Date:
Friday, December 15, 2006
Contact:
Linda Mullen, Communications Lead, 360-816-8857 or 206-228-9944
Results of a survey conducted by the Columbia River Crossing project indicate that people in the Portland-Vancouver area agree that transportation is a top problem facing the region, and that I-5 in the vicinity of the Interstate Bridge is a critical problem that should be addressed.
Respondents believe there are good reasons to take action to improve I-5. Reasons listed include:
- The movement of freight and goods is impaired
- People spend too much time in traffic/it takes too long to get places
- The longer we wait to fix the problem, the more expensive the solution will be
- The public wants a long- term solution
These are among the findings from a phone survey conducted by Davis Hibbitts and Midghall between Nov 27 and Dec 4.
The goal of the survey was to learn more about public awareness and opinion regarding options being considered to improve I-5 between Victory Boulevard in Portland and SR 500 in Vancouver.
Other key findings indicate people believe both highway and transit improvements will be necessary to address the problems of congestion on I-5.
“We think these are positive results,” noted Kris Strickler, the project’s assistant director. “They indicate there is public support for the decisions currently under consideration – which bridge and transit elements deserve more scrutiny.” Last month, CRC project staff recommended that a replacement to the I-5 Bridge be advanced for consideration, as well as light rail, bus rapid transit and express bus service. Public meetings are being held in January for review and comment.
The survey also checked the public awareness and support for tolling as a possible funding source for the project. Support was mixed, “If we are going to include tolling as a funding source, we have a lot of education to do with the public,” noted Strickler.
The survey was administered to a total of 800 registered voters: 400 respondents from the Tri-County area and 400 from Clark County. Within Clark County, 180 were Vancouver residents and 220 lived in the county outside of Vancouver.
The results were broken out in three ways; by Clark County; by tri-county area; and by a combined weighted by-population average. Unless otherwise noted, the numbers reflect the weighted average of the Oregon and Washington responses.
For more information, please go to the project Web site at www.columbiarivercrossing.org, or contact: Linda Mullen, Communications Lead, 360-816-8857.
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