At the same time discussions have surfaced on a possible way to pay for part of it.
http://www.pamplinmedia.com/
Residents in Tigard are not waiting until the usual stakeholders again sidestep the voters and make all of the decisions. They've learned from the Clackamas County & CRC light rail battles.
Here we go again! (Please read, note the initiative petition effort below, post to your web site and forward to all who may be interested).
With their vote residents in the City of Tigard can stop this planning unless voters agree.
There's no bridge involved with this boondoggle, but imagine the cost and impact of another unwanted Light Rail line. Metro, TriMet and the usual suspects are pushing to build another light rail line from Portland State, through a tunnel under the West Hills (with an elevator to OHSU), sacrificing road lanes on Barbur Blvd., before mowing through Tigard, obstructing Bridgeport Village, carving up Tualatin, running to WES and then out to Sherwood. Advocates want to "re-shape the suburban form" to impose a denser, urban Portland lifestyle on the surrounding suburbs.
That is the ultimate purpose of the Southwest Corridor Plan.
Metro, Trimet and their usual allies have already burned through over $10 million studying this proposal. It includes the same sort of CRC propaganda using Barbur Blvd. / Hwy 99W / SW cities labels to justify reduced road space, more light rail, apartment bunkers and deliberate overcrowding of our communities with endless planning and layers of perpetual tax subsidies/incentives.
Here's the leading edge of many millions more to be spent just as the CRC did with $175 million.
It's all the usual stuff piled up to provide all the planners and consultants with make-work and salaries for planning, planning and more planning while claiming they are delivering the local community "vision".
Who's vision is it? Not the voters in these communities that’s for sure.
Metro's "Steering Committee" has voted to proceed towards the inevitable Light Rail decision.
.
It's all been decided long ago and the voters are not being asked for any approval.
The draft recommendation begins with "Invest in transit" to help communities reach their "development visions".
The recommendation discusses ways to "improve local bus service" before quickly smothering that idea with a mountain of planner's jargon crafted to push the same grand plan being shoved in every other direction. At the end of the day this proposal is about one thing – Securing funding to build another light rail line without voter approval.
Volunteer-Contribute to the signature drive
We have a chance to stop them in their tracks. There is a group circulating a Tigard Initiative Petition to oppose any high capacity corridor plan that does not first obtain voter approval.
The approved Ballot Title and Text is below. The signatures are being gathered by volunteers. Tigard voters are very receptive to the petition they just need to hear about it. The signature drive lasts through the summer and extra volunteer help is much appreciated.
Organizers have a great system with drivers assisting all walkers with maps of assigned neighborhood routes with lists of voters who have shown interest in this issue.
If you would like to help with the signature gathering, please contact Art Crino (503-639-6545 crino9850@comcast.net) or you can show up at Elmer's Restaurant at 14055 SW Pacific Hwy. any evening at 6:00 pm or Saturday morning at 10:00 AM.
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