VANCOUVER — Two Southwest Washington legislators are joining forces to present a “Transportation Solutions” Town Hall Meeting to hear from 17th and 18th District constituents.
The public forum, hosted by 18th District Rep. Liz Pike and 17th District Rep. Vicki Kraft is scheduled for Sat., Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to noon at Clark College East Campus — Third floor suite, 18700 SE Mill Plain Blvd., in Vancouver.
“The tough job of finding affordable transportation solutions to relieve traffic congestion and improve freight mobility cannot wait another day,” said Pike, R-Camas.
Pike will present highlights of House Bill 1222, a bill that would create a bi-state legislative work group comprised of eight Oregon legislators and eight Washington legislators. The work group would be immediately tasked with identifying affordable cross-river solutions in the I-5 corridor and also identify new corridors to address both short-term fixes and a long-term transportation vision for the region.
Under the bill, the work group would present 10-year, 25-year and 50-year plans to the Legislature in 2018. A similar bill passed from the House Transportation Committee in 2016 with a unanimous vote.
Pike and Kraft will be joined by other speakers, including Kevin Peterson, a transportation architect and planner based in the Pacific Northwest. Peterson has 35 years experience on transportation projects throughout the world. He will provide a brief presentation to set the stage for questions from the audience.
“We are bringing together transportation engineers and presenters to provide a lightning round of potential bridge and tunnel options in several locations,” said Pike. “Our main objective is to hear directly from citizens and gain public support for a common-sense process that puts us on a path toward real solutions to address our current and future transportation infrastructure needs.”
“We want to hear from the people about what is most important to them,” added Kraft, R-Vancouver. “What do they feel is the most immediate need? Reducing traffic congestion or enhancing bridge safety? These are the types of issues we need to determine now in order to prioritize the work for near-term, and long-term solutions, across the Columbia River.”
Following presentations, the last hour of the public forum is reserved for public comment. Constituents who do not wish to testify may submit their comments in writing.
Other presenters include David Nelson, a retired transportation engineer who lives near the Interstate 5 bridge in Vancouver, and Clark County business owners, William Huyette and Bill Wagner.
For more information about the forum, contact Rep. Pike’s legislative assistant, Shelby Pelon, at (360) 786-7812 or via email at Shelby.Pelon@leg.wa.gov.
For more information about Rep. Pike, visit: www.representativelizpike.com.
For more information about Rep. Kraft, visit: www.representativevickikraft.com.
