Hoofing it for light rail

Bob Dethlefs, top left, a transit engineer for Columbia River Crossing, led a walking tour Saturday of the proposed light-rail route through downtown Vancouver. Officials are considering either a couplet on Washington Street and Broadway or a two-way line on Washington. (Photos by Zachary Kaufman/The Columbian)

A group toured the area of West Ninth Street Saturday near a proposed Columbia River Crossing light-rail route through downtown Vancouver. The tour allowed the group to see how a line would affect nearby homes and businesses.

Sara Carter says she would gladly lengthen her daily commute to Portland by hopping on a light-rail line.

She commutes by bus to work from her Carter Park neighborhood, and light rail would drop her right at the office.

Her only question Saturday: What route would be best, a couplet on Washington Street and Broadway or a two-way line on Washington?

A walking tour Saturday of both routes let her see firsthand how the plans might affect businesses and neighbors in either location.

“I could support each one,” she said.

Dozens of people joined Carter on the tour, which met at Hudson’s Bay High School and traveled by bus through Washington and Broadway from East McLoughlin Boulevard.

The tour was the first in a set of informational workshops put on by the Columbia River Crossing to gather feedback on plans to extend Portland’s light-rail line into Vancouver as part of a replacement Interstate 5 bridge over the River.

Officials are considering two routes: A one-way couplet on Washington and Broadway or a two-way line on Washington. Both routes would continue east either on McLoughlin or 16th Street to a proposed terminus near Clark College.

The Vancouver City Council favors a couplet, though no plans have been finalized. Officials will consider the feedback when drafting recommendations on how to refine the project.

“This is a very important day in the history of the project,” said John White, the project’s community outreach facilitator. “Today is the first the community has to weigh in” on the routes.

At spots on the tour, passengers exited and walked around to get a better view. Spray paint marked the locations of possible rail platforms, and passengers saw just how close a line could run by homes or businesses. On 16th Street, Carter noticed lots of businesses on one side, but open space across the street. She said she thinks light-rail could bring more development and give current businesses more exposure from thousands of passengers.

“You could really see the opportunities for growth,” Carter said.

The line should be in walking distance, but not so close that it crowds homes and businesses. That’s the opinion of Portland resident John Ghormley, who also took the tour.

He often visits Vancouver to see his elderly father. He favors the couplet, because it would be accessible to more downtown residents.

“You should create a situation where you have an equal amount to walk to both lines,” Ghormley said.

Building a light-rail line concerns Jan Asai, executive director of Columbia Dance Company & School, 1700 Broadway. She acknowledged the line could one day give her dance company more exposure, but she worries that construction work could hamper business.

“If you’re going to inconvenience businesses, why not just limit it to Washington?” she said.

Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com.