A Bi-State Project: Lessons Learned Bruce Warner, Director Oregon Department of Transportation

I-5 Corridor Columbia River Crossings at Portland-Vancouver WASHINGTON BNSF Rail Bridge I-5 Bridge Vancouver Port of Vancouver Port of Portland I-205 Bridge Portland International Airport Portland OREGON

Photo: Port of Portland Duration of Morning and Evening Peak-Period Traffic on the I-5/Columbia River Bridge and Approaches in 2000 and 2020 12 6 1 7 8 2 3 9 10 4 5 11 A.M. P.M. Year 2000 Year 2020 Photo: Port of Portland

Freight Rail Congestion Comparisons (over 96 hour period) 1542 38 Passenger Trains 1977 555 Freight Trains 20.0% 813.0 hrs 12.5 mph Chicago 18.2% Delay Ratio 402.0 hrs Hours of Delay 12.3 mph Average Speed Portland/ Vancouver Measure

Phase 1 Committee Charge What is the Magnitude of the Problem in the Corridor? What Is the Cost of Inaction? What Improvements are Needed? How Can the Improvements Be Funded? What are the Next Steps? 5

Phase 1 Findings Doing nothing in the I-5 Corridor is unacceptable. There must be a multi-modal solution in the I-5 Corridor -- there is no silver bullet. Transportation funds are limited. Paying for improvements in the Corridor will require new funds. The region must consider measures that promote transportation-efficient development. balance of housing and jobs better traffic management Region needs to develop strategic plan for the Corridor.

Governors’ Task Force Community Forum General Public Approximately 80-100 members Cross-section of Community Meets six times at major milestones and additionally as needed. Neighborhoods, Businesses, Interest Groups General Public Governors’ Task Force 28 member committee of representatives from Washington and Oregon. Members are from private business, community groups, environmental groups, and the public sector. State and Regional Decision-making Bodies: Bi-State Committee Metro and the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council Oregon and Washington Transportation Commissions

Involvement of the Community Task Force membership Community Forum Design workshops Public input at milestones Environmental justice stakeholder meetings Public comment at meetings

I-5 Partnership Public Outreach Activities Mailings (up to 45,000 people) E-mail Canvassing 7 rounds of open houses/public meetings Visits with neighborhood, business and other groups Website -- information and surveys (over 4,500 primary computers have accessed the site over 330,000 times) News features & Advertisements -- billboard, media Information sites -- libraries, coffee shops, etc.

Regional Economic Effects of the I-5 Corridor/Columbia River Crossing Transportation Choke Points prepared for Oregon Department of Transportation presented by Lance R. Grenzeback Cambridge Systematics, Inc. May 2003 2 3 1 3

Hampton Roads/ Chesapeake Bay Comparison of River Crossings in Selected U.S. Metropolitan Areas of Similar Size 3 10 Missouri River 1.78 million Kansas City >30 Three Rivers 2.36 million Pittsburgh 4 Hampton Roads/ Chesapeake Bay 1.57 million Norfolk 2 8 Mississippi River 2.60 million St. Louis 1 Columbia River 1.92 million Portland-Vancouver 7 Ohio River 1.65 million Cincinnati Rail Xings Hwy Xings Body of Water Population Metro Area

Freight Impacts Congestion will spread into the midday period, which is the peak-travel period for trucks Annual vehicle hours of delay on truck routes in the I-5 corridor will increase by 93 percent from 13,400 hours in 2000 to 25,800 hours by 2020 Congested lane-miles on truck routes will increase by 58 percent, and The cost of truck delay will increase by 140 percent to nearly $34 million

National Freight Flows for Goods with Origins or Destinations in Oregon or Washington Source: Cambridge Systematics based on Reebie Associates TRANSEARCH data, 1998

Oregon-Washington Origins and Destinations for Truck Freight Crossing the I-5 and I-205 Bridges at Portland-Vancouver With Tonnage of Freight on Truck Routes Used to Access Bridge Note: Commodities shipped to or from British Columbia are assigned to Whatcom County Origins and Destinations of Truck Freight Crossing I-5 and I-205 Columbia River Bridges, 1998, All Commodities 10 0.05 0.25 1.0 2.5 (million tons) 0.25 0.75 2.5 5.0 33.0 (million tons) Volume of Truck Freight on Routes Used to Access I-5 and I-205 Columbia River Bridges, 1998, All Commodities Congestion in the Portland-Vancouver area is not just a local problem; it is a regional problem. Congestion at the I-5/Columbia River highway crossing affects truck traffic throughout Oregon and Washington, but especially within the I-5 corridor. The map shows Oregon and Washington counties and highways affected by congestion at the Columbia River highway crossings. The figure shows the counties (in gray scale) that ship or receive truck freight using the crossings; the darker gray the county, the more tonnage is shipped or received from that county. The figure also shows the highways (in color) that trucks use to move to and from these counties; the wider and redder the bandwidth of the highway line, the greater the truck tonnage carried on the highway. Source: Cambridge Systematics based on Reebie Associates TRANSEARCH data, 1998

Oregon-Washington Origins and Destinations for Rail Freight Using the Portland-Vancouver Rail Triangle With Tonnage of Freight on Rail Lines Used to Access Triangle Note: Commodities shipped to or from British Columbia are assigned to Whatcom County Origins and Destinations of Rail Freight Shipped via Portland-Vancouver Rail Triangle, 1998, All Commodities 10 0.05 0.25 1.0 2.5 (million tons) Volume of Freight on Portland-Vancouver Rail Triangle Access Routes, 1998, All Commodities Congestion at the rail crossing also has a major impact on Oregon and Washington State rail shippers. Again, the figure shows the counties (in gray scale) that ship or receive rail freight that moves into, out of, or through the congested Portland-Vancouver rail triangle; the darker gray the county, the more tonnage is shipped or received from that county. Rail congestion at Portland-Vancouver has a major impact on Puget Sound shippers, Washington State’s Columbia River ports, and the Portland-Vancouver area. The congestion affects shipments of grain, lumber, and minerals moving west by rail from Montana, Idaho, eastern Washington, and central and eastern Oregon for export through the ports. 0.25 0.75 2.5 5.0 33.0 (million tons) Source: Cambridge Systematics based on Reebie Associates TRANSEARCH data, 1998

Lessons Learned Limit project scope to I-5 Corridor. Do not force a solution. Be patient and be prepared to spend money. Work hard to keep all interests/stakeholders at the table. Be multi-modal. Focus on the economics. Ensure equal 50/50 participation by both states. Be sensitive in dealing with bigger partner/smaller partner.