Looking backwards & forwards at the Streetcar

The text below is a portion of the minutes of the Citizen Advisory Committee for Portland Streetcar Inc. (PSI) from April 4, 2012, just after Lake Oswego pulled out of the Lake Oswego to Portland Streetcar Project.  During this stressful time when LO was struggling over whether a streetcar was a good fit for our community, certain members of the Lake Oswego community were on the Board of Directors for Portland Streetcar Inc. - Jack Hoffman, Judie Hammerstad, Lynn Peterson, and Dike Dame (developer/manager for the Foothills Development)..

Since the Lake Oswego Transportation System Plan (TSP) is currently being updated (please download Draft files and review!), it is a good time to remember that the streetcar project has not been cancelled, it is just on hold - waiting for a friendly political environment for its rebirth. The Portland Streetcar Inc. and Metro websites still have the LO Streetcar listed as a pending project, and regional maps include this transportation route.

While we Lake Oswegans may have coins in our pockets, clearly this CAC thinks we have rocks in our brains.  

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0. Portland Streetcar Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting
   Wednesday, April 4, 2012, 3:30-5:00p.m., City Hall, Pettygrove Room
   
1. 
   
2. Rick Gustafson gave an update on the Lake Oswego Streetcar Project. Analysis was done on the next steps of the Lake Oswego Streetcar extension since Lake Oswego has put a hold on the project. When we started the Loop project in 2002, the community did not fully understand how the Loop Streetcar will benefit them. The same can be said now for Lake Oswego. Vern Rifer added that the citizenry of Lake Oswego has not fully accepted the need for higher density development in their community. There are three main groups in Lake Oswego: the group that doesn't want to change; the group that wants the development and the transit; and the group that supports the development without the transit infrastructure. 
3. 
   
4. The other issue is that if we don't build the streetcar line, we need to protect the value of the rail right of way. We don't have a vehicle that can be run on the historic line. The Vintage Trolley is available to make the run, but it weighs more than the historic trolleys and the engineers have not been able to certify that the trusses will bear the additional weight. Another issue is the use of Macadam for the Streetcar as it is currently a state highway. The street can be turned over the city, but that takes a significant amount of time and the two entities (ODOT and the City) need to come to an agreement. There was a lot of agreement in the John's landing neighborhood for the streetcar. Another piece necessary to build the Macadam extension is the current zoning along the alignment as it does not support mixed use development.
   
   Richard Ross asked about the Highway 43 transfer. He stated that Lynn Peterson strongly supported the transfer of Highway 43 to the local jurisdictions when she was chair of the Clackamas County board. Ross wondered if a similar deal to the transfer of a portion of Powell Blvd to the City of Gresham would be considered. Gustafson responded that this is a possibility. This has been done in the past on SW Market and SW Clay when the streetcar was built there and on MLK and Grand to the viaduct in SE for the Loop. The difference is that PBOT is in a different financial state at this time, but these transfers are a longer term item. 
   
   The last piece in protecting the project and moving forward is to preserve the project funding that has already been identified. 
   
   
   From the Metro website:  
   
   

   Project status: suspended

   At the request of the City of Lake Oswego, the project to further study a full-length streetcar connection between the two cities has been suspended. No further action will be taken on the Locally Preferred Alternative recommendation at this time.

   The project partners remain committed to ensure future planning efforts and projects do not preclude the future development of a transit investment that would make best use of public facilities, including the Willamette Shore Line right of way, to meet travel demand between Lake Oswego and Portland. Further discussion will continue to explore the feasibility, project development needs and financial resources for a streetcar project to the minimum operable segment from South Waterfront to the Sellwood Bridge as a partial, interim solution to the travel needs of the corridor.

   The process thus far has led to a discovery and narrowing of alternatives to best meet the current and future transportation needs of the corridor. Depending on the scope and timeframe for  resumption, the project will either be able to move directly to the next stage of project development (a final environmental impact statement) or do an analysis that looks to the changes – to the project or in the corridor – and the potential impacts of the full length streetcar in relation to those changes (leading to the publication of a supplemental draft environmental impact statement). In either case, the efforts and decisions made up to this point will not be lost or ignored.