RES 25-001RESOLUTION NO. 25-001
A RESOLUTION of the City Council of the City of Camas,
Washington opposing any extension of Light Rail as part of the I-5
Interstate Bridge Replacement project.
WHEREAS, the City of Camas believes it is critically important to replace the I-5
Interstate Bridge given its age and condition, which acts to impede private and commercial
traffic capacity and creates potential hazards for all commuters, including residents of the City;
and
WHEREAS, the proposed I-5 Interstate Bridge Replacement project (IBR Project)
includes an extension of Light Rail (LRT) some 9,690 feet from Delta Park to downtown
Vancouver; and
WHEREAS, the documented cost of the LRT component of the IBR Project would
require $2 ,000,000,000 for capital infrastructure; and
WHEREAS , in addition $21 ,790 ,090 is anticipated to be expended for the annual
operating expenses ofLRT upon completion, of which $1 ,551,920 must be paid by C-TRAN and
the municipalities which support it, including Camas , through their continuing . 7% sales tax
contribution; and
WHEREAS, the annual operating expense obligation is expected to increase, with the
sales tax contribution of the municipalities to rise to a minimum of .9% sales tax revenue or
more; and
WHEREAS, C-TRAN, supported by the tax dollars of the City of Camas and other
municipalities, currently provides public transportation services over the I-5 Interstate Bridge
which have been operated in an efficient and effective manner; and
WHEREAS, the C-TRAN services in this area and for Clark County in general provide
flexible and frequent routes for our residents using a variety of vehicles and propulsion modes
Resolution No. 25-001 Page -2
that are responsive to current and future ridership needs, all in compatibility with the vehicular
infrastructure which will be part of and developed for the IBR Project; and
WHEREAS, maintaining the current level of service in the operations of C-TRAN over
the I-5 Interstate Bridge would not require any special engineering or vehicular weight
considerations absent the inclusion of the LR T component; and
WHEREAS, the LR T component of the IBR Project is further superfluous to the actual
needs of our community, given the historically low ridership on the C-TRAN Commuter Express
to downtown Portland due to multiple factors including decreased downtown employment, high
commercial vacancy rates, shifting business and work patterns, increased remote work
opportunities and increased employment opportunities present in Clark County, all of which do
not support a Light Rail project that was designed to support an anticipated rise in ridership; and
WHEREAS, in the event C-TRAN ridership in the I-5 corridor does in fact increase in
the future, there are cost-effective, flexible resources which would be readily engaged to support
it, without the necessity of any Light Rail component; and
WHEREAS, as relates the residents of Camas and their adjacency to the I-205 Bridge,
which cannot support Light Rail infrastructure, the perceived benefit of LR T as part of the IBR
Project is limited to the I-5 corridor only; and
WHEREAS, at a time when all governmental budgets are under scrutiny, with significant
competition for resources related to providing the core functions essential to our residents, the
Camas City Council is united in concluding that the capital and maintenance costs of the LRT
component of the IBR Project is too burdensome to our city and residents, would provide little to
no current benefit, and should not be included as part of the IBR Project.
Resolution No. 25-001 Page -3
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council of the City of Camas as
follows:
Section I
The City states its opposition to the Light Rail extension as part of the I-5 Interstate
Bridge Replacement project and urges this component to be removed in its entirety.
ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Camas, this 3rd day of
February, 2025.
ATTEST: SudvtM I ~b o ()Jerk
City Attorney