needs to be made. Don’t need to expand sellwood and need to look at ross island. A concern he had was he served on committee about a year ago about technical analyusis. Ross island expanded bridge would affect sellwood after all. Issue of bridges, been there a long time. Stuff has been built around it to flow down to it. If you try to change th eflow it would take time to readjust things over a length of time. He did not belive expanded ross island bridge would have no impact of sellwood. Did not think report was accurate for ross island expansion. Reconsider west approach and impact beneficially for neighbors on

. other thing was ross island would adversely affect macadam reality is nothing is there yet. Presumptuous to say that. Double spananing ross island. Lastly, delayed because of hov lanes on mclaughlin. Some money being spent on eastside of ross isl;and. Wporked with odot and pdot to get them to look at . urged look at beingin g forcast results down a notch and 3 look more aggressively at ross island.

George bingam. Civil engineer, lo. Wanted to adress question to commission. Marquan was designed with more capacity and is still avilable,. He said he had asked chris hwy it was left out of consideration. Mt hood freeway would relive pressure on poweel, division. Thought we wer all aware of lighrail to gresham had not been any helpo in areas he was speaking about. Why was consideration of marquan left out of this study.

Vice Chair Bragdon understood the findings of where trips were being made showed that bridge wa snot a factor in the east west trips

defebach said further north we get in corridor the less effect new crossing has. Analyusis howed roso island shouold have had more affect on downtown bridgges. This case howed the bridge. Second, mmore significant, is that original tp and landuse plans did not envision the mt hood freeway. Plans to redesign that, did not get option studied.

Kennermer said another point was this issue is clack co.

Councilor Atherton

Vice Chair Bragdon said

ADJOURN

There being no further business before the committee, Vice Chair Vice Chair Bragdon adjourned the meeting at 6:53 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Cheryl Grant

Council Assistant