Bi-State Coordination Committee Documents

2004 Annual Report

Summary

During 2004, the Bi-State Coordination Committee accomplished the following:

• Transitioned from the Bi-State Transportation Committee to the Bi-State Coordination Committee. This change was approved through the adoption of a new Bi-State Coordination Committee Charter. To date, the following agencies have adopted the Charter: the cities of Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon, Clark County Washington and Multnomah County Oregon, the Port of Vancouver, the Port of Portland, the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Washington State Department of Transportation, C-TRAN and TriMet. This change marked a wider portfolio for the committee that includes land use as well as transportation issues of bi-state significance as well as economic development and environmental justice issues of bi-state significance as they may relate to land use or transportation.
• Approved Bi-State Coordination Committee by-laws
• Elected:
  • Metro Council Rex Burkholder, Chair
  • Clark County Commissioner Craig Pridemore, Vice-Chair
• Coordinated Bi-State review of the I-5/Delta Park/Lombard Project
• Reviewed and discussed and made recommendations concerning:
  • Federal Funding Reauthorization
  • I-5 Columbia River Crossing
  • WSDOT Congestion Relief Project
  • Freight Rail Update and ORULE Coordination
  • C-TRAN 20 Year Strategic Plan
  • Cascade Station Comprehensive Plan Amendment

January

During the January reporting period, further progress was made on local adoption of the Bi-State Coordination Committee Charter. The City of Portland and Multnomah and Clark counties approved the Charter in January, as did the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Washington State Department of Transportation.

On January 22, 2004, the Bi-State Transportation Committee met. The agenda included discussion and consideration of Federal transportation funding reauthorization, further discussion of the WSDOT Congestion Relief Study, and the I-5 Transportation and Trade Partnership Study Process. The discussion of the Federal funding issue lead to a Committee consensus that the "mega-project" approach should be pursued and that the I-5 Corridor was a project that should be advanced. The discussion of the I-5 Transportation and Trade Partnership Study was concerned with how ODOT and WSDOT would conduct the work, and members voiced their strong interest in having the Bi-State Committee serve as a forum for vetting the process and project approach as well as other policy decisions.

February

During the February reporting period, further progress was made on local adoption of the Bi-State Coordination Committee Charter. The TriMet Board approved the charter, leaving only the Port of Portland and the City of Vancouver to consider the Charter.

The February 26, 2004, Bi-State Transportation Committee meeting was cancelled in order to provide additional time to develop materials concerning the I-5 Transportation and Trade partnership and to review draft bylaws for the new Bi-State Coordination Committee.

March

On March 25, 2004, the Bi-State Transportation Committee was organized to include the following items:

1. An update on the implementation of the I-5 Transportation and Trade Partnership Strategic Plan and discussion of the decision-making process to be used with the upcoming work on an Alternatives Analysis and environmental impact statement leading to new transportation investments in the corridor;
2. An update on the I-5 Delta Park to Lombard Project;
3. A presentation of the C-TRAN 20 year Strategic Plan and upcoming decisions about alternatives; and
4. Transition from a Bi-State Transportation Committee to a Bi-State Coordination Committee including bylaws.

April

The April 22, 2004, Bi-State Transportation Committee meeting was held and the following agenda items were included: 

1. An update on the I-5 Delta Park to Lombard Project,
2. Bi-State role in the I-5 Columbia River Crossing Project, and
3. Consideration of Bi-State Coordination Committee By-Laws and initiation of the Bi-State Coordination Committee.

For the I-5/Delta Park-Lombard update, materials were distributed that included matrices that compared a No-Build alternative with various build alternatives. Staff recommendations included assessments that while adding a lane would result in some reductions in congestion, at least in the short term, such an addition would not provide long-term relief. Staff suggested that improvements in this segment should be thought of as only a portion of other investments which would need to be coordinated with I-5 Delta Park/Lombard improvements. Completion of the environmental analysis was estimated to begin fall 2005.

The April meeting also included a recommendation to the Washington State Transportation Commission and the Oregon Transportation Commission concerning the role of the Bi-State Coordination Committee in the I-5 Columbia River Crossing Project. Discussion of a staff proposal and draft communication and decision making process chart was concluded with the Bi-State Committee approving a motion that a letter should be sent from the Committee that articulated Committee interest in serving as a coordinating body, recognizing that there was a need to have business and citizen representation in formulating recommendations about this project and that interests from an area greater than the bi-state area should also be included.

The final April meeting agenda item was the transition from the Bi-State Transportation Committee to the Bi-State Coordination Committee. This change reflected the approval by member agencies of the Bi-State Charter that added coordination of land use issues of bi-state significance to the charge of making recommendations on transportation issues of bi-state significance.

Revised draft bylaws for the Bi-State Coordination Committee reflecting comments and questions raised in the March meeting were also reviewed and approved by unanimous voice vote of the Committee.

The Committee then took action on selecting officers. Metro Council Rex Burkholder was elected chairman of the new Bi-State Coordination Committee and Clark County Commissioner Craig Pridemore was elected Vice-Chairman. These actions resulted in the dissolving of the Bi-State Transportation Committee and the creation of the Bi-State Coordination Committee. The first meeting of the Bi-State Coordination Committee was scheduled for May 27.

May

Following up on the April 22, 2004, Bi-State Committee meeting, staff prepared a letter that stated the Bi-State Coordination Committee interest in serving as the coordinating body for local jurisdictions on both sides of the Columbia River concerning the I-5/Columbia River Crossing project, recognizing that there was a need to have business and citizen representation in formulating recommendations about this project and that interests from an area greater than the bi-state area also may be included.

