Rep. John Ley urges area residents to show up to tonight’s Clark County Council meeting to support Belkot’s efforts
Body Copy:
Rep. John Ley
for Clark County Today
A heated battle is underway related to the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBR) and the demand to extend TriMet’s MAX light rail 1.83 miles from the Expo Center into Vancouver.
The $2 billion price tag would make this the most expensive rail project in the world, on a per mile basis. TriMet is also demanding “new taxes” of $22 million each year from both states to cover light rail operations and maintenance (O&M) costs. They are also demanding up to triple the actual cost of 19 new light rail vehicles.
This has recently come front and center for the C-TRAN Board of Directors. In November, they reversed their 2022 position which indicated they would NOT be responsible for O&M costs. When the bill came due in December, it showed Clark County taxpayers were being asked for $7.2 million per year. Several members of the C-TRAN Board balked and are seeking to reverse their November decision.
At the March 11 board meeting, the scheduled vote was tabled to the April meeting. This was after Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnery Ogle asked each member how they were going to vote, and she knew her November position was going to be reversed. The next day, Clark County Council Chair Sue Marshall led an effort to remove Councilor Michelle Belkot from the C-TRAN Board because Belkot was going to vote against funding TriMet’s O&M costs.
The political long knives came out to force a vote that would preserve light rail and protect TriMet. One must wonder why the Vancouver mayor and four members of the County Council would want to protect TriMet. Why would any member of the C-TRAN Board want to protect TriMet’s outrageous demand to pay for a 4,360-foot extension of light rail that will be in Washington?
Currently, C-TRAN express buses depart every 20 minutes on the I-5 corridor during rush hour. But they travel an average of almost 30 mph compared to the Yellow Line that travels at 14 mph. Light rail has a stop roughly every mile as it travels through north Portland. Nobody wants to travel that slow.
The dollars and cents
C-TRAN took in $ 83,796,054 in sales tax revenues last year. They also took in another $2,871,633 from passenger fares. Using that $86 million, they operate 120 vehicles to provide Fixed Route service on 433.5 route miles. They also use 72 vehicles to provide Demand Response paratransit service within the Vancouver Urban Growth Boundary and the cities of Battle Ground, Camas, and Washougal. Additionally, they operate a fleet of 24 vehicles to provide Vanpool service.
Compared to $7.2 million for less than one mile of light rail service, taxpayers are getting much better value with C-TRAN. They offer much more service. During peak hours, their Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service offers 10-minute departures during peak hours, whereas the MAX Yellow Line only departs every 15 minutes during peak hours.
There are about 193,000 households in Clark County. They paid an average of about $434 per household towards C-TRAN last year, ($83.7 million/193,000). The TriMet demand would be for each household to pay an additional $37 per year, increasing with inflation. On top of that, the IBR is demanding tolls that could run as high as $2,350 per year for using the I-5 Interstate Bridge, as early as 2026.
Looked at another way, each of the five Clark County Council districts would be taxed for $1.45 million a year. Why does Councilors Sue Marshall, Glen Yung, Wil Fuentes, and Matt Little want to raise taxes in their constituent districts by $1.45 million a year. Or why would Vancouver’s mayor and City Council want their citizens to pay roughly 36 percent or $2.6 million per year in light rail O&M taxes, in addition to the $2,350 in annual tolls? People’s property taxes are already far too expensive.
Tuesday evening, the Clark County Council will meet, beginning at 6 p.m. on the 6th floor of the County Public Service building at 1300 Franklin St, Vancouver. Public comment is near the beginning of the meeting.
Show up and express your opinion. Michelle Belkot wants to protect your wallet and NOT pay for TriMet’s light rail O&M.
Also read:
- Council member Belkot: Will pursue legal counsel if she is not reinstated to C-TRAN board
Clark County Council faces public outcry over Michelle Belkot’s removal from the C-TRAN board, with calls for reinstatement and legal action. - Opinion: ‘Michelle Belkot wants to protect your wallet and NOT pay for TriMet’s light rail O&M’Rep. John Ley urges area residents to show up to tonight’s Clark County Council meeting to support Belkot’s efforts
- C-TRAN Board shakeup: Belkot removed for standing against light rail boondoggleMichelle Belkot was removed from the C-TRAN Board after opposing light rail expansion, with Leslie Lewallen calling it political retaliation.
- Letter: IBR’s billion dollar risk, another Abernethy Bridge financial disaster?Bob Ortblad raises concerns over the IBR project’s feasibility, comparing its costs to the Abernethy Bridge overruns and pointing to a hidden geotechnical risk.
- Expect delays on I-5 North Fork Lewis River Bridge for annual inspections near Woodland, March 17-20
Drivers on I-5 near Woodland should expect delays as WSDOT conducts annual inspections on the North Fork Lewis River Bridge from March 17-20.
NO LIGHT RAIL…….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PUT MY REPRESENTATIVE BACK ON THE BOARD!!!!!!!!
According to their own estimates, C-TRAN only provided 4,965,677 total rides last year. Thanks to Mr. Ley’s numbers, we know that means that each ride cost the system $17.44. The potentially shocking part is that 96.7% of that cost, $16.86, was subsidized by the taxpayer. A mere 58 cents was picked up by the riders themselves.
Maybe the Council can explain why we’re funding C-TRAN? It is hemorrhaging cash at an absolutely massive rate – we’re talking $16.7 million in taxpayer dollars per Council District. Without these enormous taxpayer subsidies, it would be instantly bankrupt.
And that’s before we even get to the declining ridership and increasing costs. Total ridership peaked in 2019 at over 6 million rides with total expenses of under $70 million. Since then, rides have gone down by almost 20% while costs have gone up by over 10%. Is that really a more efficient form transportation?
And Mr. Ley helpfully points out that C-TRAN operates a fleet of over 200 vehicles. Even if we only look at their typical weekday hours (~17 hours per day, 260 days a year), that means that the average vehicle in the fleet is transporting 5.2 people per hour.
5.2 people an hour. For $86.6 million.
Do we really need a fleet of $800,000 buses to handle what could easily be taken over by a fleet of $40k minivans? We could realistically hire 50 new Sheriff’s Deputies for that budget and still have an extra $80 million leftover. I sure don’t know many people who would mind having an extra $400 in their pocket.
So good on you John, for continuing to point us back to that core question at the heart of civic life, “where’s the value?”