Protests Planned For The Next I-5 Bridge Meeting
Groups opposed to the current plans for a new I-5 bridge between Portland and Vancouver are calling for a protest Friday morning.
Stop The Columbia River Crossing and the Coalition For A Livable Future are asking people to show up at 9:30am outside ODOT’s offices at 123 NW Flanders in Portland. That’s where the Project’s Sponsor Council will be meeting at 10am.
Another new development, a large coalition of environmental and other activists are taking on the Governors of Oregon and Washington for their support of the project.
In the letter, the groups say the current $3 billion plus plan has “serious flaws.” Instead of reducing traffic jams, the groups believe the current design will only make things worse. They say it will also encourage sprawl and increase greenhouse gas emissions.
What’s happened in the last several weeks is sort of a “letter war” between local leaders who want more control over the project, and state leaders who want to move ahead. The environmental coalition is getting behind the local guys, including Portland Mayor Sam Adams, Metro President David Bragdon, Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt, and Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart.