The May 27, 2004, Bi-State Coordination Committee agenda included discussion of Committee goals, a Washington State Congestion Relief update, and a presentation about freight rail and bi-state efforts could be coordinated with work being done by the Oregon Rail Users League (ORULE).

June

Following up on the May 27, 2004, Bi-State Committee meeting and discussion of Committee goals, staff worked with the Chair and Vice-Chair to develop the next steps. In addition, work continued to pursue the Bi-State Coordination Committee stated interest in serving as the coordinating body for local jurisdictions on both sides of the Columbia River concerning the I-5/Columbia River Crossing project. The June 24 Bi-State Coordination meeting was cancelled.

July

As the summer progressed, one of the most important issues with regard to the Bi-State Coordination Committee became the upcoming I-5/Columbia River Crossing Project. The Project is intended to take the next steps, as outlined in the I-5 Transportation and Trade Partnership Strategic Plan (434K PDF), including the completion of an environmental impact statement for the river crossing. As the Project spans two states, the Project is being lead on the state level by ODOT and WSDOT. The Bi-State Coordination Committee continued to express its keen interest in coordinating the MPO and local government review and comment for this Project and working with the states. A proposal and draft review and organization chart was prepared by the Bi-State Coordination Committee and presented by Chair Burkholder to the two transportation commissions in joint session.

As additional time was needed for the transportation departments to discuss alternative organization proposals, the July 22 Bi-State meeting was rescheduled for August 10. This provided time for the transportation department proposal to be reviewed and commented on by the Bi-State and to be forwarded in a timely manner to the joint meeting of the transportation commissions in early September.

August

At the August 10, 2004, special meeting, ODOT and WSDOT presented a draft proposal to the Bi-State Coordination Committee. The proposal, later presented to a joint meeting of the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Washington State Transportation Commission on September 2, recommended that an I-5 Columbia River Crossing Task Force be formed that would have co-chairs from the business community appointed by the transportation commissions and membership representing public agencies, trucking, neighborhoods, businesses, community organizations, statewide organizations and environmental organizations serving on the Task Force. The Task Force would meet quarterly during a multi-year period and would respond to and advise the Joint Project Team on technical data leading to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and provide advice to the Joint Commission Subcommittee throughout the EIS process until the issuance of the Record of Decision. There was substantial concern about the proposal voiced by Bi-State Committee members concerning how the Task Force would coordinate with the metropolitan planning organizations (the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council and JPACT and Metro) as well as apprehension about the Task Force providing technical advice, not policy recommendations. The Chair proposed that the proposal be revised to include the Bi-State Coordination Committee and that the Task Force be chartered to provide policy recommendations.

Kate Dean, ODOT, provided an update about the I-5/Delta Park to Lombard Project, noting that their were four alternatives that would be going into the next phase of the project - Denver Connection -South Side; Denver Connection - North Side; Full Columbia Ramp, and a citizen generated alternative - Columbia Connector.

Further, the Bi-State heard a briefing about ORULE, the Oregon Rail Users League, and had a short discussion about how the I-5 Trade and Transportation Partnership Strategic Plan’s recommendation for a Rail Forum may be advanced by coordination with the ORULE.

September

The Bi-State Coordination Committee Chair, Rex Burkholder, presented a proposal for Bi-State role in the upcoming I-5/Columbia River Crossing Project to the joint meeting of the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Washington State Transportation Commission on September 2. The I-5/Columbia River Crossing Project, as outlined in the I-5 Transportation and Trade Partnership Strategic Plan, will include the completion of an environmental impact statement so that transportation improvements across the River can be built. Based on the commission’s discussion and the Bi-State proposal, changes were made in the project review body, called the Columbia River Crossing Task Force, which explicitly includes the full membership of the Bi-State Coordination Committee.

The September 23, 2004, Bi-State Coordination Committee meeting included a presentation of the findings of the Washington State DOT’s Congestion Relief Study and an update and discussion of the I-5/Columbia River Crossing Project. A special meeting immediately followed the Bi-State meeting with Jenna Dorn, FTA Administrator on transportation progress made in the region and plans for additional improvements in the future.

October

The October 28, 2004, Bi-State Coordination Committee meeting was cancelled and a special meeting was proposed for December 2. A proposal has been made to WSDOT and ODOT to invite the Co-Chairs of the I-5 Crossing Task Force to the December 2 Bi-State Coordination Meeting in order to acquaint the Co-Chairs with the Coordination Committee and to discuss local hopes and concerns with regard to the I-5 Crossing. In addition, initial, informal discussions have been held concerning methods of better coordinating between southwest Washington and the Metro region.

November

Because of scheduling conflicts with Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and the regular Bi-State meeting on the fourth Thursday of the month, the November meeting was cancelled and a special meeting was scheduled for December 2.

December

A special Bi-State Coordination Committee meeting was held December 2, 2004. An update on the I-5 Columbia River Crossing was given by Rob DeGraff, Project Co-Director, providing information about the technical reports being completed to prepare for project scoping and notice of intent. Mr. DeGraff talked about several technical issues being studied including tolling of the interstate bridge. In addition, other agenda items included: a view of the 4 alternatives of the Delta Park/Lombard Project; a discussion of bi-state transit service given C-TRAN ballot results, a review of the Airport Way Cascade Station Plan (proposed land use and transportation amendments adjacent to I-205) and discussion of next year’s meeting schedule. Recommendations were made for further coordination with the Port of Portland and ODOT concerning the Cascade Station amendments to the City of Portland Comprehensive Plan.