C-Tran seeks input on proposed bus route changes

C-Tran will hold the first of several public meetings Tuesday to gather public feedback on proposed bus route changes, slated to take effect in September, including closing Route 39 and adding a route directly to Portland International Airport from east Vancouver.

The route changes are all conceptual, and the agency is soliciting public comment and scheduling meetings for rider questions and comments before finalizing any proposal. C-Tran’s Board of Directors will vote on the changes in May.

The first gathering is the 5:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting of the C-Tran Citizens Advisory Committee, at the agency’s administrative offices, 2425 N.E. 65th Ave.

Community members can also comment, and learn more about the changes, online at c-tran.com/proposal. They can also email comments to proposal@c-tran.com.

C-Tran spokeswoman Christine Selk said the agency is proposing removing Route 39 — which goes through downtown, the Vancouver VA campus, Clark College, Rose Village and the Bagley Downs neighborhood around Fourth Plain Boulevard — due to low ridership.

Another proposed change would add a new route from the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center to the Portland airport.

Airport officials told C-Tran they estimate 40 percent of workers there are from Clark County, Selk said.

The changes, as currently proposed by transit agency staff, are:

• Route 2, Lincoln: End Saturday service.

• Route 7, Battle Ground: Schedule adjustments; improve Saturday and Sunday frequency to every 60 minutes.

• Route 9, Felida: End Saturday service.

• Route 19, Salmon Creek: Schedule adjustments; improve frequency to every 30 minutes during peak times, 60 minutes off-peak on weekdays; drop last evening trip on Saturdays.

• Route 30, Burton: Realign route to serve Northeast 28th Street between 138th and 162nd avenues.

• Route 39, VA/Rose Village: Discontinue route.

• Route 47, Battle Ground/Yacolt: Restructure route to operate only between Battle Ground and Yacolt.

• Route 60, Delta Park Regional: Schedule adjustments; add service to improve schedule reliability.

• Route 65, Parkrose Regional: Schedule adjustments coinciding with introduction of proposed Route 67.

• Route 67: New route from Fisher’s Landing and the Portland airport, for early afternoon and late evening on weekdays.

• Route 71, Highway 99: Adjust route to provide service to Vancouver Waterfront area via Columbia Street, Columbia Way, Grant Street and Sixth Street in downtown; increase frequency to every 15 minutes peak, 30 minutes off-peak.

• Route 78, 78th Street: Schedule adjustments; improve frequency to every 30 minutes at peak, 60 minutes off-peak on weekdays.

• Route 80, Van Mall/Fisher’s Landing: Realign route to serve Northeast 18th Street between 112th and 138th avenues; schedule adjustments to reduce frequency to every 60 minutes on weekends.

• Route 92,: Schedule adjustments; reduce frequency to every 60 minutes on Saturdays.

C-Tran will hold additional open houses to solicit route change feedback 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. April 2 at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 4 at the Vancouver Community Library, and at 5:30 p.m. April 9 at the library.