PEAC Tackles 21st Century Transit

Is making way for more cars and trucks the best way to address transit needs and global warming?

PEAC is representing several concerned environmental groups, including NEDC, Columbia Riverkeeper, Coalition for a Livable Future, Audubon Society of Portland, AORTA, Upstream Public Health, OPAL and Community Health Partnership regarding a proposal to address a transportation problem that will inevitably create an even bigger one.

Spring 2008

A consortium of local, state and federal agencies issued a 5,000-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) containing a baffling proposal: replace the existing six-lane Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River with a 12-lane bridge, at a cost of $4 billion. Though the proposal included a new light rail line and improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities, these environmental "sweeteners" would not offset the greatly increased greenhouse gas emissions or increased sprawl.

Summer 2008

On behalf of our clients, PEAC prepared and submitted comments to the Federal Highway Administration with sharp criticisms of the DEIS. PEAC's comments asserted that the mega-bridge would significantly increase vehicular traffic, contradict stated regional commitments to sustainable development, increase greenhouse gas emissions and spawn sprawl.

We were critical of the unfounded DEIS assertion that, although multiple studies show that increasing car capacity simply induces more traffic, this would not happen here. We also pointed out that the DEIS contained no alternatives to address the region's transportation needs while also accomplishing its "green goals," and essentially ignored any consideration of impacts on endangered species, including, in particular, the many threatened salmon and steelhead species that use the Columbia River.

PEAC's advocacy aims to pressure the agencies sponsoring this proposal to go back to the drawing board and address the region's 21st century transportation needs with 21st century solutions, instead of regressing to the "bigger and wider roads" thinking of the 1950's.

Read comments by PEAC's Tom Buchele on the impact of the bridge on salmon, and Director Dan Rohlf discussing the environmental advisability of the project.

Winter/Spring 2009

PEAC's managing attorney Tom Buchele testified before the Portland City Council and the Metro Council on behalf of PEAC’s clients. Tom explained what our clients want to see in any new bridge, criticized the jumbo bridge proponents’ misleading statements regarding greenhouse gas impacts, and described the current 12-lane proposal as “an environmental pig with green lipstick.” Tom’s comments were quoted in several local newspapers, including this Oregonian article.

PEAC student Mark Billingsley helped Tom prepare for his testimony. PEAC student Tarah Heinzen has helped our clients draft FOIA and state record requests regarding the analysis underlying the DEIS for the jumbo bridge. Additional requests in the future are likely as the federal and state highway agencies all have refused to completely disclose the documents containing their analysis.

The current proposal being offered by Portland Mayor Sam Adams and Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard focuses primarily on doubling the number of vehicle lanes for cars and trucks, and simply promises that ways to reduce traffic and pollution will be considered in the future by an “advisory” interstate commission. Check out The Oregonian's guest opinion article written by Adams and Pollard.

PEAC will continue to lead the fight against this short-sighted, expensive, and environmentally destructive proposal.